League: Warriors weren't on the same page, says coach

There is no panic at the Warriors despite a second loss to start the season, just recognition that errors have to be controlled and that the team has to play like one in order to win.

Dropped ball and poor communication cost them a chance against the Parramatta Eels in Hamilton on Saturday night.

"We weren't all on the same page," coach Ivan Cleary said yesterday.

"It came down to some individuals, and key ones [who did not play well]. The team itself isn't in too bad a shape. We were a bit disjointed but if your key guys go well, the rest follows."

Captain Steve Price again went well in ground-gain. Fellow prop Ruben Wiki was good as usual and lock Louis Anderson lifted his game. Bench man Evarn Tuimavave had what Cleary reckoned was the best game he's seen from him.

But smothering defence from the Eels stifled the games of halves Nathan Fien and Jerome Ropati.

There was too much one-out running and not enough extravagance.

Lance Hohaia at hooker and Brent Webb from fullback looked threatening but there was little attacking flair on show in the middle of the park.

And when they went wide it was with cut-out passes rather than the draw-and-pass that was needed to number off the defenders.

The problem for Cleary and his coaching staff now is maintaining a degree of confidence as they go to Christchurch to play the defending champions Wests Tigers. How to do that? "Good question," was his answer.

He would think about team changes in the game review today but was leaning towards running with the same squad.

"I still have confidence in the guys we have."

Todd Byrne had fitted back in neatly. Tony Martin had a better game after his long lay-off. But collectively, we have to get better, he said.

A crowd of 16,089 pleased the Eels, and their coach Brian Smith praised Hamilton, contradicting put-downs from rugby visitors.

He also praised two-try second rower Nathan Hindmarsh, who delivered 40 tackles as well. The Eels scored after three minutes through centre Ben Smith, after quick hands beat Martin and Byrne, the Warriors defending a second set on their line.

A Clinton Toopi chip nearly had Manu Vatuvei over but the grounding was ruled out by the video ref.

And in the next minute the Eels went end-to-end and halfback Tim Smith floated a pass to Hindmarsh for his first try.

Tuimavave scored a strange one: a pass from Fien coming off Price's shoulder, everyone expecting ref Sean Hampstead to blow the whistle and only the bench man playing on.

Price told Hampstead to look at the replay and the points were given. With two goals from Martin, the Warriors were in touch at 10-8 at the break.

The Eels continued to make ground with flat passes in traffic.

Both sides continued a run of errors but the Warriors made more at their own end of the field and suffered for attacking territory.

Hindmarsh scored off a kick from Mark Riddell for 16-8, the Warriors continued to kick too deep until finally Vatuvei latched on to a bomb from Fien and, with Martin's kick, they were back in it again at 16-14.

A dubious call from Hampstead robbed Micheal Luck of a scoring chance and, again, the Eels went the length of the field with Dean Widders scoring.