For only the second time this season the One New Zealand Warriors have suffered back-to-back losses in the New South Wales Cup going down 16-34 to the Raiders at GIO Stadium in Canberra on Sunday.
Aside from back-to-back defeats by the Bears and Eels in round eight and nine, the campaign had been following a win-loss pattern.
Coming off a decisive loss to the Bulldogs in Christchurch last Sunday, the Warriors were intent on rebounding on their trip to Australia’s national capital.
However, the Raiders, hunting a fifth straight win, were in no mood to accommodate them as they set the tone early snaring three tries in the opening 26 minutes to lead 18-0 heading towards halftime.
The Warriors stemmed the flow and gave themselves a chance to mount a comeback with a try six minutes from the break.
First second rower Kayliss Fatialofa went close when he raced onto Luke Metcalf’s deft left-footed grubber but was stopped right on the line.
Match: Raiders v Warriors
Round 17 -
home Team
Raiders
8th Position
away Team
Warriors
10th Position
Venue: GIO Stadium, Canberra
From the play the ball, hooker Makaia Tafua’s pass left bobbled along the ground but found winger Daeon Amituanai who scooped up on the bounce to score.
The deficit of 4-18 was cut to 10-18 six minutes into the second half when Tafua made a scorching dummy half break from his own 40, racing 35 metres before handing off to Metcalf in support for a 25-metre cruise to the line.
The door was open for the Warriors to come right back into the contest but the Raiders, feeding off errors to add three tries to bolt to a 34-10 lead.
The Warriors had the consolation of scoring the last try of the match, Jacob Auloa hitting Tafua’s dummy half pass from close range.
