Minor premiership honours eluded the One New Zealand Warriors as they failed to withstand a Sydney Roosters comeback in Sunday’s final regular season Harold Matthews Cup (under-17) match at Navigation Homes Stadium in Pukekohe.
When prop Lucian Mikaele scored his second try in the opening minute of the second half, the Warriors had a commanding 24-6 lead leaving them ideally placed to seal a preferred top two spot as well as seizing the minor premiership.
But a disappointing 23-minute period saw those hopes evaporate as the Roosters rattled on four tries to win 26-24 enabling them to claim second spot behind Illawarra and push the Warriors into third spot.
Such a scenario hadn’t seemed a possibility after the way the Warriors started the contest.
Centre Soane Ma’asi opened the scoring seven minutes in with a dazzling solo effort, coming back infield, weaving across the defensive line and then stepping off his left foot twice to score between the posts.
Match: Warriors v Roosters
Round 9 -
home Team
Warriors
away Team
Roosters
Venue: Navigation Home Stadium, Pukekohe
After the Roosters evened it up at 6-6, the Warriors reacted on the 23rd minute with a long-range assault, Ronan Byford finding ample space as he exploded out of dummy half from 60 metres out, breaking 40 metres up-field before finding Mikaele backing up.
Their third try was exceptional coming straight off the restart. After try scorer Mikaele brought the ball back with an inspired carry from the kick-off, hooker Amasio Tiatia feinted right but came left on the short side feeding hard-charging second rower Tusa Fanolua. He pushed through the line, off-loading as he was going down to centre Hinckley Ioka who had fullback Jeremiah Lemana on his inside to finish off.
That made it 18-6 and in the opening minute of the second half the Warriors were 24-6 ahead when standoff Christiano Elia brilliantly chipped and regathered on the last tackle finding Mikaele in support, the prop taking defenders with him to score between the posts.
What should have been a match-winning lead was down to 12-24 just minutes later. After the Warriors failed to complete after scoring, the Roosters profited immediately.
The lead was down to eight points at 16-24 five minutes later and then 22-24 with eight minutes to play.
The Warriors weren’t without chances to add to their total but the Roosters resisted and then found their match winner with two minutes to go.
The finals start next week, this time in an expanded top eight format rather than the top six playoff system used last year.
By finishing third the Warriors have a life.
The quirk of the draw is that they'll play the second-placed Roosters again in week one of the finals.
