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Highlights: Warriors escape with 2-point win over Roosters

(AAP Image/David Rowland)
Expert
19th June, 2016
2

It took a gutsy performance but the New Zealand Warriors have overcome the Sydney Roosters at Mount Smart Stadium in a physical encounter by just two points.

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The Roosters, coming off a 46-0 smashing at the hands of the Melbourne Storm showed a much improved defensive effort, and the Warriors would only score a single try to take the match despite having 53 per cent of the possession.

From a Warriors point of view it was a strong effort from their forwards who managed to dominate for large parts off the middle, and offloads would absolutely kill the Roosters.

The Warriors would make 22 offloads by the end of the match in fact, and the Roosters had to do a lot of extra defensive work because of it – which ultimately cost them as they simply ran out of gas in the last 10 minutes.

Shaun Johnson, Issac Luke and Tuimoala Lolohea all had flashes of brilliance, but struggled to maintain it for the length of the game and despite all the offloads the Auckland-based club struggled for a sense of organisation and direction on attack.

Still their defence for the most part was brilliant, and after they let in the opening try of the game they got into the arm-wrestle for the most part with the Roosters simply unable to crack them.

It was all defence from the Roosters, who didn’t let the Warriors score until the 70th minute. In fact, at one point the Warriors went ahead 6-4 on penalty goals alone, and it looked like they might have been the first team since 1993 to win a game without scoring a try.

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Ryan Matterson and Jackson Hastings were both strong for the Roosters, but like their opponents they seemed to struggle for organisation and direction with the ball in hand.

Shaun Kenny Dowall was also fantastic made a stack of metres, while Jared Waerea Hargeaves led the forwards up the middle, receiving strong support from Sam Moa and Dylan Napa.

It was also an impressive debut from youngster Joseph Manu.

The scoring almost opened in the 20th minute when Ken Maumalo was sent to the sin bin. It was a great little play from Jackson Hastings to put in a grubber kick after a ball was batted back from a crossfield kick, and Maumalo took out Joseph Manu who otherwise would have likely scored.

Just a minute later though, following the penalty it was Jared Waerea Hargreaves running to the line and making a beautiful offload which allowed Jake Friend to set up Mitchell Aubusson for the only try of the first half.

The Warriors would then use a penalty to slot over two points off the boot of Issac Luke, winding down the clock while Maumalo was in the bin.

The Roosters continued to give away sloppy penalties after halftime, which allowed the New Zealand side to move ahead 6-4, based on penalty goals alone.

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The Warriors seemed to lose their will for the fight, but after taking the lead managed to get it back.

Still, they had a stack of possession and it was looking more and more like they wouldn’t crack the Roosters for a try, but eventually they did in the 64th minute through Shaun Johnson, pushing them ahead by eight points.

It didn’t take long for the Roosters to bounce back though Connor Watson though, benefiting from a series of offloads, sparked by Shaun Kenny Dowall and Jackson Hastings on halfway.

The Roosters then had a few chances in the back end, but losing where they were on the tackle count hurt them on one instance, as did a pass that went straight over the sideline from Kenny Dowall after he made a full field break.

In the end, there would be no more scoring and if it was hard to see the Roosters making the finals before today, it is now almost impossible as the Warriors continue their annual State of Origin period stretch of good form.

Final score
New Zealand Warriors 12
Sydney Roosters 10

Stats
Tries: Warriors (1), Roosters (2)
Penalty Goals: Warriors (3/3), Roosters (0/0)
Conversions: Warriors (1/1), Roosters (1/2)
Possession: Warriors (53%), Roosters (47%)
Completions: Warriors (32/42), Roosters (21/32)
All Runs: Warriors (204), Roosters (151)
Run metres: Warriors (1802), Roosters (1467)
Line breaks: Warriors (5), Roosters (4)
Offloads: Warriors (22), Roosters (17)
Tackles: Warriors (275), Roosters (350)
Missed tackles: Warriors (28), Roosters (36)
Penalties: Warriors (10), Roosters (3)
Errors: Warriors (10), Roosters (9)
Sin bin – Ken Maumalo (Warriors)

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The Roar’s NRL MVP votes
3 – Issac Luke
2 – Albert Vete
1 – Ryan Matterson

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