League: Each game now grand final for Warriors

Warriors' Sione Faumuina is stopped short as he tries to break through the tough Bulldogs defence during their game at Ericsson Stadium yesterday. Picture / Greg Bowker

Bulldogs 26 Warriors 24

Much has been made by the Warriors of their improvement on defence this season but they still let through the ones that count.

When Bulldogs star Braith Anasta scored in the last play before halftime at Ericsson Stadium yesterday the momentum swung from the home team to the visitors and they pushed on to win.

It was not so much the four points from Anasta's try that counted but the manner in which he scored it, waltzing through untouched, as Adam Dykes had done for the Sharks, Luke Priddis for Penrith, the Warriors' minds elsewhere for seconds and now consigned to another lengthy soul-searching.

Another narrow loss, one of many this season, means the playoffs are slipping away.

Last weekend they had scored just before and after the break against the Cowboys, conventional footballing wisdom having it that the team that does that will win. They lost to the Cowboys. This weekend the Bulldogs scored before and after the break and beat them.

The Warriors still carry that mental fragility that lets teams believe they will crack under pressure and the longer they keep cracking, the longer opposition sides will carry that into games as part of their plan and as a confidence-builder.

The game finished in a flurry of excitement, Sione Faumuina held up on the last tackle 40 seconds from time and the video referee Graeme West declining to rule for the home team. But the home team fans among the 12,882 at the ground would rather they delivered some consistency, throughout 80 minutes and from week to week.

The Warriors ran point-for-point with the Dogs yesterday, 6-6, 12-12, 18-18 before the Dogs secured a penalty and a converted try to give them an eight-point buffer. Their hero was Stacey Jones whose kicking game was good, his runs to the line threatening.

It was Jones who delivered a wide ball to Wairangi Koopu for their first try, Jones who dabbed at the line then crabbed across field to deliver the ball to wing Francis Meli in a hole, Jones who backed up Sione Faumuina's break to take the last pass and score and Jones who sent through a banana kick for Todd Byrne's last points.

His personal tally of 12 points took him to 604 for the club but such milestones provide shallow comfort when part of yet another loss.

Coach Tony Kemp said they would be disappointed with the Bulldogs' tries when the review was done this week. They should be.

The Dogs, also playing without confidence and in and out of form, did not stand out as superior.

Up front, the visitors were nearly matched, prop Ruben Wiki leading the way against Mark O'Meley and Roy Asotasi. But Richard Villasanti dropped the ball. Out back, the Warriors were as inventive and Clinton Toopi looked threatening. But Nathan Fien made errors, Francis Meli was lax on defence.

The mood in the dressing room was one of disappointment, Jones said. They had put in good effort and knew that silly mistakes had let them down. "It's happened to us a few times this year. We've spoken about it. I guess we were too anxious on defence."

Kemp said it was business as usual this week as long as there were still 14 points up for grabs. Twenty-eight is his nominated cut-off for the top-eight playoff teams and the Warriors have 16 with three home games and four away to come.

"Every game is now basically a grand final for us."

This starts next Saturday away to the Roosters, who should be buoyed with news the club has signed Anasta.

The Warriors had created enough breaks to win it yesterday, Kemp said. True. But they did not complete enough of those. And when in the opposition red zone they still look uncertain, jumpy, expectant of a miracle from Jones, not enough threat coming from others.

The Dogs no doubt got a lift from the return of Willie Mason in his first game this season after suffering a foot injury against the United States in Philadelphia last year after the Tri Nations and from Reni Maitua who made several breaks from left centre. Mason played 35 minutes, smiling at a taunting crowd, making damaging impact. His injection before the break proved a winner. Bulldogs coach Steve Folkes was confident throughout they had the wood on the Warriors. They departed from their game plan in the first spell and allowed in a couple of tries they shouldn't have, he said. When they returned to the plan to kick long, turn the Warriors around and chase hard then defend well to rob their energy and resolve, it worked. "It was a real team performance, everyone worked hard for everyone today," he said. He reserved special praise for Anasta and Andrew Ryan who both backed up after State of Origin to play 80 minutes.

Warriors centre Jerome Ropati and Bulldogs fullback Luke Patten both left the field with ankle injuries that will be assessed today.