KEY POINTS:
The New Zealand Warriors made hard work of it but a home playoff is theirs in the National Rugby League (NRL) after they edged past Penrith 24-20 in a thriller tonight.
The Warriors looked home at 24-14 up but the hosts, desperate to avoid the wooden spoon, stormed home and only desperate defence on their own line in the dying minutes earned victory.
Victory sealed the Warriors fourth place and a coveted first qualifying final at home on Friday night, against the winner of tomorrow's match between Parramatta and Brisbane after South Sydney and the Bulldogs both dropped off the pace with crucial losses.
The visitors scored four tries to three, including a double to Todd Byrne who was a late inclusion at centre by coach Ivan Cleary.
After trailing 0-14, the Warriors flexed their muscle by rattling up three tries in five minutes to lead 18-14 at halftime, but they couldn't storm home to make it safe.
On paper it looked an elementary task for the Warriors but Penrith had won three of their past four matches, scoring 134 points in the process.
There was also emotion in the air as the 14,500 crowd turned out to send off star halfback Craig Gower, bound for French rugby club Bayonne after 12 years at the club.
The hosts raced to a 14-0 lead after 25 minutes against a sleepy Warriors who had arrived late at the ground thanks to heavy Sydney traffic and were without injured vice-captain Ruben Wiki (ribs).
Penrith lock Nathan Smith grabbed an early double, the first after a Frank Pritchard chargedown of a Michael Witt kick and slick interpassing from hooker Luke Priddis and Gower, and the second when nippy fullback Jarrod Sammut found space and Smith scooped up the loose ball.
But in a flash the Warriors showed why they are a team to be feared with three converted tries between the 35th and 40th minutes to snatch the halftime lead. They never looked back.
Halfback Grant Rovelli laid on the first to Byrne who latched onto a grubber to score untouched.
Rovelli then scored a Warriors special, sparked 70m out by hooker George Gatis who exchanged passes with Witt then sent Rovelli on a 30m dash under the posts.
Then with their final attack of the half, Byrne grabbed his second when winger Micheal Crockett slapped back a Witt crosskick. Witt added the icing with the conversion from near the right touchline.
The Warriors suffered a setback two minutes after halftime when giant winger Manu Vatuvei was assisted off in pain with what appeared a knee injury.
Intense Warriors pressure was then rewarded when prop Sam Rapira bulldozed over from close range, and Witt's fourth conversion stretched the lead to 24-14 in the 52nd minute.
But the Warriors couldn't shake them off and Kiwis powerhouse Pritchard set up a tense finish when he stormed over from a Priddis pass to make it 24-20 with 15 minutes left.
- NZPA
