KEY POINTS:
Ugly. That was the only word for the Warriors and the game lost to the Melbourne Storm at Mt Smart Stadium yesterday.
Again, the Warriors had trouble scoring when they were in the opposition red zone, even when that territory came on the back of a weight of possession including repeat goal-line drop-outs from the Storm.
The bad weather, the off-putting start time of 4pm and the Storm's lack of star players through injury and State of Origin commitments no doubt contributed to the Warriors' poorest crowd of the season, only 6209 against an average that was over 15,000 and has now dropped to just over 12,000.
The continued run of losses - now six in a row and one off their worst run of sevens in 1997, 2000 and 2004 - will do nothing to encourage an upswing.
Coach Ivan Cleary can do little in the way of personnel changes. They clearly need better direction from the halves, a better kicking game and more on offer from the backrowers and centres in attack. The backline needs depth, instead of standing flat and taking the ball standing still.
Five-eighth Jerome Ropati is out for another week with an ankle injury, there are no kickers in the wings and the only one of the Auckland Lions looking likely as an NRL prospect right now is 19-year-old Sonny Fai.
Louis Anderson had a strong game for the Lions as they turned around their string of six losses yesterday to beat Manly 10-8, but it was marred by ill-discipline and multiple penalties, the reason he was demoted from the Warriors.
Next weekend the Warriors face the Sharks in Cronulla, every game now becoming a must-win as playoff hopes dim.
The Storm played an expert game of slow-the-ball yesterday, giving their team of ring-ins time to regather breath and composure during long periods of Warriors' possession. The Melbourne club is acknowledged as the leader of the grapple-tackle technique and as penalties came for hold-downs and holding the head they switched to gang-tackling then to calling cramps and injuries.
"They pushed the limit in terms of the play-the-ball and wrestled the life out of us, we just couldn't get through them," coach Cleary said.
And his captain Ruben Wiki agreed that was where the game was won and lost. "It was pretty tough, we didn't give to them what they gave to us."
But they were not giving up on each other, Wiki said.
Cleary agreed their attack had not created enough.
"We had opportunities - we probably completed more sets than we have all year."
Storm coach Craig Bellamy was pleased with a gutsy win that came without nine first-choice players.
"I can't give them a big enough rap for the fortitude they showed. I couldn't be any more proud of them, I don't think I've been more proud of a win," said the man who's had the side for five seasons.
Clint Newton played 80 minutes in his first game for the club since transferring from Newcastle, and Kiwis Matt Rua and Adam Blair played well after call-up from premier league.
The one positive for the Warriors was the successful reintegration of Manu Vatuvei, who defused most of the bombs that came his way, despite slippery conditions and drizzle.
