NRL: Wounded Beast an inspiration for teammates

Manu Vatuvei back on the field after the game with his leg bandaged. Photo / Getty Images

The Vatuvei Effect was on full display at Mt Smart Stadium on Saturday night as the Warriors shrugged off their recent woes to down the star-studded Cowboys 24-12.

So often the match-winner for the Warriors, the big winger did little himself to bring about a result vital to the club's top-eight ambitions. Hobbled early on - and with his immediate playing future now in doubt once again - the Beast was unquestionably a burden until he limped off shortly after half-time.

Manu Vatuvei dropped the first two passes that came his way, committed four errors in total and bombed a certain try with an uncharacteristically hesitant finish. But his mere presence appeared to galvanise his teammates, particularly outstanding centre Jerome Ropati, who spent much of the match covering for his limping winger.

"I knew I had to work hard for him, but I don't mind that," Ropati said. "I was hoping he would stay on.

"He is a massive influence. When he is there we know he gets our sets started. We weren't expecting too much out of him because he had had a couple of games out, so the rest of us really had to stand up and be counted."

That they did, with a biting defensive display laying the foundation for a four-tries-to-two victory.

Star trio Jonathan Thurston, Luke O'Donnell and Carl Webb were all inserted into the Cowboys' line-up, but their effect was minimal as the Warriors' defence pounded 16 errors out of the visitors.

"They are a classy footy side, they fire off plenty of shots at you, ask plenty of questions," stand-in skipper Micheal Luck said following his first victory in the role this season. "Through our defence we forced some errors, which maybe we haven't done this year. That is encouraging. Now our boys know we can do that we have got to ramp it up and make sure we do it every week."

Returning halfback Brett Seymour was a key player in the improved defensive effort. The veteran Australian also added a decent measure of shape and composure to the side.

"He is one of the better talking halfbacks I have played with," Luck said. "You are not wondering what your role is when Buster [Seymour] is on the field. He directs traffic, that is his strength."

Having failed to score a first half point in three consecutive home losses, the Warriors veritably laid siege to the Cowboys line for the opening 40 minutes. Ukuma Ta'ai barrelled over after 10 minutes and Lewis Brown dropped on a kick from a Vatuvei tap-back five minutes later.

Vatuvei was pushed on to the chalk when he should have scored, but Ian Henderson scooped up the scraps from a broken play to score the decisive try nine minutes before the break.

Vatuvei's departure shortly after the restart coincided with a Cowboys revival, with Scott Bolton and Michael Bani crossing in quick succession. A Thurston 40/20 had the Warriors teetering, but they dodged a bullet when Ropati - who ran for 142m from 17 carries without making an error - bundled Ashley Graham on to the chalk.

"We took [Vatuvei] off because he was becoming a bit of a passenger," coach Ivan Cleary said. "Jerome did a really good job protecting him there for a while. It was real high quality from Jerome, it was great."

Kevin Locke's try from a Seymour crosskick with 10 minutes remaining eventually made the game safe.

Seymour was no more than steady on his home debut, but that was enough to significantly lift a team that had struggled badly in his absence.

"It is only his second NRL game in who knows how long," Cleary said. "For a guy who plays a skill position that's a lot of time to be not playing. Added to that, the world's best halfback came out and played against him. His biggest role was just to make sure he directed the team, and he handled his defence really well. We should see him only get better and our continuity will hopefully improve."

The win lifted the Warriors to eighth. Their next opponent is South Sydney, who visit Mt Smart next Sunday afternoon. Captain Simon Mannering, who withdrew from the Cowboys match due to concerns about his hamstring, would definitely return to face the Rabbitohs, Cleary said.

"He'll be right. He was really close. He did everything that was asked of him but in the end he just sort of said he didn't feel quite confident enough. It was hard because you sort of look at him and think 'you are going great guns'. But I guess he knows better than anyone.

"So what we'll get next week is our captain back 100 per cent and confident too. That will be another big boost for us."