League: Warriors revive their old flair

Warrior Clinton Toopi makes a charge in his side's win against the Rabbitohs at Ericsson Stadium yesterday. Picture / Richard Robinson

Warriors 46 Rabbitohs 14

The Warriors yesterday rediscovered some of their old confidence and style.

Against Souths at Ericsson Stadium they scored their first home win since beating the same team in round 19 last year.

Souths captain Bryan Fletcher said the second 40 felt like "the Warriors of old" and made special mention of halfback Stacey Jones as a destroyer as they were cut to bits with five second-half tries.

"When they popped the ball out there was always someone there, which hasn't been the case for the past two seasons."

The turnaround followed an ordinary first 40 minutes when the Warriors led 20-14 but the gap should have been 18 points greater - Souths scored when Jerome Ropati dropped the high ball right on his line and wing Brad Watts profited, and twice the Warriors lost the ball early in the tackle count within 10m of Souths' line.

A bollocking from defensive coach Kevin Campion at the break and instruction to play for each other were key, said coach Tony Kemp.

He had to be pleased with the effort after that because several Warriors stepped up their enthusiasm and in the last 10 minutes when the game was no longer in doubt they held out repeat sets of six.

Clinton Toopi and Awen Guttenbeil started in a side rejigged because of injury to fullback Brent Webb, who withdrew yesterday, and centre Simon Mannering, ruled out of his debut after training on Saturday with a foot injury.

The backline was more cohesive than it was against the Cowboys last weekend. The forwards again returned good distance - Steve Price 131m to lead all players in the NRL on four-game average, Guttenbeil 127m and Iafeta Paleaaesina 110m.

Kemp was pleased they'd shown pride on their line to keep Souths out. Price said they were a team that had to back themselves and they did.

"Cut out the mistakes and we're a different team." He'd enjoyed watching what he came to Auckland for - seeing Jones bust defences and the likes of Toopi and Sione Faumuina scorching down the sidelines.

Souths' Shaun McRae felt his side had played the Warriors back into form. "They scored some very, very good rugby league tries," he said.

"They were very entertaining. They were helped by some ill-discipline at times by us."

McRae was not concerned about the margin, the 46 points equalling the most the Warriors have put on the Rabbits. The all-up score is now 10 games to three to the Warriors.

It's hard to say whether the disappointing crowd of 9715 - down about 4000 on the Manly and Cowboys games - reflected those losses or lack of interest in Souths, but the victory will no doubt lift numbers when Penrith come in round eight.

Next weekend the Warriors play Wests Tigers in Christchurch, then they go to Newcastle in the weekend before to the Anzac test, with their first bye to follow.

Each team went to the other's end twice early in the game yesterday, Souths scoring through Watts, the Warriors dropping the ball. Hooker Nathan Fien had their first points from a dummy-half scoot. But one minute later Ashley Harrison replied for the Rabbitohs.

At 22 minutes Jones made a big break to put Monty Betham under the bar. The lock left the field later with a corked calf but is expected to be fine this weekend. Faumuina off-loaded and Lance Hohaia broke the line to create try two for Wairangi Koopu who played a blinder yesterday.

Then followed a bizarre sequence in which Luke MacDougall scrambled to the Warriors line but lost the ball. Ropati picked it up and loped away. But the referee asked video ref Mick Stone to judge on the whole movement and Stone decided MacDougall had scored.

Koopu made the bust for Jones to score the first points after the break after Hohaia and Byrne backed up.

Wing Manu Vatuvei made up for some dropped ball by nailing a high kick from Fien to score, Guttenbeil ran hard and straight at the line to get four points through multiple defenders,

Jones took his opportunity out wide to dot down and Toopi scored off quick hands to bring the ball around behind the posts.

Jones kicked seven from nine to complete an all-round performance that will hopefully provide momentum for the next game against the Tigers.