NRL: Hohaia - we have to defend better

Lance Hohaia. Photo / Sarah Ivey

The rugged defence that had laid the platform for a five-match win streak deserted the Warriors in Sydney yesterday as they were blown to bits by a second-half Rabbitohs comeback.

The Warriors had allowed just six points in each of their past three matches, but yesterday they shipped 38, with winger Kevin Locke - a hero in Christchurch just four weeks ago - having a game to forget.

Locke was caught flat-footed and beaten for one of Souths' five second-half tries and was then shrugged off soon after by Colin Best as the Bunnies ran in an 80m try that proved decisive.

Locke departed with a hamstring strain soon after and was soon joined by centre Jerome Ropati, who appeared to tweak a groin.

Locke would have been hurting mentally as well as physically after slipping off Best and then being bumped off by diminutive halfback Chris Sandow.

But he did receive some words of solace from Rabbitohs coach John Lang, who recalled the young winger's match-saving effort when the sides met in Auckland in round 11.

"Kevin Locke saved the game for them last time," said Lang, who insisted Locke had not been targeted as part of his side's gameplan.

"He absolutely put his body on the line and smashed Rhys Wesser as he was going to charge over and score. He is like everybody else - you have your good days and your bad days."

Fullback Lance Hohaia, the best player in what was an often flat Warriors effort, believed Locke would bounce back quickly after recovering from his injury.

"[We've got to] make him realise that the good thing is that when he gets back out on the field he has got an opportunity to turn it all around," Hohaia said. "That is all he has to concentrate on."

Locke was far from alone in struggling to match the intensity of the desperate Rabbitohs in the second half.

"Our defensive attitude wasn't as good as it has been for the last month," Hohaia said. "I think they scored five tries in the second half alone. They are a good side, but it is not good enough if we want to be in the eight and push for the top four. We have to defend a lot better than that.

"But I think we are still going okay. It puts our win streak to an end so I guess we can put that to bed. It was a bit of a kick in the bum but we can move on from here."