Tyson Gamble of the Knights celebrates a try against the Warriors. Photo / Photosport
Knights 14
Warriors 8
This is the kind of game players want to forget about as soon as possible - even though that will be hard.
It was played in terrible conditions, with a heavy field and monsoon-like rain at times, which made any kind of enterprising football almost impossible.
It was exactly the kind of situation you don’t want when desperate for a win, but the Warriors still needed to deal with the situation better.
The short story is they have fallen to another loss - their third in a row - with a 14-8 reverse in Newcastle.
It was another messy performance, again far from the standards set for most of the Andrew Webster era.
But they also played without luck and were victims of some inept officiating in the tight contest, with an apology from the NRL no doubt coming on Monday.
The Warriors looked to have a strong claim for a penalty try just before halftime after Dallin Watene-Zelezniak was tackled in mid-air, but that wasn’t considered, while another potential try early in the second half was ruled out for obstruction in what looked a tough call.
But the harsh fact is the Warriors were outmuscled and outplayed. The Knights are a limited team - especially without Kalyn Ponga - but managed the conditions, in a strong exhibition of wet-weather football. They were more desperate on defence, especially in the last 15 minutes as the Warriors mounted a series of attacks.
The Warriors have lost their confidence - especially on attack - as they struggled to create much from good ball, even allowing for the weather.
And there are more injury issues to deal with, with Kurt Capewell departing in the first half with a calf injury.
It’s a long way back from here, especially with away games against the Roosters and Panthers to come over the next two weeks.
Newcastle dominated the early possession - helped by penalties and repeat sets - before Tyson Gamble’s opportunistic 10th-minute try after Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad couldn’t clean up a grubber.
There was a fortunate escape soon afterwards, with a clean drop by Marcelo Montoya going unpunished after a push on Roger Tuivasa-Sheck. But the scrappy play continued from the Warriors with a spate of spilled balls, though Newcastle were lucky with their first-half penalty kick after the officials erred when the ball was blatantly punched out of Nicoll-Klokstad’s grip.
The Warriors finally settled, rewarded with Dylan Walker’s gutsy try under the posts after clever work from Tohu Harris and Wayde Egan. Earlier Walker had his knee wrenched badly in a tackle but played on.
The visitors should have had more points just before halftime after Watene-Zelezniak split the ball in the process of scoring, as he was tackled in mid-air catching a Shaun Johnson chip. It looked like an obvious penalty try but - between the referee Chris Butler and the bunker officials - they either forgot the rule or didn’t want to apply it, and the home side hung on.
A brilliant try-saver from Nicoll-Klokstad was also crucial, as he jolted the ball from Dane Gagai when the State of Origin centre was in the process of forcing it.
Ford went close - after a mad chase of a Johnson kick - before another flashpoint as Watene-Zelezniak’s acrobatic finish in the corner was scratched for a supposed obstruction, with Ford running into Jackson Hastings. It was an extremely marginal call, with the Newcastle man making the most of it.
The torrential rain returned and the Warriors spent a lot of time pinned in their own half, with the pressure eventually telling, as Daniel Saifiti ploughed over from close range in the 62nd minute.
That felt decisive. The Warriors threw everything at the last 15 minutes but Newcastle held with some magnificent defence on their own line, though the execution was also lacking.
Knights 14 (Tyson Gamble, Daniel Saifiti tries; Dane Gagai 2 cons, pen)
Warriors 8 (Dylan Walker try; Shaun Johnson con, pen)
Halftime: 8-6
Tanah Boyd arrives on a two-year deal after Shaun Johnson’s retirement.