Defending premiers the Newtown Jets handed the One New Zealand Warriors their first defeat of the season in Saturday’s round six top-of-the-table New South Wales Cup contest at the Trusts Arena in Waitakere.
Despite the result, the Warriors remain top ahead of the Jets on points for and against differential.
That will be small consolation, though, after a flat third quarter left them behind the eight ball.
Until then the match had teetered with neither side able to impose itself.
After Newtown struck first, the Warriors set up a wide shift to the right giving winger Daeon Amituanai enough space to work in as he stepped back infield and then drove over to score.
And inside the last 10 minutes of the first half, Te Maire Martin nudged a precise grubber through the visitors’ defensive line for centre William Fakatoumafi to brilliantly collect and dot down.
Match: Warriors v Jets
Round 6 -
home Team
Warriors
1st Position
away Team
Jets
2nd Position
Venue: The Trusts Arena, Auckland
It left the Warriors 10-4 ahead in the tightest of encounters.
More of the same might have been anticipated in the opening stages of the second half but instead the Jets were able to change the complexion of the game as they raced in for three tries in the space of 13 minutes to bolt to a 24-10 advantage.
The Warriors looked out of sorts but awoke from their lethargy with a two-try assault to close the score up to 24-20.
First Martin lobbed a pinpoint pass wide to the left for Edward Kosi to score in the corner and then prop Tanner Stowers-Smith took a Kalani Going pass, spun out of one tackle and then carried two defenders over the line.
With 12 minutes still to play it was there for Warriors to take but they conceded two penalties within range of the posts in a matter of minutes for the Jets to edge to 26-20 and then critically to 28-20.
Opportunities were there in the final minutes but the execution was off as Newtown closed it out for the two points.
The Warriors are at Go Media Stadium next Saturday when they take on St George Illawarra.
