Eels 12
Warriors 26
The Warriors will play the Titans on Friday after they beat the Eels and the Roosters beat the Cowboys - but not by enough.
Ivan Cleary's side finished fifth in the minor premiership and showed good form in doing so. It was a farewell game for Eels captain Nathan Cayless but not the one he wanted.
Stacey Jones found out in his two farewells that they don't always end like fairytales and Cayless endured a similar goodbye last night.
The long-standing Eels captain will wake up this morning as a former rugby league player 14 seasons and 259 first-grade games after it all started. His side tried to send him out on a good note last night, even though their top-eight chances faded some time ago, but emotion alone couldn't get them past a determined Warriors outfit.
The Warriors had no intention of giving Cayless the farewell he wanted. Even though they had already guaranteed a finals appearance, the result had significant ramifications on the order of the eight. They knew they couldn't secure a home final but wanted to give themselves the best chance of success.
The Eels were full of attacking endeavour last night but awash with even more errors. It has been the story of their season and a lack of respect for the football cost them their season.
For all that, the Warriors were excellent on defence. They had to withstand significant pressure, especially when James Maloney was sinbinned on the stroke of halftime, but refused to crack.
They have been strong in defence for most of the season, but in the past month in particular. It will be a huge asset in finals football and last night's stern examination would have been a good dress rehearsal for what lies ahead.
They held firm and once Kevin Locke crossed in the 65th minute, the Eels yielded.
It allowed Manu Vatuvei to cross for his 19th try in 17 games this season, equalling Sean Hoppe's record for a regular season (Francis Meli scored 23 in 2003 but five came in the finals) but, more significantly, it also drew him level with Jones' club record of 77 career tries.
The Warriors will rate their chances in the coming weeks. They have now won four of their last five and have established a credible eight wins/five loss record away from Mt Smart Stadium in 2010.
They used to struggle away from home but seem to have discovered a winning formula. They also seemed to get through the night unscathed and should welcome the indefatigable Micheal Luck, who suffered a terrible leg gash a fortnight ago, back into the side next week.
There is a good balance to the Warriors at the moment, but one of the most pleasing aspects is their kicking game , both short and long. Rarely have the Warriors had two kickers like Maloney and Brett Seymour who can control games with the boot.
Their first try to Jerome Ropati came from a Seymour grubber and it gave them the impetus they needed to quell the opposition early.
It was inevitable the Eels would start strongly, given the emotion of the match, and the Warriors did well to keep the home side scoreless. It took four minutes for them to get their hands on the ball and Locke made one good save while Krisnan Inu, who will join the Warriors next year, lost the ball over the line.
The Warriors led 8-6 lead at halftime but jumped out to 26-6 following tries to Jesse Royal and Vatuvei.
It was appropriate Cayless scored the game's final try. It wasn't quite the finish he hoped for - the Warriors wouldn't have been happy either because of what it did to their points differential - but, as the Rolling Stones once sang, 'you can't always get what you want'.
Eels 12 (T. Tahu, N. Cayless tries; L. Burt 2 gls) Warriors 26 (J. Ropati, B. Tate. J Royal, K. Locke, M. Vatuvei tries; J. Maloney 3 gls). HT: 6-8.
The playoffs
* Fri (9.30pm): Team 4 vs 5
* Sat (8.30pm): 3 vs 6
* Sat (10.30pm): 2 vs 7
* Sun (6pm): 1 vs 8
* What happens next: The two highest-ranked winners earn a bye. The two lowest-ranked losers are eliminated. The four remaining teams play off in week two.
