League: Warriors snap losing streak

SYDNEY - The New Zealand Warriors snapped a frustrating run of narrow National Rugby League (NRL) losses with a 34-16 victory over struggling South Sydney at North Sydney Oval here tonight.

After copping successive single digit defeats against Penrith, Cronulla and the Sydney Roosters in weeks, the Warriors, led by playmaker Stacey Jones, were too classy for the 14th-placed Rabbitohs, scoring six tries to three before a meagre crowd of 6195 -- a season low.

The Warriors won the corresponding clash 46-14 at Ericsson Stadium in round four and another blow out was on the cards as early as the sixth minute when the Rabbitohs' right side defensive frailties were exposed when Sione Faumuina crossed under the posts after smart interplay between centre Todd Byrne and fullback Brent Webb.

Two minutes later the Warriors hit doubled figures after wing Manu Vatuvei broke one tackle and committed Todd Polglase and Ben Walker before slipping an inside ball for Webb to angle towards the posts to give Lance Hohaia another simple conversion.

Souths struck back in controversial fashion soon after the restart when Polglase was deemed to have scored by the posts despite appearing to have been held by Ruben Wiki before wriggling free.

Polglase and his teammates hardly looked convinced the try was legitimate but video referee Steve Nash flashed the green light, perplexing Warriors captain Stacey Jones who remonstrated with referee Gavin Badger, claiming the tackle had been effected and the Warriors should receive a penalty.

Jones tempered his disappointment in the best possible way setting up the Warriors third try in the 21st minute with a perfect grubber kick for centre Jerome Ropati.

The grubber was the halfback's second quality touch in the build up having earlier dummied through a gap to put Hohaia on course for the line before he was dragged down by desperate cover defence.

Not surprisingly it was Jones who again supplied the key play for prop Richard Villasanti's 35th minute try via a precise bomb that was batted back to the former Kangaroos frontrower by Vatuvei.

Although the Warriors' enjoyed the balance of play the Souths centre Shannon Hegarty gave the Rabbitohs some hope when he sliced through some soft defence to score wide out.

Leading by a comfortable 14-point margin at the break, Nash denied the Warriors' a try to Nathan Fein, who made a surprise return from a fractured eye socket suffered against Penrith, due to a double movement but when Francis Meli raced 40-metres to complete a midfield bust by Karl Temata the points were locked up.

Vatuvei added the sixth in the 56th minute when he plunged over in the corner from a penalty which saw halfback Ben Walker placed on report for a high shot on second rower Louis Anderson.

Meli will also be scrutinised by the NRL match review committee for a high tackle on Shane Rigon in the 70th minute.

While coach Tony Kemp will be pleased with his side's attacking prowess the defence was also tight, no more so than in the hour mark when three back-to-back sets were repelled inside the 20-metre zone.

Five-eighth John Sutton went closest when he lost the ball over the line in Webb's tackle before Lee Hookey scored a consolation try four minutes from time when Vatuvei grassed Sutton's cross-field bomb.

Kemp rejigged has line-up before kick off with second rower Awen Guttenbeil dropping out after failing to recover sufficiently from an ankle injury.

Iafeta Paleaaesina also dropped off the bench to be replaced by Evarn Tuimavave.

New Zealand Warriors 34 (Sione Faumuina, Brent Webb, Jerome Ropati, Richard Villasanti, Francis Meli, Manu Vatuvei tries; Lance Hohaia 3 goals; Stacey Jones 2 goals)

South Sydney 16 (Todd Polglase, Shannon Hegarty, Lee Hookey tries; Ben Walker goal, John Sutton goal).

Halftime: 24-10.
Crowd: 6195

- NZPA