NRL: Warriors v Dolphins - what we learnt from a controversial win

Analysis: For the fourth time in five games, NZ Warriors were made to survive a torrid comeback from their opponents, but showed their resilience to hold on for their fifth straight win.

There was plenty to talk about afterwards, including a dubious try, a couple of injury returns, a debutant and the prospect of losing both captains and front-rowers for next week.

Here's what we learned from the Warriors' controversial 16-12 win over the Dolphins at Suncorp Stadium.

Late line-up switcheroo

One of the really intriguing features of the team named by coach Andrew Webster on Tuesday was how he would bring former Dally M Medal winner Roger Tuivasa-Sheck back into the fold, after almost two months rehabbing a hamstring strain.

Given the other injuries facing Webster, the logical move seemed to bring him into centre, where the loss of Rocco Berry and Ali Leiataua had forced second-rower Kurt Capewell to play out of position.

Twenty-four hours out from kickoff, that was the change Webster made, but before the game, he changed his mind again, moving RTS to the wing, dropping Taine Tuaupiki altogether and returning Capewell to the centres, where he was entrusted with marking in-form counterpart Herbie Farnworth.

"[Capewell] is awesome, wherever he's played this year," Webster said. "People don't realise he was carrying a lot of injuries and niggles last year, but he's got himself in shape.

"His leadership is unbelievable, but he's leading by his actions. I honestly think he's been so good for us, particularly over the past six weeks."

Last season, Webster seemed determined to turn double international Tuivasa-Sheck into a centre, where he had played for the All Blacks. This selection suggests those days are well and truly over.

Injury returns

Playing in the unfamiliar No.22 jersey, Tuivasa-Sheck was quickly into his stride, running a game-high 22 times for 202 metres. He made only one error, but perhaps his biggest contribution to the outcome was the error he WASN'T credited with.

More on that later.

Co-captain James Fisher-Harris logged 57 minutes on his return from a pec (chest), running for 114 metres and making 40 tackles - second only to Wayde Egan (47) and equal with Erin Clark.

Unfortunately, his performance will be remembered for the high, no-arms tackle he made with three minutes left on the clock that saw him dismissed to the sin bin, leaving his team to defend a lead that was vanishing before their eyes.

"Fish went to the bin and we could have crumbled, but we stayed solid again," Webster reflected. "I thought we looked way better."

The Warriors will now wait anxiously for a judicial backlash.

Warriors debut

Another feature of Webster's selection was the late promotion of rookie Tanner Stowers-Smith to the interchange for his first NRL appearance.

With Jackson Ford concussed out of the game, Bunty Afoa succumbing to a knee injury and Capewell's services required elsewhere, the Warriors were running thin on forwards, but uncovered another on their production line of second-rowers.

With Leka Halasima (19), Demitric Vaimauga (21) and Jacob Laban (21) already regular fixtures in the game day squad, Stowers-Smith (21) becomes Warrior No.292 and shows the depth the club has in this position.

Grandfather Pat Smith played 10 games for NZ Kiwis from 1947-49 and Stowers-Smtih was lining up against cousin Jamayne Isaako in his first-grade debut.

He logged 25 minutes, ran six times for 50 metres and made 21 tackles over two stints on the field.

Defining moment

The Warriors led only 4-0 with halftime approaching, when Dolphins half Isaiya Katoa put up a high kick towards Tuivasa-Sheck's wing.

Under pressure, RTS spilt the ball forwards, but miraculously, referee Peter Gough waved "play on", ruling the ball went backwards.

He may have been the only person in the stadium who saw it that way.

Even the usually one-eyed Sky Sport panel could not believe the decision.

From the resulting possession, the Warriors rumbled upfield, with lock Erin Clark carrying strongly.

Halfback Luke Metcalf kicked ahead, regathered the bounce and found Capewell running in support to score.

From what should have been a redhot attacking opportunity, the Dolphins found themselves standing behind their own posts, watching Metcalf's conversion curl between the uprights.

In recent years, NRL head of elite football operations Graham Annesley has conducted a weekly review of contentious officiating decisions each Monday, but his review was curiously axed this season.

He would often highlight bad calls and you have to believe this would have been one of those.

"You know I'm not allowed to talk about referee decisions," Dolphins coach Kristian Woolf said afterwards.

"Everyone's seen what happened there and it's one we just have to avoid.

"Things like that certainly make it challenging, but we probably ran out of time in the end. We had plenty of effort and were certainly coming home, we just didn't have enough time to do it."

Gough and the bunker ruled out three other tries.

Warriors five-eighth Chanel Harris-Tavita had one disallowed, when he gathered a loose ball near the posts to score, but Halasima's aerial challenge was deemed to travel forward.

Former Warriors half Kodi Nikorima seemed to have had one against his old team, but replays showed he ran behind a teammate, who obstructed the defence.

Dolphins fullback Hamiso Taubai-Fidow was across early in the second half, when the ball went loose from a crossfield kick, but the final tap on from forward Mark Nicholls was adjudged forward.

Road Warriors

This fixture was their fifth "road" game in the last six, although two of them - Newcastle Knights in Christchurch and North Queensland Cowboys at Magic Round - were officially home games that they elected to take away from Mt Smart.

Webster insisted they hadn't even spoken about the toll that had taken on the players.

"Christchurch is our home game, because of our fans, and we want to take the game around the country," he said.

"We've had a big block [of travel], but I haven't heard them complain once.

"They just got on with it and I'm super proud there are no excuses. We are the Warriors and we travel - that's part of the gig."

Stat attack

Ultimately, the Dolphins dominated many of the key statistics, enjoying five minutes more possession, which amounted to 14 more sets than the Warriors. That was partially a reflection of their 6-2 set restart advantage.

The Dolphins also forced four goal-line dropouts - the Warriors none - but Metcalf skilfully put all four short and on the spot, allowing his team to regain possession on three of them.

The Warriors continue to lead the competition in set completion - they entered the game with 83 percent success and managed 81 percent in this contest.

Their 8-2 record surpasses the 2018 playoff team, who fell to 7-3 at this stage of their campaign, after starting with five straight wins.

They now match the 2002 side that won the minor premiership and made the Grand Final, but that outfit reached 11-2, before dropping to their third defeat of that campaign.

Incredibly, despite their lopsided winning record, the Warriors' points differential after 10 games is just plus five.

After outscoring their opponents 60-42 in the second halves of their opening five games, they have been outscored 60-33 over the final 40 minutes during their five-game winning streak.

Dolphins

The home side lost to the Warriors for the first time at Suncorp Stadium, but probably deserved more from this performance, especially considering that blown ref call and Capewell's try.

The Dolphins also lost second-rower Tom Gilbert to a pec injury that may keep him sidelined for several weeks and cost him a Queensland State-of-Origin call-up.

Their task becomes no easier next week, when they face tabletopping Canterbury Bulldogs.

Next up

Next week's Warriors v Canberra Raiders encounter will provide the marquee match-up in a round that sees seven teams on a bye, with State of Origin looming.

Of course, the Raiders embarrassed the Warriors in their season-opening meeting at Las Vegas and they have been one of the form teams of the competition, with a 7-3 record, rallying to beat Melbourne Storm at Magic Round, but surrendering a 20-point lead against top-of-the-table Canterbury Bulldogs last week.

They face Gold Coast Titans on Sunday.

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