Warriors centre Tysha Ikenasio is tackled against Gold Coast. Photo: Andrew Cornaga/www.photosport.nz
NZ Warriors have slumped to their third defeat in four NRLW appearances this season, falling 20-10 to Gold Coast Titans at Auckland's Go Media Stadium.
Looking to build on their first-ever home win two weeks ago, the wahine dug a deep hole for themselves, allowing their rivals to score three early tries.
Gold Coast opened the scoring, when they went shortside down the right and winger Lily Patston plunged over in the corner, converted from the sideline by Lauren Brown.
The visitors then struck on the other side of the field, when quick hands put winger Georgia Grey into the left corner.
The Warriors showed attacking flair, but could not find a way through or around the Titans defence, then conceded easy metres through penalties to gift their opponents plenty of opportunities at the other end.
Gold Coast hooker Lily-Rose Kolc was next to score, finding far too much space from dummy half near the line.
Centre Emmanita Paki had a chance to open the Warriors scoring, when she ran onto Patricia Maliepo's kick behind the tryline, but the ball took a wicked bounce behind her and the chance was lost.
Next time down the field though, with halftime imminent, Paki offloaded to winger Payton Takimoana, who found her way to the corner for her fifth try of the season.
Trailling 14-4 at the break, the home side needed to score next to make a contest of it, but Titans fullback Jaime Chapman dented their hopes, when she shrugged off a couple of tacklers to power over next to the posts.
The Warriors were not helped, when Maliepo - their most dangerous attacker - was pulled from the field for a head check. She duly passed and returned.
On debut, interchange forward Metanoia Fotu-Moala - the third of three sisters to play NRLW - stormed over next to the posts to give her team a glimpse with 10 minutes remaining, but they could not capitalise on repeat sets in the Gold Coast redzone and ran out of time.
The Warriors travel to Newcastle for 'Magic Round' next week, when they face North Queensland Cowboys on Sunday.
See how it all unfolded below:
