Dragons 29
Warriors 4
It's calculator time in the NRL, and while the table-topping Dragons can finger the number pad with confidence, the Warriors would prefer to leave it in the drawer.
Theoretically, after their dispiriting loss to the Dragons yesterday, the Warriors could still sneak into the top eight playoff spots. They are
13th and five points off the eight.
But they won't. They need to win their last six games, and too many other results have to fall their way after their 11th loss in 18 games.
The Warriors put in plenty of effort and for a time in the second half had the bulk of ball and territory. But too often a stray pass, missed tackle, dropped ball or easy let-off through the aerial option cost them.
Warriors skipper Steve Price pointed out that the Dragons are adept at grabbing opportunities off opponents' mistakes. "They just do the little things very well. They wait for you to make a mistake and all of a sudden they're at the other end of the field scoring tries against the run of play."
Which simply goes to show there is more than one way to win at footy.
But for rival coaches Ivan Cleary and Wayne Bennett, talk of making the playoffs or winning the minor premiership respectively is best left to others.
Bennett, master of the clipped, to-the-point phrase, was asked if he felt he had one hand on the minor premiership. "I haven't got one hand on anything right now. We just turn up each week, do the best we can and see where it all finishes," he said.
On making the top eight, Cleary insisted he "wasn't thinking about it at the moment. We'd have to improve a fair bit, obviously."
He's bang on there. On the day Nathan Fein returned to Warriorsville for the first time since leaving a few weeks ago - he played about half the game, to average effect - the Warriors lacked ideas in the attacking third. There were moments when players were winging it, a lack of clear, collective attacking strategy obvious.
Their only try, a quick response to Brett Morris' fifth-minute opening four-pointer, was well structured. Simon Mannering made good ground before slipping the ball inside to centre Joel Moon.
The Dragons didn't take long to figure out the Warriors' right side of defence was weak, with Patrick Ah Van's 50th NRL game - as a late replacement for the injured Jerome Ropati - not one he'll save for the private collection. Alongside youngster Kevin Locke, they had their hands full.
Chase Stanley got clear down the left with an overlap after prop Michael Weyman slipped off tacklers to get an offload, and Morris took the final pass.
A key period? Midway through the half, the Warriors opted to tap a penalty right in front. They gave up two certain points and hooker Ian Henderson's subsequent awful pass lost possession.
A minute later, impressive Dragons second rower Ben Creagh got his hands through a tackle to set up Stanley's 25m run to the left corner.
It could have been 12-6; instead at 18-4 the Warriors were becoming a dot in the Dragons' rear mirror.
The Warriors had their chances in the third quarter, but opportunities weren't taken and possession simply wasn't guarded jealously enough. The kickers, Lance Hohaia, Isaac John and Stacey Jones, all struggled to put the receivers under the hammer and it all went flat.
When, on the 60-minute mark, Henderson dinked a chip into Jamie Soward's hands just off the Dragons' line, the NRL's leading scorer sprinted the length of the park.
Cue patrons zipping the jackets and heading for the gates.
They missed the classiest moment of the game - Soward's deft chip and regather over the Warriors' defensive line to set up fullback Darius Boyd for the Dragons' final try.
* The run home
Saturday: v Panthers (a)
Aug 9: v Titans (h)
Aug 15: v Eels (a)
Aug 23: v Raiders (h)
Aug 28-31: v Bulldogs (a)
Sept 4-6: v Storm (h)
Maximum points possible: 29
Warriors 13th on 17 points
Sitting eighth (bottom playoff spot): Cowboys 22 points
