Knights 24
Warriors 22
Coach Ivan Cleary bemoaned a refereeing blunder that could have given his New Zealand Warriors a shock comeback win after they suffered a third consecutive National Rugby League (NRL) defeat today.
This time it was the Newcastle Knights who punished the misfiring Warriors' errors in a nailbiting 24-22 win at EnergyAustralia Stadium after the hosts had the game parcelled up at 24-12 with 12 minutes remaining.
Prop Russell Packer bulldozed over to narrow the deficit to eight points, then in the 72nd minute Warriors winger Denan Kemp looked trybound when he chipped ahead and was tackled without the ball by Knights captain Kurt Gidley 15m out.
Referee Gavin Badger awarded a penalty but ignored the Warriors' protests that Gidley should have been sinbinned.
"It was straightforward (a sinbin) I would have thought. That might have helped us," Cleary said.
"You can say he (Kemp) was a fair chance of scoring but you can't give a penalty try, but the next best thing... I thought it was straightforward."
Centre Patrick Ah Van - who kicked the matchwinning goal here last season - burst through to score three minutes later, and Kemp's goal set up a thrilling final stanza.
The visitors had a chance to win it with one final attacking raid but a dropped ball from Nathan Fien with two minutes left handed control back to the Knights.
Knights coach Brian Smith admitted he feared his side would be reduced to 12 men when Gidley was penalised.
"At the time it ran through my mind but I'd like to see it again...," he said.
Still, the controversy didn't mask another flat performance from the injury-hit Warriors who were beaten five tries to four, with Gidley's two-from-five goalkicking keeping the visitors in it.
Cleary said a flat period late in the first half, in which they conceded two quick tries to winger James McManus to trail 6-14 at the break, summed up their slump.
"That 10-15 minutes before halftime was pretty poor from us. We're just not playing well enough for 80 minutes and every time we drop off we get punished. It's happened like that the last three weeks.
"We've just got to work a little bit harder and I'm sure we're very close to some more good fortune."
The impending return of injured key men Steve Price (throat), Manu Vatuvei (knee) and Lance Hohaia (knee) would certainly help.
Vatuvei travelled to Newcastle but Cleary decided not to risk him, although bench forward Ben Matulino (ankle) made an earlier-than-expected return from injury.
The coach hoped Vatuvei and skipper Price would return for Sunday's home match against the Roosters, but said Hohaia was unlikely.
Gidley and playmaker Jarrod Mullen were the difference for the Knights - who secured their third win from five matches after upsetting Manly last week - with each playing a hand in their side's five tries.
Warriors playmaker Stacey Jones had a mixed game but produced some first half brilliance when his kick through set up Wade McKinnon's try when Gidley was caught out of position.
The visitors only hit their straps late in the match on a back of a penalty blitz, which moved Smith to also take aim at the whistleblowers.
"We did enough to win the game by a bit more but the Warriors did what they generally do and they kept at it. It became quite a contest and a nailbiter in the last few minutes," Smith said.
"Today it was on the back of a 5-0 penalty count against us in the second half so the Warriors are certainly in favour with the refs. That made it hard for us."
Knights 24 (James McManus 2, Isaac De Gois, Keith Lulia, Chris Houston tries; Kurt Gidley 2 goals)
Warriors 22 (Wade McKinnon, Nathan Fien, Russell Packer, Patrick Ah Van tries; Denan Kemp 3 goals).
Halftime: 14-6.
- NZPA
