League: Heroes are zeroes

Ruben Wiki of the Warriors is wrapped up by three Newcastle Knights defenders. Chris McGrath / Getty Images

Warriors 26 Knights 22

The Warriors scored what the Aussies labelled the upset of the NRL season so far when they overturned the Knights yesterday.

The game changed before kick-off when the Knights' master Andrew Johns pulled out with a strained neck.

The Warriors have won only three games at Newcastle, Johns not there during the Knights' first defeat in 2002 and leaving the field mid-game last season after which the Warriors reversed the lead.

Undoubtedly they took confidence from his exit but they also produced confident plays themselves, none more so than when Sione Faumuina threw a loose pass in his own in-goal with three minutes remaining.

Trapped by three tacklers, Faumuina chucked the ball out the back where Todd Byrne scooped it from the ground and got it back in to the field of play.

It was one of those plays that could have gone either way but the Warriors' luck was running yesterday.

In an exciting end to a game where the teams swapped tries, Manu Vatuvei produced two great tackles on Knights wing Brian Carney, first forcing him to touch on the corner flag and then knocking the ball free to rob the home side of valuable possession in the dying moments.

It was a good all-round effort from the Warriors, who are now the only team on zero competition points after winning back the four-point salary cap deduction with two victories. A string of teams remain just two victories in front of them.

Captain Steve Price was again outstanding, bench prop Evarn Tuimavave came up with big plays and increasingly looks the goods. Jerome Ropati was solid in defence and played on bravely with a bad shoulder which hopefully will not keep him out against Manly at Ericsson next Sunday. Nominated five-eighth Faumuina's decision-making remains questionable.

The home side opened with Kurt Gidley as starting halfback, Australian junior Jarrod Mullen, nominated as Johns' heir, coming off the bench. But the Warriors clearly had a plan to stifle Gidley, prop Steve Price executing three charge-downs in the first half.

Their defensive speed let them down in the first 20 minutes, early five-eighth Todd Lowrie scoring when he ran on to an inside pass after a break by former Otahuhu centre George Carmont. They backed up at 13 minutes when swirling winds took the one good kick Gidley got off away from Warriors wing Todd Byrne and Gidley's brother Matt got the ball.

At 10-0 up, the home side lost their way. The Warriors turned on 14 unanswered points, taking strength from their interchange with Tuimavave bustling over the top of two defenders, then quick hands putting big wing Manu Vatuvei down the sideline for his 13th try in 14 games.

They had completed 18 of their 21 sets of six, the Knights had made nine errors. At 14-10 up, the visitors had the game by the scruff of the neck.

They improved early in the second half, with bench dummy-half Grant Rovelli getting over after a Tuimavave bust. The Knights replied when Kurt Gidley slipped a ball to big Steve Simpson and he ran an angle at little Nathan Fien. Fien had his revenge when he beat the Knights to a short chip from Rovelli. The home team replied when Matt Gidley again was first to brother Kurt's last-tackle kick and it was 26-22 with 10 minutes to go.

This was the type of game the Warriors traditionally lose. But they stayed tough, played smart, held possession and ground out the victory.