Nines: Warriors on a knife edge

Matthew Allwood stretches out to score for the Warriors at the Auckland Nines yesterday. The Warriors blew a handy lead to lose to the Raiders in their second game. Photo / Photosport

The Warriors don't like to do things the easy way. With a star-studded team full of flair and a huge home crowd behind them, the cards were in their favour on day one of the Auckland Nines.

At 6.53pm yesterday, everything was going to plan. After a first-up 17-10 win over the Titans, they led the Raiders 19-4 early in the second half, with some inspired play from Shaun Johnson and Tui Lolohea.

By 7pm, those plans were in tatters, as Canberra scored 19 unanswered points to snatch a last-gasp 23-19 victory.

It leaves the Warriors' hopes on a knife-edge today. They'll need to beat the Tigers - who were impressive in a 26-0 win over the Titans - and also hope the Raiders don't win their final pool match (against the Titans) by a large margin, as points differential could decide the final placing in their pool. The Warriors also play first, giving the Raiders the advantage of knowing what winning margin they will need.

"It would have been nice to have the luxury [of two wins] but it was a good wake-up call for us," said coach Andrew McFadden. "We know our fate so we just have to get the job done [today].

"We had it in control but we lost our way. We certainly came up short as a group in that game. We were going well but things change quickly."

The Raiders result was unfortunate, as the team seemed to switch off once they had built a big lead. Tries had come easily - Johnson stepped through for the first, then created the next two with precise long balls.

Canberra looked gone but showed resilience, grabbing the momentum midway through the second half and never surrendering it.

"It was on the line and there was no pride in our [defence]," Johnson said. "We were just weak, especially at the back end of that game. We had worked so hard on those things in the off-season so it is pretty disappointing."

There were plenty of positives for the Warriors, who scored some scintillating tries and defended well in the first game. But there was an over-reliance on Johnson, a lack of structure at crucial occasions and they missed the organisational skills of Sam Tomkins (who was suffering from a virus) at the back.

The manner of the Warriors' defeat left a flat ending to an otherwise thrilling day's action. The standard - especially on defence - was higher than last year amid plenty of stellar attacking play.

Parramatta's Semi Radradra scored one touchdown direct from the kickoff, and the Dragons' Josh Dugan finished off a length-of-the-field effort for one of the tries of the day. A rejuvenated Benji Marshall caught teams napping with his short restarts and unveiled some vintage sidesteps, and a new crop of young speedsters displayed their wares.

Outside the Warriors group, the Eels, Rabbitohs, Sharks and Roosters look the form teams heading into day two and the chase for the A$370,000 winner's cheque. The Bulldogs and Broncos have already been knocked out and the Panthers and Sea Eagles are all-but gone.

Yesterday also felt like a fashion parade. The Melbourne Storm and Wests Tigers opted for AFL-style singlet tops, perhaps a masterstroke in the humid conditions. The Warriors looked slick in their custom-made tops - a huge improvement from last years' garish fluorescent lime green.

The unexpected highlight of the day was the Kiwi Ferns' 8-4 victory over the Jillaroos. It had everything: thundering charges, flowing backline moves, some big hits and a late comeback by the home side.

It's hoped the Warriors were watching.