Titans 24 Warriors 18
A solid but ultimately losing first-up effort against the much-fancied Titans will have done little to change the divergent opinions about this year's Warriors.
Those of an optimistic bent will point to the fast start, the encouraging debut efforts of new halves Brett Seymour and James Maloney and an at-times
dominant effort by a rookie forward pack.
However, the raft of pundits picking the New Zealanders to crash and burn this year will also be resting easy enough with their gloomy predictions.
Leading 12-0 and then 18-6 against a Titans side afflicted with a severe case of the dropsies, the Warriors twice walked into sucker punches to concede crucial tries.
They were also kept scoreless for the final 47 minutes, a concern for a team that last year was among the least potent in the NRL.
There was a disconcerting familiarity with the way the Warriors turned a winning position into a fairly inevitable defeat but, all things considered, the positives probably just shaded the negatives.
Seymour and Maloney laid on a try each with pinpoint kicks to wingers Manu Vatuvei and Kevin Locke to give the Warriors a 12-0 lead they thoroughly deserved.
But Preston Campbell caught them napping with a short kick-off that he reclaimed himself and the Titans marched down the field to open their account with a classy try to Joseph Tomane on a last-tackle play.
Vatuvei's second on 33 minutes put the Warriors back in command, but another mental lapse gifted the Titans a piggy-back penalty and a strong charge from Sam Tagataese set up a simple try to Anthony Laffranchi with just 40 seconds remaining in the half.
It was a crucial momentum swing, with the Titans emerging for the second half with a spring in the step that had been missing throughout an error-ridden first half.
The Warriors soaked up plenty of pressure in a scoreless opening 20 minutes after the restart before finally being undone by a piece of brilliance from Tomane and winger David Mead.
Tomane's back-handed flick gave the flying Mead a fraction of space and he somehow evaded the chalk to score.
Scott Prince's sideline conversion tied it up and from there the Titans always looked the more likely victor.
Once again it was the brilliant Campbell who did the damage, pouncing on a Nathan Friend grubber with 10 minutes remaining.
The Warriors had chances to force extra time. Vatuvei looked likely to score only to have the ball ripped from his grasp by Campbell metres from the line, while Lance Hohaia was denied only by covering winger Kevin Gordon's pace after carving up the middle and chipping into the in-goal.
Pre-match concerns about the Queensland weather came to nought. Heavy showers before the match and at half-time meant conditions were sticky but hardly oppressive.
The Warriors will no doubt look at it as two points lost, but they will also be encouraged by having the better of much of the match against a side tipped to be among the title contenders.
Hooker Aaron Heremaia was a standout, while both Seymour and Maloney impressed.
There was also plenty of pop in the pack. Prop Sam Rapira produced some rampaging charges, while back rower Ben Matulino came out on top of his head-to-head tough-man contest with rugged Titans five-eighth Greg Bird.
But for all the positives, the Warriors are still a side lacking genuine match-winners. Yesterday, they were undone by just such a player, with Campbell's classy touches at both ends of the field proving decisive.
Warriors' optimists will point to the talent still to return - captain Simon Mannering, senior prop Steve Price, hooker Ian Henderson and fullback Wade McKinnon.
Some of them will, hopefully, play in Saturday's home opener against the Sharks.
