Just like the NRL side later in the day, the Vodafone Warriors had to stage a big comeback only to fall short against the Illawarra Cutters in the opening round of the Intrust Super Premiership at WIN Stadium in Wollongong on Saturday.
Down 4-24 at halftime, the Vodafone Warriors were 4-30 behind soon after the break but then fashioned a recovery.
Tries to Jazz Tevaga and Konrad Hurrell gave them a glimmer of hope and when centre Matt Allwood added a third consecutive try an unlikely win was a possibility with the margin reduced to 22-30.
It didn’t come as the Cutters put the match to bed to win 36-22.
Earlier wing Ken Maumalo scored the Vodafone Warriors’ first try.
Match details | WIN Stadium, Wollongong
Illawarra Cutters 36 (Tom Carr 2, Shaun Nona, Peter Mata-utia, Tyrone McCarthy, Blake Wallace tries; Shaun Nona 6 conversions).
Vodafone Warriors 22 (Ken Maumalo, Jazz Tevaga, Konrad Hurrell, Matt Allwood tries; Ata Hingano 3 conversions).
Halftime: 24-4 Cutters.
Vodafone Warriors | Tomas Aoake; David Fusitu’a, Konrad Hurrell, Matt Allwood, Ken Maumalo; Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad, Ata Hingano; Ali Lauitiiti (c), Erin Clark, Upu Poching; Raymond Faitala-Mariner, Marata Niukore; Jazz Tevaga. Interchange: John Palavi, Paul Tuli, Pat Sipley, James Bell.
