Titans 24 Warriors 18
The Warriors will today be ruing two crucial lapses of concentration that cost them a surprise opening-round victory over the Titans on the Gold Coast yesterday.
With the fumble-prone Titans completing just 11 of 20 sets in the sticky conditions, the Warriors blew a golden chance to take a potentially match-winning lead into the halftime break.
"We switched off that last five before halftime and it has come back to bite us in the bum," new halfback Brett Seymour said after his side coughed up a try with 40s remaining in the half.
Leading 18-6, the Warriors seemed likely to extend their advantage as the first half wound down. Seymour, who had earlier laid on a try for winger Kevin Locke, tried to repeat the play but his kick came up short and was claimed by Titans winger Kevin Gordon.
A Locke flop in a tackle gave the Titans a penalty and they capitalised on the field position and an absent left-sided Warriors defence to score a crucial try with just 40 seconds remaining before the break.
"We just had that little lapse," Seymour lamented. "We trained hard all off-season and then switched off for five minutes."
The Warriors were also guilty of a costly mental error when Preston Campbell caught them napping with a short kickoff that again resulted in a try mid-way through the half.
Despite the slip-ups and eventual defeat Seymour was happy enough with the first-up effort. "It is early days and I think it is a good start for us," he said.
Seymour's halves partner, five-eighth James Maloney, had an eventful start to his Warriors career.
The nuggety former Storm player smashed Scott Prince senseless on a kick charge, laid-on Manu Vatuvei's opening try with a pinpoint kick and then came within a metre of finishing a sweeping 80m attack only to lose possession on the first tackle at the play-the-ball.
