League: Warriors atone in full cry

Warrior Steve Price is swamped in a tackle during the New Zealand side's win against the Knights at Newcastle Stadium. Picture / Fotopress

Warriors 30
Knights 26


The Warriors scored in the last seconds of each half against the Knights to steal a win in Newcastle as the home team reeled from the loss of captain and halfback Andrew Johns with a broken jaw and lock Daniel Abraham with a broken leg.

There was nothing in either of the tackles that caused the injuries.

Abraham was off after an energetic 28 minutes when Nathan Fien rolled over his right leg, and Johns smacked his head against Jerome Ropati's shoulder in the 65th minute.

But for a team lectured about discipline all week, the Warriors showed little of it in conceding six early penalties and three tries to a fired-up Knights team.

It was a clearly relieved Tony Kemp who stood in the coach's box and smiled when Francis Meli got the winning points in the corner after a Knights' error and after halfback Stacey Jones had missed a field goal attempt. It was a comeback to rival Lazarus, the classic game of two halves.

The Warriors were as ordinary as they could get in the first 40, scoring that one late try to Sione Faumuina after repeatedly bumbling away possession.

In the second, they were committed and hung on to the ball to capitalise as the two-man-short Knights faltered in front of a huge home crowd.

At the end the Warriors walked the pitch and saluted their Kiwi fans.

The Knights held their heads in their hands. They have used 25 players after six rounds and will have more to come after the latest injuries, with no wins on the board in their worst-ever start in 18 years in the premiership.

Early in the game it was the Warriors who were heads-down.

Awen Guttenbeil dropped the ball second tackle in the Knights' red zone, then the Warriors conceded a penalty and 90m of ground.

Knights' hooker Danny Buderus, who had returned a week earlier than planned after ankle and shoulder injuries, ran the short side and passed to Johns, who got the ball to wing Brad Tighe to score.

Then Clinton Toopi lost the ball off a scrum and Kurt Gidley provided the off-load for Abraham to score, and it was 12-0 after 10 minutes.

When Fien went high on wing Trent Salkeld it was the sixth penalty against the Warriors and it gave the Knights territory to get centre George Carmont over for 16-0.

The Warriors showed little bar one-out running for most of the half and it was 30 seconds before the hooter before they got points, after Luke Quigley conceded a penalty for using his forearm against Lance Hohaia 20m out. Faumuina carried tacklers over and planted the ball.

Jones' attacking kicks had generally been too deep or too short against a Knights' side busting off its line.

The Knights looked enthusiastic, the Warriors tired and disorganised, lacking in ideas on attack and energy and communication in defence. Second half, different story.

Wing Manu Vatuvei got the first of two tries by going hard and straight. The Knights replied when Johns gave an overhead pass to Auckland-born Carmont for his second.

It was the time the Warriors might have folded.

Instead they replied again through Vatuvei when Jones, then Toopi delivered quick long balls.

Johns went off and the Knights lost their way. Jones chipped and regathered and Iafeta Paleaaesina, Ropati and Epalahame Lauaki handled before Toopi scored.

Fien gave an inside ball to Wairangi Koopu to get to the strike zone, and when Steve Price was held up too long, the resulting penalty allowed Fien to put Todd Byrne in next to the posts. With Jones' conversion it was 26-all and three to go.

Toopi provided the off-load for Meli's try and an under-pressure Kemp punched the air.

The team that at times this and last season have been the classic coach-killers came through for him just in time.

New Zealand Warriors 30 (Sione Faumuina, Manu Vatuvei 2, Todd Byrne, Clinton Toopi, Francis Meli, Tries; Stacey Jones 3 goals).

Newcastle Knights 26 (Brad Tighe, Daniel Abraham, George Carmont 2, Todd Lowrie, tries; Andrew Johns 3 goals).