League: Warriors get a kick out of Rooster ruin

Manu Vatuvei (left) celebrates with captain Ruben Wiki after beating the Sydney Roosters on their home turf. Matthew King / Getty Images

Warriors 22 Roosters 12

The Warriors produced a better completion rate and a better kicking game in the swirling winds at Aussie Stadium yesterday.

Their subsequent win all but ended the Roosters' playoff hopes for the second season running.

The seriously depleted Roosters, missing nine players through injury, suspension and State of Origin, defended well but failed to take their attacking opportunities.

The Warriors hammered away at debutantes Josh Lewis at five-eighth and Shaun Foley at fullback and although those two stood up well and scored the home team's two tries, they also turned up the errors that cost, as did rookie right wing Lelea Paea.

Manu Vatuvei was devastating against Paea. He scored the Warriors' first try at three minutes when Micheal Luck, then Sione Faumuina drew the Roosters' right-side defence, then Faumuina popped an inside pass to Grant Rovelli, who accelerated through a gap and put the big winger away.

And Vatuvei created their second at 17 minutes when Paea appeared to have him covered on the sideline but Vatuvei put his foot down and burned off Paea, then found Brent Webb in support inside.

The kicking games of both teams were flecked with mistakes, but Grant Rovelli and Nathan Fien - especially kicking from dummy-half - were more effective than Lewis and Jamie Soward.

Towards the end of the half the Warriors enjoyed repeat penalties deep in Roosters territory and then forced a goal-line drop-out. With three sets of six in succession they should have scored and the fact they couldn't was testament to the home defence.

Vatuvei scored his second try five minutes after the break when Faumuina took on tacklers and threw a cut-out overhead pass. When Paea dropped the ball, Faumuina grabbed it and Webb chipped to the in-goal, centre Tony Martin scoring.

Louis Anderson broke past Lewis for their last try, delivering the ball to Fien who had backed up out of dummy-half.

Evarn Tuimavave did a good job replacing Steve Price in the Warriors' front row and Awen Guttenbeil provided good impact. Simon Mannering was solid inside Vatuvei.

The Warriors completed 33 of their 38 sets of six, the Roosters produced more errors, completed 27 of 35 sets and so had to make 352 tackles as opposed to 281.

It should be a good confidence-builder for the Warriors as they prepare to host Newcastle next Sunday, the Knights coming off the bye and the record of teams after the week off around 50-50.