League: Warriors stumble to lose at last gasp

Wairangi Koopu of the Warriors scored a good try. Mark Nolan / Getty Images

Canberra 18 Warriors 14

Canberra Stadium was heartbreak hotel for the Warriors who led for all but the last four minutes against the Raiders before stumbling to defeat.

They host Souths this week, the Rabbitohs with just two points, with danger looming if they take the visitors lightly.

"We can't afford to look at anyone as easybeats," said coach Ivan Cleary after Saturday night's poor result.

"It might be easier to play them after a loss rather than coming off a win."

Both the Warriors and Souths were creating opportunities and failing to finish them.

Their task in Canberra was not helped when Patrick Ah Van left the field after 15 minutes with a shoulder injury. He will be out for some time and Manu Vatuvei will not be recovered from his hamstring tear in time to play next weekend so Cleary must start a replacement wing against Souths.

On Saturday night it was wing Todd Byrne who had the winning of the game as he streaked down the field in the 59th minute, only to be cut down by Craig Frawley.

It was a scene too reminiscent of the 2003 grand final for commentators to ignore, Scott Sattler cutting Byrne down when he should have scored to clinch the game and the tackle inspiring the opposition to lift to victory.

"It sort of summed up our night really," Cleary said. "We all thought he was in. I think he thought he was too and he started heading to the posts and his legs gave out." Frawley had been ill with a virus all week and was playing at right centre instead of his usual left wing spot.

The Warriors were up 12-6 at the time and a try would have closed out Canberra. Instead their veteran five-eighth Jason Smith showed that a 34-year-old can still win games, turning on an off-load in traffic to put hooker Lincoln Withers in and then setting lock Alan Tongue away on a chip-and-chase which produced the match-winner.

"It's one of those games, no matter how many times you go through that it doesn't get any easier," Cleary said.

He tried to take some consolation from a belief the players will have learned more from the loss than they might have from a narrow win. "Strangely enough I think we might be better for it."

They would not want to feel that despondency again.

The first half was the classic arm wrestle, with just a Tony Martin penalty on the board until the Warriors extended that lead in the 37th minute, fullback Brent Webb capitalising after a high tackle from Alan Rothery gave the Warriors possession.

The home side levelled at 6-6 when Tongue dived over from dummy-half six minutes into the second period.

Warriors vice-captain Ruben Wiki, who was in his 250th premiership game, had to remove his mouthguard to get the expletives out.

Another six minutes in and Sione Faumuina who came off the bench produced an off-load to put Martin away and his inside pass sent Wairangi Koopu, always in good back-up, away to score.

After Byrne was run down they again extended their lead when Rothery went high on Webb, the tackle put on report, and Martin goaled.

They should have held on and won.

"We sort of lost our way in that second half, we put ourselves in a position to lose the game and Canberra were good enough to win it," Cleary said. "We turned the ball over three sets in a row. They kept coming. I don't know if we're just not used to winning, it's something you just have to keep plugging away at."