Rabbitohs 22
Warriors 16
By the rules of league, the Warriors should have beaten South Sydney at Mt Smart Stadium yesterday.
They completed more sets, they both made more tackles and missed fewer, they enjoyed twice as many penalties.
But the hosts slipped from a 16-12 half-time lead to a 22-16 defeat as the Souths' scrambling defence repelled attack after attack.
Then speedster Fetuli Talanoa grabbed a kick to the wing which was intended for Denan Kemp and went 90m for a try. And Souths centre Colin Best, who was one of their best defenders, slipped an inside pass to put Nathan Merritt over and the Warriors were done.
It was the Souths halves Chris Sandow and John Sutton who did for them. Each kicked for more than 200m and Kiwi hooker Isaac Luke added another 100m, bench man Craig Wing nearly 70m for a total 650m gain.
The Warriors made 488m, mostly through Joel Moon and Stacey Jones.
Nathan Fien's contributions with the boot were poor, including his option to grubber to the in-goal with just minutes remaining. His teammates, seemingly unaware what was happening, did not chase the ball.
They won more goal-line drop-outs and at times pressed for three consecutive sets but were unable to score - and that despite a huge tackle imbalance against the visitors.
"We thought we did enough to win the game but Souths just hung in and hung in - their defence was very good," said stand-in captain Micheal Luck.
There were loads of reasons to be cheerful. Wade McKinnon became more involved and ran for 188m. Young props Sam Rapira, 132m, and Russell Packer, 161m, stood up well in the absence of skipper Steve Price.
They blooded 150th Warrior Daniel O'Regan, 21, the fifth player to come through the under-20s system, and the nephew of former Kiwis Shane Cooper and Ron O'Regan looks solid.
And best of all there were no serious injuries. There is a chance Price, with Lance Hohaia and Ben Matulino, could come back for next weekend's trip to Newcastle.
There is no doubt inexperience cost them yesterday and that the opposite was true for Souths.
When Merritt took an intercept near Souths' line midway through the first half, he was cut down on the right sideline by a great try-saving tackle from Simon Mannering. But Sutton immediately directed their attack left with a pinpoint kick to Talanoa.
The wing was pulled down by opposite Aidan Kirk as he ran at the line and when the referees went upstairs for the replay the stadium went silent - everyone knew a penalty try would be awarded.
The Warriors targeted Merritt, fullback Luke Capewell and Sandow, but all stood firm.
Again, there was no disgrace in defeat in a competition where upsets are the norm and no side has won four games. Souths now head the ladder.
Talk that the Warriors might go to Eden Park was played down by management. The club's 15-year deal with Mt Smart management commits them to play home games there until 2018. The NRL controls the venues for finals games and will not shift to Eden Park should the Warriors earn home playoff games.
* Stunning Warriors junior fullback Kevin Locke will be out of action for weeks after ripping his knee cartilage during the 42-32 win over Souths at Mt Smart Stadium yesterday.
Locke will have an MRI scan to determine the extent of the injury this week, but first diagnosis was a tear that is likely to require surgery.
Their star kick-returner, try-scorer and goal-kicker went down with a damaged left knee. He had just scored a great try with a chip and regather a la Stacey Jones.
