They were also forced into four goal-line dropouts (the Cowboys had one) and endured a 0-5 deficit with six-again rulings.
The Warriors couldn’t really find their groove – not helped by more personnel changes – but they dug deep, with opposition coach Todd Payten admitting their superior defensive resolve was the difference.
The raucous 23,695 crowd also played their part, the kind of support that bodes well for the rest of the season, with seven matches to come in Auckland.
“The environment the crowd create is awesome,” said Webster. “I hope they understand how much we love them. When you’re defending the line and you hear them cheering [it makes a difference]. I think we can create a fortress here; we made it hard for a very good attacking side. If we win all our home games we are going to be thereabouts.”
The Warriors rediscovered their goal-line resilience, after looser defensive performances over the previous two weeks.
They rode their luck at times – with the Cowboys correctly denied twice by the bunker – but kept turning up and kept scrambling, with some impressive last-ditch stops.
“We got that resilience back on our tryline,” said Webster. “So that was exciting. There’s things that frustrate you and it was a hard watch for 80 minutes, that’s for sure. But you walk away really proud.”
Webster wasn’t “doing cartwheels” about the performance – which was sloppy in many areas – but he was determined to celebrate the result, built on one of the best defensive displays of their season.
He hailed their bravery and was also pleased that their edges were co-ordinated, after being out of sync in recent games.
Webster admitted he was nervous during the third quarter, as the Cowboys closed to 14-14, and were constantly gifted the initiative thanks to Warriors’ mistakes. But the home side lifted after Dylan Walker’s 61st-minute try and closed out the game well in the final 10 minutes.
Walker vindicated Webster’s decision to use him at five-eighth with some important touches, as well as solidifying the left edge.
“I loved his defence,” said Webster. “That was the best part about his game.”
The coach continues to impress with his selection instincts.
Marcelo Montoya performed well at centre, while Ed Kosi justified his retention on the wing, despite the return of Kiwi international Dallin Watene-Zelezniak, who ran hard and strong despite being rusty in other areas.
Back rower Josh Curran also caught the eye and Jazz Tevaga provided early impetus in a starting role.
Captain Tohu Harris got through the match unscathed, with 33 tackles, 16 carries and plenty of neat touches, though he will continue to manage his right knee and strengthen that area.
The squad will now have a few days off, after a hectic start to the season with four transtasman trips and the capital match.
It doesn’t get much easier, with the Storm, Roosters and Panthers in successive weeks, but Webster welcomed the long turnaround before the Melbourne match next Tuesday.
“We haven’t had lots of training [time],” said Webster. “We’ve only had probably two sessions a week so a block of training will be really good. It won’t be fitness because they are certainly fit at the moment but we will get an opportunity to iron some things out.”
