Panthers 18
A routine Sunday afternoon home victory - of sorts.
Routine implies something that happens regularly. But for the Warriors yesterday's never-out-of-second-gear defeat of the Panthers was just their second success of the year at Mt Smart Stadium - despite a third of the regular season now being in the books. With their next two games on the road, they won't get the chance to add another home W until Souths visit in round 11.
Results like yesterday's, when the Warriors rode home on the back of a strong second-half breeze and an 80m Kevin Locke breakout to snap a 6-6 halftime deadlock, might have been more prevalent had the Warriors been playing up to expectations from the start of this NRL season. Then there was the financially rewarding but otherwise costly decision to take the opening match of the season to Eden Park, with the opening night reverse at the hands of the Eels factoring heavily into a 0-3 start.
A run of four wins in five matches has gone a good way to erasing some of the damage, with the Warriors now perched just outside the top eight on points differential.
Penrith's inability to threaten despite a good share of possession and an error rate that handed the Warriors enough opportunities to win two matches made the victory appear straight-forward enough, although perhaps not to coach Ivan Cleary.
"Nothing is routine," Cleary said. "Every victory you get in the NRL is hard-earned."
Perhaps so, but some are more hard-earned than others. The Warriors weren't great yesterday, although Lance Hohaia made a timely return to his best form. The powerful little utility was flattened twice in the early exchanges but bounced straight back up on both occasions to menace the Panthers defence.
Two Hohaia first-half line breaks weren't converted due to a lack of support, but trouble always appeared likely to spring up at Penrith's mill once the Warriors turned with the wind at their backs.
The again impressive Kevin Locke had opened his season account after just six minutes when Panthers fullback Michael Gordon mis-played a grubber in his own in-goal. Two minutes into the second half Locke again punished a Panthers blunder, this time scooping up a loose ball and racing 80m for a try.
He might not have yet delivered on his next big thing tag, but Locke is looking more and more an accomplished NRL player these days.
On the other flank Kristan Inu was equally impressive, his laconic use of his tremendous skills not making them any less effective as he rose above Brad Tighe to pluck a Brett Seymour cross-kick out the sky for what would be the decisive try.
Inu's form in recent weeks has done plenty to quell any unrest at his high-priced purchase. It hasn't quite been a case of "Manu who?", but Inu has certainly proved a weapon in his own right on the left wing.
Vatuvei's return now appears imminent, adding to a run of happy tidings for the club that includes its junior side winning four of five matches and feeder club Auckland Vulcans winning five straight in the NSW Cup.
"Any time you get four out of five you are pretty happy," Cleary said. "At 0-3 we were looking from the bottom up and it was important we sorted a few things out. We did that. We have been able to make some ground in some key areas.
"We hit the heights in a lot of areas last week [against Melbourne]. [Yesterday] wasn't as good but it was certainly enough."
Vatuvei hasn't played since damaging his knee in round one but he is expected to travel with the squad that departs on Friday for matches against the Titans on Sunday, and Knights six days later. The most likely scenario would see Vatuvei return for the Knights match, although the club hasn't made a habit of announcing in advance his return from previous injuries.
"Obviously we are not going to be taking any risks with him but he is definitely getting closer," Cleary said.
Two late tries by the Panthers - one to Trent Waterhouse from a clear forward pass and a career first for former Warriors junior star Nafe Seluini - provided a more realistic reflection of the match on the scoreboard, while also putting a nasty little dent if the Warriors' points differential.
"It was a bit of an ugly win but during the start of the year when we played ugly we weren't winning," captain Simon Mannering said.
