KEY POINTS:
An early blitz by the Sydney Roosters today helped to carry them to a 38-12 victory over the New Zealand Warriors in a National Rugby League (NRL) match in Auckland today.
The Warriors paid for another slow start, allowing the Roosters to breach their line three times in the first 10 minutes, to fall to their first defeat at Mt Smart Stadium this year.
They made a reasonable effort of playing catch-up in the middle third of the contest, helped by a favourable penalty count.
But wiping out the deficit was always going to be a tough task against a side in the NRL's top three and the Roosters, who had halfback Mitchell Pearce in fine form with his kicking game, finished going away.
The visitors scored seven tries to two, with 2007 Kiwi tourist Shaun Kenny-Dowall grabbing a hat-trick and five-eighth and stand-in skipper Braith Anasta a double.
The Roosters made a clinical start, racing to a quick 14-0 lead, with Kenny-Dowall grabbing the first two tries.
The winger outjumped marker Patrick Ah Van to a Pearce kick for the first, and snatched the second after a superb round-the-corner off-load from second rower Willie Mason.
Anasta got the third, again off a Pearce kick, which Anasta pulled in ahead of two defenders.
The Warriors finally got on the board through a fine winger's finish by Aidan Kirk, playing in only his second NRL match.
But yet another Pearce kick led to second rower Setaimata Sa pouncing on the scraps to score an converted try that took the Roosters out to a 20-4 lead.
The visitors might have gone further ahead, as a Pearce bomb was allowed to bounce and Kenny-Dowall looked set to score only to lose the ball in a tackle.
The Warriors hit back when a fine Kirk run led to hooker Ian Henderson forcing his way over from dummy half.
Lance Hohaia added the extras and then a penalty to reduce the margin to 20-12 at half-time.
The Warriors asked questions of the Roosters' defence early in the second half, but it was the visitors who got first points.
A penalty deep in Warrior territory gave them field position and Anasta went over through a hole to dot down.
There was worse for the Warriors with 14 minutes to go when they couldn't score after second rower Epalahame Lauaki had grabbed an intercept, but the Roosters could when Kenny-Dowall snaffled one and ran 80m to dot down.
Winger Sam Perrett completed the try-scoring when he latched onto an Anasta kick to cross without a hand on him.
Rooster James Aubusson and Warrior Brent Tate were put on report for two first-half incidents.
Aubusson was ruled to have tackled hooker Nathan Fien high and late, while Tate was alleged to have used an elbow during a heated moment with opposition five-eighth Braith Anasta.
The Warriors had skipper Steve Price back after two months out with a hamstring injury, but opposition captain Craig Fitzgibbon was a late withdrawal because of a head knock from last Wednesday's State of Origin.
- NZPA
