NRL: Warriors playoff hopes hit another bump

Aaron Heremaia of the Warriors is caught by Luke Bailey of the Titans. Photo / Getty Images

The New Zealand Warriors' National Rugby League playoff hopes hit another bump today when they were beaten 28-20 by the Gold Coast Titans in wet and windy conditions in Auckland.

The Titans scored five tries to three on their way to their fifth win a row over the Warriors, with centre Steve Michaels and Mat Rogers grabbing two each for the visitors.

The result means Gold Coast, seventh at the start of the weekend, leap-frog over the Warriors on the points table.

It was the second defeat in succession for the Warriors, who failed to take full use of the breeze when they had it in first half.

The home side did make a strong start with two early tries.

Skipper Simon Mannering got the first after a neat grubber in-goal by five-eighth James Maloney.

Fullback Lance Hohaia then scored an impromptu try, with a stop-start crossfield run in which he brushed past five defenders.

When Maloney landed his second conversion for a 12-0 lead after just a quarter of an hour, it looked like the Warriors were cruising.

But the Titans stuck back immediately when skipper Scott Prince produced his own grubber into the in-goal and Michaels dotted down.

The Warriors continued to have the better of the possession, but the Prince-Michaels combination struck again six minutes from halftime.

The home defence failed to defuse a Prince bomb and Michaels was on hand to pick up the pieces and score.

Prince landed his second goal to tie the scores at the break.

The Warriors hit the front again minutes into the second half thanks to a great effort from winger Manu Vatuvei.

Halfback Brett Seymour lofted a cross kick and Vatuvei rose above winger William Zillman and former Warriors centre Clinton Toopi to grab the ball and force it down.

It was Vatuvei's 14th try in 13 appearances this season, and his 43rd in 49 matches since the start of 2008.

He is also just five short of Stacey Jones' club record of 77 tries.

But the Titans, with the wind at their back, began to build some pressure and they were rewarded midway through the spell via a well constructed move.

Prince made use of a couple of dummy runners before putting halves partner Rogers through a hole for a converted try.

The visitors went further ahead minutes later with an opportunistic effort by Zillman, who picked up the loose ball after a kick hit his leg
and ran 90m down the sideline.

They sealed the win with nine minute to go when Rogers got his second after he had given the Titans field position with a 40-20 kick.

It was left to Seymour to grab a consolation try for the Warriors four minutes from time.

GOLD COAST 28 (S Michaels 2 M Rogers 2 W Zillman tries S Prince 4 goals) bt NZ WARRIORS 20 (L Hohaia S Mannering B Seymour M Vatuvei tries J Maloney 2 goals) at Mt Smart Stadium. Referee: Tony Archer, Alan Shortall. Crowd: 12,017

- NZPA