League: Cleary sees lessons from thrashing

Luke Rooney of the Panthers (left) and Tony Martin of the Warriors scramble for the ball during their match in Sydney. Matthew King / Getty Images

Penrith 36 Warriors 6

SYDNEY - Warriors coach Ivan Cleary could find one silver lining after his side's NRL finals chances crumbled against Penrith.

That was the lessons his young backline would have absorbed in the hiding dished out by the Panthers at CUA Stadium.

"Apart from Tony Martin, the age of the backline averages 19 or 20. It was a hard one but a good one for those guys tonight," said Cleary.

"You can only get experience one way."

The Warriors had a mathematical chance of making the finals before Saturday night's match, but it involved winning their final six minor premiership games.

A 10-minute spell in the second half effectively extinguished those hopes.

With their Kiwis forwards Tony Puletua and Frank Pritchard laying the platform, the Penrith backs cut loose, running in four tries from the 54th minute.

Five-eighth Preston Campbell and fullback Rhys Wesser cut the Warriors to shreds during that period, with Wesser brilliant in claiming three tries and improving his side's chances of making the top eight.

The Warriors were set a mammoth task from the start of the season when the NRL deducted four competition points for previous salary cap breaches and yesterday it proved a bridge too far, despite a strong mid-season run.

Cleary said it was disappointing to have lost badly.

"But it's not doomsday," he said.

His team were in touch and a shade unlucky to be down 6-12 at halftime and Cleary said there was no indication then of the mass of points about to accumulate against them.

"I thought we were going all right in the first half, a bit rusty on attack and we had a few things to fix up there. But for the first 20 minutes of the second half we were constantly defending.

"They were very clinical in what they were doing and I don't know whether it was fatigue, but we started making errors and every time we did they punished us."

The Panthers dominated possession and Cleary said a team having to defend as much as the Warriors did would always be up against it. The final tackle count was 364 to 242 by Penrith.

"The little bit of football we did have in the middle of the second half we made inroads," Cleary said.

But the side made errors at crucial times, including centre Simon Mannering butchering a pass with the Penrith defence stretched.

Cleary said his side would now concentrate on improving their game - "as individuals and as a team and that starts next week.

"There's obvious things where we can improve; you can't make more than 100 tackles against Penrith and win."

They play Cronulla in Auckland on Saturday night, but whether they have vice-captain Ruben Wiki will depend on the NRL's match review and possibly the judiciary.

Wiki was placed on report by referee Tony Archer for a high tackle on Joel Clinton, that left the prop groggy.

Wiki has an unenviable judicial record, having been charged 12 times in his 13-year career, resulting in 22 weeks on the sidelines.

He was suspended for four matches last year for a high tackle, but beat a charge of dropping his knees in a tackle this season, his third success in the judicial room.

- NZPA