NRL: Warriors have another shocker

Jamie Lyons is wrapped up. Photo / Getty Images

Sea Eagles 24
Warriors 22

If you don't like horror stories, stop reading now. The end to this match was remarkably hard to watch, the kind you watch with your hands over your eyes, peeking out through trembling fingers. It was almost an unloseable match. The Warriors led by 18-0 after 32 minutes, and unfortunately became the first team in NRL history to lose from that position two weeks in a row.

Manly were hardly in the game until the last 30 minutes but came up with three tries in the last 12 minutes to overhaul the Warriors, who failed to score a point in the last 36 minutes of the match. It means that the Auckland side's playoff ambitions are all but gone for 2012 and you would think it will take a long time to repair the psychological damage.

Earlier on it had all been remarkably positive. The Warriors were meant to be dead and buried, especially after last weekend's deflating loss to Newcastle but for 50 minutes of this match they came up with some of the best football of 2012, against a Manly side that struggled to get into the game.

Manly remain a team hard to like. No team is consistently more offside than the Sea Eagles while George Rose has few endearing qualities. Their senior players spent much of the match bleating at the referee - Anthony Watmough particularly incensed at being penalised for a blatant chicken wing tackle on Kevin Locke.

It was a brutally physical match with the Warriors handing out most of the early punishment. Manu Vatuvei was truly captain fantastic and involved in everything, making McClennan's decision to hand him the armband seem like a masterstroke.

Friend signalled some early intent with a late charge on Foran as he kicked (unpunished) but Matai evened up the ledger, attempting to take Kevin Locke's head off moments later as the fullback returned a kick. Locke looked groggy, but finished a superb try two minutes later after a lovely Mateo inside ball.

The Warriors dominated the first quarter although they were hurt by the departure of Konrad Hurrell in just the 14th minute. It brought NRL debutant Sebastine Ikahihifo on much earlier than expected, becoming the fifth player to be promoted from Toyota Cup this year and he was impressive throughout. The good times continued though, with Mateo providing another assist (his 11th of the season) for Shaun Johnson to burst over from 20 metres out in the 17th minute. Manly's timing was off, their passes were wayward and they lacked enthusiasm.

This wasn't the brutally professional Sea Eagles outfit we know and the Warriors profited, Lewis Brown grabbing their third try in the 32nd minute after Vatuvei had brilliantly hauled in a precise Johnson bomb. It all looked perfect.

With 30 seconds to go in the first half, the Warriors turned down a field goal shot, instead hoisting another bomb. That was fine but they failed to stay switched on. They didn't, and in a carbon copy of the 2011 grand final, Manly made the most of the last 20 seconds to score a long range try, with the Warriors right edge defence not reacting to Kieran Foran's admittedly brilliant kick and Jorge Taufua sprinted away to score.

Thankfully, they made amends soon after the break, with Johnson floating a perfect cut out pass to Vatuvei who ran untouched to the corner in the 44th minute.

The Warriors should have put on more points which may have locked the door - and crucially turned down a kickable penalty - before Manly began to find their way back into the match. Indiscipline from Russell Packer, who hit Foran late after a kick, gifted the Sea Eagles territory and they soon profited with Jamie Lyon creating space for Williams to slip over.

The Warriors were hanging on as Manly finally found their feet. They were aided by a questionable refereeing call, which gifted them possession and Steve Matai left Hurrell standing to send Foran over.

If the Warriors were getting nervous, they were downright anxious soon afterwards when Daly Cherry-Evans reacted first to a clever Foran grubber and made it to the corner with seven minutes on the corner. Cherry-Evans scored again in the 78th minute, after a perfect Foran kick, to seal the Warriors' heartbreak.

Warriors 22 (K. Locke, S. Johnson, L. Brown, M. Vatuvei tries, J. Maloney 3 goals) Sea Eagles 24 (J. Taufua try, D. Williams, K. Foran, D. Cherry-Evans 2 tries, J. Lyon 2 goals). Halftime: 18-0.