KEY POINTS:
Five-eighth Michael Witt is confident the New Zealand Warriors can overcome a short turnaround before they are back in National Rugby League playoff action again.
The Warriors defied history and the bookmakers' long odds yesterday to grab a shock 18-15 victory on the road against defending champions and
minor premiers Melbourne.
Their reward for being one of six teams left in the competition is a home semifinal against the Sydney Roosters on Friday.
But while the Warriors have just five days to recover and prepare, the Roosters have seven, their defeat to the Brisbane having come on Friday night.
However, Witt wasn't too concerned at the disparity, saying he didn't think the Warriors would be disadvantaged.
"In an ideal world, you'd like to have a bit longer, but we don't have that," he said.
"At this time of the year, we don't have time to make excuses. Come Friday night, we're going to be ready for the Roosters."
The result at Olympic Park marked the first time a club qualifying bottom for the eight-team playoffs had beaten the minor premiers since the present format was introduced 10 years ago.
For the Warriors, winger Manu Vatuvei starred in attack and defence, his previous frailties under the high ball a distant memory as he defused the bombs the Storm sent his way.
He also scored a try, his 15th in as many appearances of an injury-hit season, and helped to set up the winner for Witt two minutes from time.
In an absorbing battle that featured superb goal-line defence by both sides, the Warriors struck first with a Witt penalty.
But a converted try to Anthony Quinn and a Cameron Smith penalty took the Storm to an 8-2 lead, before the visitors tied the scores just out from halftime with a converted try to Jerome Ropati.
Vatuvei's touchdown early in the second half, and Witt's second sideline conversion took the Warriors out to a 14-8 advantage.
The Storm hit back via an Israel Folau try and a Smith penalty, before going in front 12 minutes from time with a Greg Inglis field goal.
With both time and the Warriors' season counting down, a Ropati break was carried on by Vatuvei, who offloaded to Witt to cross over by the corner.
Witt didn't put the ball down immediately. In an attempt to wind down the clock, but held it up until the very last moment, touching down just before a despairing kick from a fast-arriving Smith.
"I thought there was only one guy chasing me and, when I got past him, I thought I could stand in the corner and not put the ball down a while and waste more time," he said.
"But I didn't realise I had someone else right on me. In hindsight I should have dived for the corner."
Witt said the Warriors had arrived in Melbourne with the belief that they could pull off an upset, despite their tag of huge underdogs.
"We trained well during the week and we didn't really have any external pressure on us, because no one gave us a hope," he said.
"I think that helps to bond you. We came over here with nothing to lose and we were quietly confident we could do it."
Witt agreed that one key challenge for the Warriors, who fly back to Auckland today, would be to ensure they got down quickly from the high of victory over the Storm.
"That's a big thing for us now," he said.
"While it was a great win and we have to enjoy it, if we don't turn up on Friday night, then it will have been a waste of time."
The curtainraiser at Mt Smart Stadium will feature the Junior Warriors' own semifinal against the Penrith Panthers.
The Junior Warriors yesterday made it a double celebration in Melbourne, booking their passage into the second week of the National Youth Competition playoffs with a 47-20 win over St George Illawarra.
- NZPA
