NRL: Mannering salutes his men's intensity on defence

Simon Mannering. Photo / Getty Images

Welcome back.

It may be too early to say whether the Warriors will be the top-four team many thought they'd be this season, but on Saturday night they at least showed signs of the form that makes them an enjoyable mob to watch.

Confronted with a Roosters side bristling with strikepower, the Warriors rolled out a top-drawer defensive effort that paved the way for a first home win of the season - a second straight win that went a long way to repairing much of the damage of an 0-3 start.

They now head to Manly on Saturday night with a chance of squaring the ledger at the season quarter-mark.

Who would have thought that, after they went down with barely a whimper to the Dragons just a fortnight ago?

At times it was sloppy. The Warriors coughed up the ball 13 times. But each time they did they bashed the Roosters into handing it straight back.

With reigning Dally M medallist Todd Carney a shadow of the player who terrorised opposing defences last season, the triple playmaking threat of Carney, Mitchell Pearce and Braith Anasta never materialised.

Not that the Roosters held the ball often enough or long enough to ask many questions.

They ended with 18 errors, and a completion rate that drove their coach Brian Smith to focus much of his post-match energies on an "unappreciated and inappropriate" three-minute wait for the Warriors to take the field.

The visitors had some success when they went wide early, most notably with a brilliant 85m opening try to Shaun Kenny-Dowall, but after that they overplayed their hand.

Passes habitually found the sideline instead of wingers as the Roosters attempted to torch the Warriors' edges - edges stiffened considerably with Simon Mannering and Shaun Berrigan now stationed in the centres.

Defensively, the Warriors took a huge step up, even on last week's winning effort over Cronulla in Taupo.

"Definitely - the defence was a lot more intense," Mannering said. "The line speed was really good and so was the contact."

It wasn't as if the Roosters were shirking the tough stuff. Nate Myles was levelled in an early head clash but spent the rest of the match claiming some serious payback. With the Warriors' forwards not taking a backward step all night, it made for tremendous viewing.

"It was very tough in the middle there with some big shots being put on," Mannering said.

"We said at halftime 'let's be a bit smarter with that, we don't have to run straight into them because that is what they are looking for'. I thought we controlled the ball most times pretty well, and that really paid off."

The only low note for the Warriors was a nasty-looking injury to young fullback Glen Fisiiahi. It was initially diagnosed as a high ankle sprain, but its exact nature and how long it will likely sideline the speedster won't be known until today.

While Fisiiahi's demise was a blow, it was at least softened by Lance Hohaia's sparkling return to form.

Hohaia was safe under the high ball, a threat in the open field and skipped over nimbly for what turned out to be the winning try seven minutes into the second half.

Hohaia, who seems certain to be reinstated at fullback, said he felt for the man who had deposed him only a week earlier.

"He's disappointed, but it is not a season-ending injury," Hoahaia said. "I'm sure he'll bounce back and then we'll be competing for spots again."

After being dropped last week Hohaia said he felt fresher mentally and physically. "I was disappointed with the way I was playing and the way I started the year. It was a kick in the arse I deserved, really."

Before Hohaia's try, Krisnan Inu had seized upon a Feleti Mateo grubber to cancel out Kenny-Dowall's opener and Lewis Brown crashed over from close-range on a sixth-tackle run play to put his side ahead just before the break.

Mannering blew a chance to settle it when he couldn't link up with Berrigan on a long-range breakout, and Mitchell Pearce responded immediately with a try that could have signalled a fatal momentum swing.

But it was the Roosters who blinked first, with a comical play inviting Berrigan to scoop up the loose ball and race away unopposed.

"We did have a point to prove," Hohaia said. "We haven't played anywhere near our best.

"But I think [Saturday] night we were close to it.

"We were all searching for answers in our first three weeks, but that is behind us now. We are just trying to move forward.

"We are capable of winning again next weekend.

"There is no reason why we can't. We'll be preparing that way and taking our best game over [to Manly]."

The Sea-Eagles fought back from 13-0 down to beat Cronulla with an after-the-hooter try on Saturday night.