League: Entertaining match, pity about the result

Bulldogs 22 Warriors 18

The Warriors took their best game to the Bulldogs in Sydney yesterday and were beaten by chance in the third minute of overtime.

They looked worthy playoffs contenders but remain unlikely to make the top eight after their first overtime game this season.

It was an entertaining encounter with the flow of possession dictating the scoring and the Warriors enjoying a 16-0 start before the Dogs levelled at 18-all early in the second spell.

From there, things were equal to the end. The Warriors had the chance to set for field goals twice in the last 10 minutes but chose to drive for the line and couldn't get there. The Dogs took two field goal shots that went wide.

It was a game worthy of a playoff, entertaining and played at speed, the combatants doubled over at the end.

None deserved more praise than Warriors skipper Steve Price, who was clapped from the ground by the fans of his old club after they won in the 83rd minute, the first time they'd led all day.

Late in the second half Price produced one of his trademark charge-downs to limit the last-tackle kick of Dogs five-eighth Daniel Holdsworth - that from a prop backing up from State of Origin. Whatever the Warriors are paying him, he's worth it. His stats for yesterday were 24 tackles, 126 metres gained and five off-loads, no errors - as usual. Awen Guttenbeil and Louis Anderson were also good in the forwards.

But it's clear they need their little guys to fire if they are to win.

Halfback Grant Rovelli and hooker Nathan Fien were in top form yesterday, while Jerome Ropati threatened and tried things that didn't come off.

Things look good for 2007.

Dogs captain Andrew Ryan admitted that the intensity of the Warriors' start rattled them. "We were a bit shocked, we knew they'd come out with everything they had. They're a good footy side. We used to talk about how they'd fall apart at the end of the halves but credit to (coach) Ivan Cleary."

The Warriors enjoyed all the early territory and possession thanks to aggressive first-up running from their props and a good kick-chase. The teams swapped errors early on. Then the Warriors forced a goal-line drop-out, the Bulldogs conceded a penalty and the weight of tackling told when Grant Rovelli dropped a bomb on Hazem El Masri.

Manu Vatuvei who had a height advantage of 189cm to 178cm climbed above El Masri and knocked the ball back to Simon Mannering for try one.

Rovelli dropped a pin-point bomb on El Masri for try two as Vatuvei again got the height advantage, caught the ball and off-loaded in-field to Waitangi Koopu to finish.

The Dogs were stunned and slow reactions allowed try three, Rovelli running the ball on the last and delivering an overhead pass to Vatuvei, underlining the Warriors' game-plan to run 109kg at 86kg.

The Warriors had completed nine sets to the Bulldogs' three at that stage, 19 minutes gone. As the Dogs got their hands on the ball they came back with tries to left wing Cameron Phelps thanks to quick play-the-ball and quick hands and then to captain Andrew Ryan after big Willie Mason did that stand-and-deliver job.

Tony Martin nailed a late penalty to make it Warriors 18-12. And just before the break Rovelli bombed El Masri with accuracy again, but Vatuvei couldn't take the ball.

It was just three minutes into the second 40 when Phelps crossed the line but he was denied by the video ref. But territory and possession told again and centre Willie Tonga rolled through tacklers to level the scoreline.

And for the remaining 37 minutes of the game and the first two of extra time that's how it stayed, despite some scintillating attack and defence.

Star Sonny Bill Williams was well contained, but produced his usual moments of excitement.

At the end, it was a step and shuffle and flick off-load from another young New Zealander Ben Roberts, in his fourth NRL game and back after the test in England, that decided things.His delivery put Mark O'Meley in under the posts.

Warriors vice-captain Ruben Wiki lamented too much lost ball. "We probably stuck to our game plan early and then went away from it," he said.