WARRIORS 26
KNIGHTS 20
KEY POINTS:
A 95m try from winger Patrick Ah Van sealed a 26-20 win for the New Zealand Warriors over the Newcastle Knights in their National Rugby League match in Auckland today.
Ah Van latched onto a crossfield kick while Newcastle were hot on attack with 15 minutes remaining and outsprinted the defence, which with Michael Witt's conversion gave his team a 10-point lead.
It gave the Warriors enough buffer to hold out a late Newcastle charge, though it needed a Logan Swann intercept with 20 seconds to go to ensure the Warriors were not forced to golden point extra time.
The result represented a remarkable turnaround from the Warriors' 6-52 drubbing at the hands of Manly in Sydney last week.
A heavy penalty count from referee Tony Des Las Heras worked in the Warriors' favour early on.
Michael Witt was on target with a penalty eight minutes into the match, and new centre Ryan Shortland scored twice within three minutes.
The former Melbourne centre first scored after quick passing gave him an overlap on the left side and Shortland then dived on a clever grubber kick from Nathan Fien. Two sideline conversions from Witt made the score 14-0.
However, as the penalty count levelled up, Newcastle got back into the game.
They scored first in the 32nd minute in somewhat bizarre fashion. A grubber kick hit the upright, and Warriors fullback Lance Hohaia's speculative kick went directly across the field in the in-goal area, where a grateful Wes Naiqama fell on the ball.
Six minutes later the Knights were in again after winning field position from a penalty. Bench forward Cory Paterson latched onto a Scott Dureau pass and went straight past Grant Rovelli to score near the posts. Kurt Gidley's conversion made the halftime score 14-12.
The Warriors went eight points clear again soon after halftime when prop Evarn Tuimavave ran onto a Grant Rovelli inside ball and stretched out to score.
Newcastle were back within a try with 19 minutes gone in the half however when wing James McManus was put in space and crashed over.
Gidley's missed conversion meant the Warriors were four points ahead, and Ah Van's crucial try broke the heart of a Knights side poised to strike.
After being denied a metre short of the Warriors line, halfback Dureau's crossfield kick on the fifth tackle went straight into the arms of the Warriors right winger, who accelerated away from any chasers. Witt's conversion made the score 26-16.
Witt missed a 40m penalty shortly afterwards and Newcastle got back into the game when Naiqama scored off a Gidley break. Another conversion miss meant the Warriors were six points in front with five minutes to go.
A scrum 30m out gave the Knights a last chance but staunch defence and Swann's final intercept ensured the game was safe for the Warriors.
Warriors captain Ruben Wiki said the victory was important following last Monday's Manly debacle.
"It's a bit of relief for the boys after last week's effort and I think we just wanted to get some respect for each other and for the club and the fans," he said.
"We addressed what happened last week and we've moved on. We've obviously got a lot to improve on today but the re was some good signs out there today."
Coach Ivan Cleary said it was disappointing that Newcastle were able to make a match of it after his team led 14-0.
"We definitely let them back in, though not through lack of effort," he said.
"I was really happy with the effort today but on the other hand we've got a hell of a lot to work on. I'm just happy with the two points today."
Knights coach Brian Smith said the early penalty count, which at one stage was 7-1 in the Warriors' favour, was tough for his team to deal with.
"Any team that gives away a string of penalties finishes up in trouble. In fact, I thought our boys did tremendous in that at half time we were down 14-12 after the avalanche of possession that the opposition did have," he said.
"From my point of view I thought my players were heroic again today. They fought hard and tried to win the game and nearly got it back for us again."
Smith did not want to criticise Des Las Heras, saying "(referees boss) Graham Annesley's there at the back of the room so I've got to be a good boy".
But Knights captain Danny Buderus did say the refereeing this season has been vigilant.
"It's hard to have a clean set these days with a nice kick-chase. It's the same for both teams and that's the way it is."
Cleary, however, didn't think the match penalty count of 21 was too extreme.
"To be honest I thought there could have been a bit more. I think that's about how many penalties have been given most games."
Buderus, who played much of the match with a knee injury sustained early in the game, agreed the Ah Van try was a crucial one.
"Things change so quickly and that could have been us in the winning dressing shed."
- NZPA
