What we can learn from Warriors' weekend loss

Analysis - After five straight wins - some of them fortuitous - NZ Warriors have finally seen their streak snapped by a physical Canberra Raiders that pushed the rules to the limit and beyond.

The 16-10 outcome saw the Raiders complete a clean sweep of regular season victories over their rivals, after outplaying them in the season-opener in Las Vegas.

They say winning can mask all kinds of flaws and, given the nature of their previous successes, the Warriors were probably due a setback, which may provide a chance for them to reset and find the next level of performance that has eluded them over the past month.

Here's what we learned from the defeat to the Raiders at Go Media Stadium.

Leiataua returns

While acting captain Kurt Capewell was initially named at centre, the presence of specialist midfielder Ali Leiataua on the extended bench signalled he would likely enter the starting line-up before kickoff.

So it proved.

The move enabled Capewell to shift to his preferred second-row role, Marata Niukore to the front row and Jackson Ford back to the interchange, where he has been a standout this season.

Leiataua's return also allowed coach Andrew Webster to field his likely first-choice backline for the first time this season, after winger Dallin Watene-Zelezniak's broken wrist in the pre-season kept him on the sidelines through the first nine rounds and Roger Tuivasa-Sheck's hamstring ruled him out for eight rounds.

Leiataua had missed three games with an ankle sprain, while fullback Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad had a spell with concussion, and centre Rocco Berry managed just three games among a variety of injuries and suspension.

Leiataua had a quiet game, running eight times for 65 metres and making 17 tackles, but missing three.

Before his injury, he had consolidated his hold on a centre spot, while Adam Pompey has again proved the team's ironman - the only back to take the field in every game so far, playing every minute, as he did in 2023.

Berry is not far from a return either, so the competition for those spots will ramp up soon, notwithstanding more injuries.

Tale of two sinbins

This result probably swung on two periods when the teams were each reduced to 12 men by referee Adam Gee.

The Warriors led 8-0, when Raiders prop Corey Horsburgh was sent from the field for a professional foul, leaving his team short-handed.

The home side were unable to take advantage of that numerical advantage and actually conceded a try to hooker Tom Starling, when Leiataua missed one of his tackles on opposite Sebastian Kris.

Afterwards, Webster rued not taking the kick for goal from Horsburgh's penalty, because a couple of plays later, Tuivasa-Sheck conceded a turnover that killed the attacking chance.

"We could have been 10-0 up, but we just handled that period poor in the first half," he said.

"We made that error straight away and then didn't have any ball, so they handled it way better than us."

In the 59th minute, after the Warriors had conceded three set restarts in quick succession, fullback Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad was the unlucky one penalised on his own goal-line and sent to the sinbin.

During his absence, Raiders half Jamal Fogarty slotted the resulting penalty to level the scores and then scored the gamewinning try, which he converted.

In short, Canberra handled both powerplay situations far better than the Warriors and that was the difference between the two teams.

Coach killer

Leading 8-6 with halftime approaching, the Warriors made one of those basic mistakes that gives coaches the absolute willies.

Foresaking his fascination with short dropouts, halfback Luke Metcalf prepared to take a long kick from his goal-line, but Gee whistled Pompey and his hard-to-miss, fluorescent yellow boots for straying ahead of the kicker.

You don't see that call very often, certainly not as often as it happens, and Pompey actually caught himself and stepped back in line, but to no avail.

Fogarty slotted the kick at goal and the teams entered the break level, but the Raiders with momentum.

Overstepped the mark

For the second time this season, Raiders captain - and Kiwi front-rower - Joseph Tapine will likely face suspension for reckless tackles against the Warriors.

After Vegas, he sat out the next two games and was twice placed on report in the return match, once for a crusher tackle and another for a shoulder charge. Horsburgh was also on report even before his sinbinning.

Seconds after Tapine's second offence, Starling was dispatched to the sinbin for a late and high attack on Chanel Harris-Tavita, as he put up a kick.

He had to jump up to hit CHT in the head, so there really wasn't much mitigation involved.

Afterwards, Raiders coach Ricky Stuart went on the frontfoot to defend the headhunting tactics of his players, lamenting how administrators were penalising them for upholding the physicality NRL marketed their game on.

"We keep getting told that this game's about entertainment," he said.

"We can't discipline aggression, because broadcasters promote aggression.

"We've got to be really careful, we don't want to scrutinise aggressive actions in a game that is moulded on pure aggression and passion.

"I'm not at all promoting foul play, I'm dead against foul play… we get a lot of accidental high shots with the speed and intensity of our game. Match review committees can't just willy-nilly bashing players for aggression, because we need it in our game."

Stuart explained to media that his players were skilled at pulling out of crusher tackles.

"We practice releasing the head," he insisted, a suggestion his players targeted the head in the first place.

The Raiders will likely face Sydney Roosters next week without Tapine, and perhaps Horsburgh and Starling too.

Raiders drought

Canberra have often struggled on this side of the Tasman.

They hadn't won in New Zealand since 2019, although during the intervening six years, Covid limited their ability to visit, so that losing record involved just one fixture at Mt Smart and another at Christchurch.

Stuart has watched his team fall to some contentious defeats over recent years and often come out swinging at match officials afterwards.

You get the feeling even this victory has left a sour taste in his mouth.

The result elevates the Raiders to second on the NRL table, two points behind Canterbury Bulldogs and ahead of the Warriors on points differential.

Action Jackson

Players rarely top both the running metres and tackle stats - they're generally not built to excel at both.

Interchange forward Jackson Ford became the first Warriors player to achieve something that only three others have done this season - Rabbitohs prop Keaon Koloamatangi, Broncos prop Patrick Carrigan and Wests prop Terrell May twice.

Ford has excelled coming off the bench and, during his 55 minutes against Canberra, he made 43 tackles and ran for 209 metres. No-one has led both categories playing less minutes.

His 73 fantasy points sure came in handy this week, with seven teams on bye and a host of stars away on Origin call-up.

Next up

Speaking of Koloamatangi, the Warriors travel back across the ditch next Sunday to face Souths, who sit just four points behind them on the table in sixth.

They have been rocked by injuries this season, but are starting to get the best out of superstar and captain Latrell Mitchell at fullback, under the wily guidance of supercoach Wayne Bennett.

Souths will have Mitchell and Campbell Graham back from Origin duty, while the Warriors will have co-captains Mitch Barnett back from Origin and James Fisher-Harris back from suspension.

By the time the Warriors return to Go Media Stadium to face Penrith Panthers on 21 June, they will have played just once on their homeground in nine weeks.

The Warriors are now 8-3 for the season, but this result drops them back into a negative points differential at minus-one.

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