NRL: I'll just keep trying to do my best for my players - McClennan

Elijah Taylor of the Warriors reflects on another loss during the round 24 NRL match between the Warriors and the Penrith Panthers. Photo / Getty Images.

Warriors 16
Panthers 18

Another week, another loss for the Warriors, but under-pressure coach Brian McClennan has vowed to continue in his role for the remaining two games of the season.

This time it was the Panthers, with former Warriors coach Ivan Cleary at the helm, who put the knife in - a converted Travis Robinson try in the dying minutes sealing a victory at Mt Smart which had looked unlikely only moments earlier.

It is the sixth consecutive defeat for the Warriors and the reasons for it can again be attributed to poor defence. Robinson looked to be covered as he scooted down the left touchline before cutting inside three would-be defenders to score. Earlier, Lachlan Coote had done a similar job on the Warriors to keep the Panthers in touch.

However, afterwards McClennan said it was business as usual for him.

"As far as I'm concerned, I'll just keep trying to do my best for my players and I'll control what I can control. That's how I prepare myself and how I work with my staff to prepare the team,'' he said. "I'm pretty proud of what happened out there. I know the result wasn't what we wanted but we tried really hard today.''

McClennan was referring to the way the Warriors battled on without hooker Nathan Friend, who left the field in the first half with a dislocated shoulder, and forward Sione Lousi who took a knock to the head.

Friend has been one of the Warriors' most consistent performers in recent weeks and in his absence they had only Shaun Johnson to provide anything in the way of inspiration.

This defeat was a gut-wrencher for McClennan and his team, who played like they were unaware of the scrutiny being placed on their coach in his first season in charge.

The fact that the recently sacked Parramatta coach Stephen Kearney was watching at Mt Smart as a guest of the owners would have only increased his stress levels.

McClennan said he had spoken to Kearney during the Kiwis coach's time in Auckland "We had a catch-up and obviously our talks remain private,'' he said of the man likely to be his assistant next season.

Two of the Warriors' three tries came from Penrith mistakes, with Ben Henry's first coming courtesy of an error by fullback Michael Gordon behind his line, and halfback Johnson racing 80m to score an intercept try to put the Warriors up 10-0.

The Panthers, who began the match 15th on ladder (two below the Warriors), bombed at least three tries in the first half due to poor handling or wrong options, but finally contrived to get it right three minutes before the break when captain Kevin Kingston strolled under the posts.

Henry's second try six minutes after halftime lifted the enthusiasm levels, or maybe the ears of the men in black were still ringing from a halftime talk. Whatever, the Warriors were finally playing with purpose and set about defending their 16-6 lead

Alas, it wasn't to last. The defensive frailties of the Warriors, who let slip two 18-point leads to lose in consecutive weeks and followed that with thrashings at the hands of the Sharks and Cowboys, soon reappeared when Coote and then Robinson scored converted tries.

The Warriors tried to reply in a frantic last couple of minutes, but it came to nought, much like their season. Captain Manu Vatuvei said: "We were just unlucky at the end. A few tackles were missed but that's just how the game is.''

Warriors 16 (Ben Henry 2, Shaun Johnson tries; James Maloney 2 goals)
Panthers 18 (Kevin Kingston, Lachlan Coote, Travis Robinson tries; Luke Walsh 3 goals)
HT: 10-6.