Winger Mark Sikuvea and hooker Amasio Tiatia grabbed doubles as the One New Zealand Warriors pushed the competition-leading Dragons all the way before going down 22-30 in their round 12 Jersey Flegg Cup (under-21) contest on Saturday.
Playing in Croom in suburban Wollongong, the Warriors came roaring back from a 12-22 deficit when Tiatia and Sikuvea scored their second tries within nine minutes of each other to have the match locked up at 22-22 with 15 minutes to play.
But the complexion of the match changed in the 68th minute when they were reduced to 12 men after Motu Pasikala was sin binned.
They couldn’t hold out the Dragons as they scored four minutes later and then kicked a penalty in the final moments for an eight-point victory.
Earlier the Dragons had scored first but another sin binning had an impact in the Warriors’ favour when the home side lost prop Leeroy Weatherall for 10 minutes.
Match: Panthers v Warriors
Round 13 -
home Team
Panthers
2nd Position
away Team
Warriors
7th Position
Venue: Parker Street Reserve, Penrith
The visitors took advantage seven minutes later going down a short side on the left, Harry Inch getting a great pass away for Sikuvea to race over wide out.
And four minutes after that they were 12-4 ahead when ever-dangerous hooker Tiatia picked his moment from dummy half as he zipped over from close range despite the attention of three defenders.
The eight-point halftime lead evaporated in the space of 10 minutes as the Dragons put together a run of three tries to surge to a 22-12 lead after 51 minutes.
Cue another Warriors comeback.
Prop Emosi Ravosai’s tackle-busting carry put them on the front foot and on the next tackle halfback Jack Thompson probed and fed Tiatia inside for his second.
Then the Warriors worked a short side again, fullback Joseph Ratcliffe and centre Taipari Wikitera combining for Sikuvea’s second.
At 22-22 a win was on until the sin bin intervened again.
The result leaves the Warriors 5-5 on 14 points sitting seventh but now six points out of the top five. They're away again next week facing second-placed Penrith.
