League: Warriors lose their way against Bulldogs

Warrior Sione Faumuina dives in for a try as Sonny Bill Williams springs too late to stop him. Picture / Dean Purcell

The Warriors squandered too much ball to give themselves any chance against the Canterbury Bulldogs in an error-riddled game at Mt Smart Stadium yesterday.

They lost vice-captain Ruben Wiki to a hamstring injury suffered in the last training on Saturday, and skipper Steve Price spent a long period of the second half sidelined with a neck muscle strain.

The lack of leadership told as the offence struggled for ideas and the defence for composure.

As usual, the Warriors made breaks and created opportunities, but as has too often been the case they chose wrong options when under pressure and failed to complete sets and to execute try-scoring chances.

The Dogs' prop Mark O'Meley was sinbinned for 10 minutes mid-second half, but they were the ones who crossed the tryline during that time. Todd Byrne made another big cut upfield but was again found wanting for finishing pace, and the supports chose to go to traffic instead of space.

It was a frustrating spectacle for the home fans, a messy game where they would want to question the wage earning of most other than Michael Luck, whose defence was tough in the middle, and fullback Brent Webb, who provided good defensive cover.

There were comical runs of play as both teams struggled to get past two tackles at times, the ball ping-ponging around, neither team mounting the pressure that earns points.

A double turnover from Dogs to Warriors and back preceded the first try, prop Mark O'Meley offloading for Daniel Holdsworth. When Louis Anderson dropped the ball in a tackle near his line, Dogs' prop Roy Asotasi scooped it up and scored.

Grant Rovelli provided spark for the Warriors from the bench, engineering their first points when he shifted the attack from left to right, Wairangi Koopu running on to Nathan Fien's pass. They were unlucky not to get another when Webb ran on to Fien's chip and put Tony Martin over, but Webb was in front of the kicker.

Minutes later, a turnover from a wild offload from Clinton Toopi allowed the Dogs to put wing Matt Utai across and it was 16-8 at the break.

O'Meley dropped the ball in the second hit-up after the break and Sione Faumuina cut an angle to the posts. With Martin's conversion, then a penalty goal, the Warriors levelled at 16-all. O'Meley was binned, but unfortunately for the home side Price went off shortly after.

After further knock-ons and repeat sets, Hazem El Masri scored. The Warriors threatened, but Toopi juggled and lost the last pass and their last chance, El Masri notching his second as the game wound down. It finished with a penalty, fittingly enough. An ugly end to an ugly game.

"We ground it down, defended for long periods on our line which was character-building," said Dogs' coach Steve Folkes.

His opposite Ivan Cleary knew they had simply let go of too much ball: "We hung on pretty well in the first half given what we handed them."

He was disappointed after Byrne's big break, he said. They lost direction - "just froze a bit there, got a bit tight when we needed to be collected."

Sonny Bill Williams was telling for the Dogs, ranging far right and playing the full 80 minutes at centre.

Folkes said he believed the 20-year- old would lack match fitness to play 80 minutes in the back row in Friday night's test, but could make the whole game if used in the backline.

"He was much better, more involved ... playing 80 minutes is a bonus for him and us," Folkes said of Williams' third game back from foot stress fractures.

Dogs' bench player Adam Perry suffered a knee tear and will require surgery. Their fullback Luke Patten is on report for a no-arms hit high on Fien, and Willie Tonga is on report for a lifting tackle.