KEY POINTS:
It was one of the most convincing second half shut-outs of an opposition team I have seen in a very long time.
The Warriors completely starved the Roosters of any ball and turned them around with a more precise kicking game than their first half.
Both teams were
sparring with each other for most of the first half but the Roosters obtained the advantage through a 50/50 call resulting in a penalty try.
The Warriors' defence has been terrific in the last 4-5 weeks but on Friday evening it was resolute, especially as the game progressed. Even the running game increased in intensity - evident in the kick-off return by Ruben Wiki where Iosia Soliola was left semi-conscious on the ground.
All round, it was a comprehensive win that will have sent a shock through the Australians that the Warriors are more of a threat than anyone anticipated.
The dilemma Ivan Cleary has now is that this team, which has been consistently selected, is welcoming back Wade McKinnon from suspension.
Lance Hohaia has proven that he is a very good footballer.
His decisiveness at the line proved to be instrumental in his second try, as was the ball he delivered to Vatuvei to score out wide. In that sense, Hohaia offers more to the Warriors than McKinnon but we can't deny McKinnon his attacking qualities, although Hohaia has provided the same in his absence.
It would be a brave coach to start his ace (McKinnon) from the bench to maintain continuity. However, in essence, Hohaia provides more from the bench than McKinnon so McKinnon should start.
Friday also saw the resourcefulness of the Warriors in not allowing the Roosters to target specific half combinations.
Mixing the halves/hooker pairings during the game confused the defence and provided time to the attack. What was also evident was the speed of the little men around the ruck area, in particular Ian Henderson out of dummy half.
Building momentum from this area is critical and the Roosters had no answer to it. At halftime, Roosters coach Brad Fittler mentioned that this area was a major concern and it needed to be shut down.
The strategy is easy but actually preventing it is hard when you have quick, small men working effectively.
Personally I was in a win/lose scenario where I wanted both teams to win but knowing one had to lose for the other to progress.
We will celebrate and look forward to another week in anticipation of another great win. The last two games were difficult assignments on their own but the difficulty now is dealing with the anticipation of a country which can be guilty of overenthusiasm (e.g. the Rugby World Cup).
Let us just enjoy the moment and not add any more undue pressure. Let's just support and watch them for at least one more week.
