Warriors 30 Titans 6
KEY POINTS:
The Warriors' bean counters will be rubbing their hands together with glee after Ivan Cleary's side took another step last night to a home semifinal.
The coffers have looked a bit thin over the past couple of years as crowds dwindled and the salary cap breach hit the club, but they can expect a cash injection in the coming weeks.
Last night a crowd the size of which hasn't been seen since the Warriors' last flirtation with the finals in 2003 crammed into Mt Smart Stadium.
More than 20,600 passed through the turnstiles - substantially more than their average of 11,300. The South Stand was full, punters even made themselves at home on the hill and the occasional shower that traced across the ground couldn't dampen their enthusiasm as they witnessed another important Warriors win.
Cleary's side have been simply irresistible in recent weeks and last night they took their record to seven wins and a draw in their past nine matches. If rival teams across the Tasman hadn't noticed what is happening at Mt Smart Stadium, they should now.
Twelve months ago, it's debatable that the Warriors would have coped with the week they had just had. It's easy to say that you're focused on the game when a team-mate is investigated for sexual misconduct and then adjust to the loss of one of your best players - Wade McKinnon - through injury.
But cope they did, although the scoreline flattered the home side.
A trouncing looked on the cards when they raced out to an impressive 18-0 lead inside as many minutes, but they stagnated as the Titans worked their way back into the match.
In that opening stanza, the Warriors played with fluidity in attack on the back of good support play and they hunted in packs as they out-muscled the visitors on defence. Their line speed on defence was far superior to the Titans, who were restricted to ineffectual one-out running, while the Warriors little men found plenty of time and space out of dummy half.
Grant Rovelli got the ball rolling when he burst on to a Manu Vatuvei pop-pass 70m out in the fifth minute and then beautifully stepped around Preston Campbell to run in. He doubled the dose eight minutes later when he latched on to a Simon Mannering offload to grab his eighth try of the season and he collected his hat-trick on the hour which made the game safe.
Rovelli spent time with the Auckland Lions earlier in the season, but he's rediscovered the sort of form that earned him the Young Player of the Year Award in 2006.
The Titans had rarely threatened in the opening spell but they dominated the early exchanges of the second half as Scott Prince started to shift the gears.
It was from a Prince grubber that the Titans scored when Anthony Laffranchi won the race to the ball.
There were some worrying signs for the Warriors. They lacked intensity and composure and coughed up the ball too regularly in their own half.
Steve Price was having none of it and he demanded a lift. Rovelli provided it with his third and Ropati put the finishing touches on it with his second of the night and 10th of the season.
Last night's performance wasn't as free-flowing as some recent ones but the most important outcome was the two points. They can't afford to play in the coming weeks like they did in the final 60 minutes but maybe it's just the reminder they need that wins sometimes have to be ground out.
Next week they travel to tackle the Raiders before their final home game against Manly. With another big crowd expected, the accountants will surely have the calculators at the ready.
Warriors 30 (G. Rovelli 3, J. Ropati 2 tries, M. Witt 5 gls) Titans 6 (A. Laffranchi try, B. Delaney gl). HT: 18-0.
Lance Hohaia landed a last-minute field goal to help the Auckland Lions to a 27-26 win over the top-of-the-table Bulldogs to keep their finals hopes alive in the Premier League.
