League: Warriors lapse against Panthers

The Warriors had trouble with their jersey numbers yesterday, with changes forced after two were stolen from their laundry and more confusion when new No 6 Nathan Fien left the field early with an eye injury.

Fien couldn't see properly and spent 70 minutes watching from the sideline with an ice pack on his face as the home side led from the fourth minute to the 64th, when the customary mental lapse set in.

Panthers hooker Luke Priddis ran from dummy-half late in the tackle count, saw that fullback Jerome Ropati was deep waiting for the long kick and chip-kicked short, regathered, stepped Ropati and scored for his side to take the lead for the first time. Despite lots of late possession from Panthers penalties and turnovers, the home team could not muster the composure to get back on top.

It was a grind from start to finish, as measured by a high tackle count, the Warriors making 350 to Penrith's 302, when an average game produces about 100 fewer than that. But yet again it was the Australian team that rallied at the right times, withstood everything the Warriors threw at them, produced the determination and big plays to survive close calls on their line, and won.

Panthers coach John Lang admitted he expected the Warriors to fade late but standing on the sideline he could hear them talking to lift one another. Only Priddis' moment of individual brilliance stood between the teams, he thought.

"I'm pleased to win because I thought the Warriors played well today."

But Lang expected big improvement from his side.

"We're playing about as well as where we are on the table," he said, the Panthers narrowly in the top eight.

There were early worrying signs for the Warriors when Panthers fullback Rhys Wesser made some clean breaks, but the defence was generally good and it was a much better start than in most games this season.

Fien looked good at five-eighth for the short time he was there and almost engineered an opening try, Karl Temata scoring in the next play after four minutes.

Each side then fell just short, Frank Pritchard losing the ball when pulled down centimetres out in a replay from the Anzac Day test, Lance Hohaia's kick to goal just too long. The ferocity of the tackling could be measured in balls lost by players not usually guilty of that - Craig Gower and Stacey Jones.

When Wairangi Koopu lost the ball second tackle, Wesser did a double-round to put centre Ben Pomeroy in. It was the only thing Koopu did wrong all day in a game where he continued the gradual improvement he has shown over the past season, his energy a boon on attack and defence.

The home team forced a goal-line drop-out but knocked on second tackle. Hohaia scored under the bar but was called back by ref Paul Simpkins, who ruled Ropati's last pass forward. That was about his only mistake all day.

With 30 seconds left Priddis went down on the Panthers line after a big hit from Richard Villasanti as he was covering the last-tackle kick. From the scrum for his knock-on, the Warriors went left and Jones found Todd Byrne in a hole and it was 10-4 at the break.

But the visitors picked up the pace in the second 40, holding the Warriors out then capitalising on a second set of six to get Wesser over from dummy-half. The crowd, second lowest of the season at 10,989, picked them up with a chant and Villasanti got over the line but lost the ball in the dive. Penrith were about to score when Manu Vatuvei took an intercept as Preston Campbell was engineering a run-around, running 85m.

But the good mood was short-lived as momentum swung Penrith's way, then Priddis scored. Clinton Toopi chipped to goal and missed the touchdown by centimetres. Villasanti lost the ball near Penrith's post while trying to off-load. Hohaia lost the ball early in the tackle count. Jones put Toopi over but the pass was ruled forward.

It was another game they should have won, the sort of tight game against class opposition that needs to be won when at home.

The loss of Fien from the rotation didn't help their cause, said coach Tony Kemp. Skipper Steve Price was affected late by a corked thigh and Jones suffered cramp. They should have created more points from the first-half momentum they enjoyed, Kemp said.

Ruben Wiki felt there was plenty of mental toughness on display, that they had been building every game and would learn to force the wins they should get.

"Through suspension and injury we really haven't been able to get some consistency out of the side," Kemp said.

Fullback Brent Webb should return after a back problem to make the trip to Perth next weekend, Fien's condition and availability to be determined today.

It's a moot point whether the smallest crowd of the season was down to a poor home record that includes only the win over Souths or reaction to the club's handling of Stacey Jones' departure.

Jones received the biggest cheer of all 34 players as they were introduced. But the feeling in rugby league circles is not as magnanimous towards the club.

NZ Warriors: K. Temata, T. Byrne, M. Vatuvei tries, S. Jones 1 goal.

Penrith Panthers 16: B. Pomeroy, R. Wesser, L. Priddis tries; P. Campbell 2 goals.

Halftime: Warriors 10-4.