Warriors 24 Canberra 26
KEY POINTS:
The New Zealand Warriors' push towards the National Rugby League playoffs hit a speed bump when they were upset by Canberra in Canberra tonight.
A week after losing 4-52 to the Bulldogs, Canberra engineered a shock 26-24 win by overcoming a 10-point deficit with 10 minutes remaining.
The Warriors had appeared set for their first win in Canberra since 1997 but could not match the energy and enthusiasm thrown at them in the closing stages.
Entering the match fifth on the standings, the Warriors were ahead 18-14 at halftime despite a hat-trick from Canberra wing Brett Kelly, whose team were 14th after their flogging last weekend.
The Warriors were helped by a huge dollop of luck to gain a decisive 24-14 advantage 13 minutes into the second half when a midfield bust by Evarn Tuimavave ended in an opportunistic try to Nathan Fien.
Tuimavave's offload rebounded off the hands of a retreating Tom Learoyd-Lahrs, who was pressured back over his line by Tuimavave and Fien, lost control of the ball and was mortified to watch on as Fien pounced on the gift.
Almost as a matter of routine Michael Witt added the conversion, lifting his season's return to a phenomenal 49 successes from 50 shots at goal.
Canberra kept them honest, though, lifting in the middle stages of the second stanza as they fully tested the New Zealanders' tiring defence.
It finally faltered 10 minutes from fulltime when halfback Todd Carney found space off a ruck before adding the extras himself to slash the difference to four points.
There were holes to exploit 7min later when Scott Logan charged off a short ball to score under the crossbar, with Carney's simple conversion lifting Canberra to an unlikely win.
The Warriors did little more than grab their chances in the first spell, with wing Michael Crockett on hand to collect the spoils in the 10th minute when Kelly failed to gather a Witt grubber.
Minutes later Kelly restored the balance when he was on the end of two great passes, the first unexpectedly coming from prop Scott Logan and the final from half Todd Carney.
The Warriors took the lead a second time when Manu Vatuvei leapt clear of David Milne under a bomb from Fien in the 19th minute for Witt to convert to make it 12-6.
Kelly then grabbed his second as the seesaw continued before Canberra fullback David Howell was denied when a crushing tackle from centre Simon Mannering knocked the ball from his grasp over the line.
Milne was targeted again in the 32nd minute when Vatuvei leapt high to knock down a kick from Grant Rovelli for replacement Epalahame Lauaki to score.
Canberra refused to go away and exposed holes in the Warriors defence down the right flank yet again when Kelly claimed his third try of the half.
The Warriors were without regular fullback Wade McKinnon, who was ruled out by an ankle for the second successive match and replacing in the starting 13 by Todd Byrne.
Their penultimate match of the regular season is against Manly at home next Sunday.
- NZPA
