The Warriors are rueing a poor start and a crucial overturned try in their 26-22 loss to the Eels at Go Media Mt Smart Stadium, but coach Andrew Webster said that they "should not have been in that situation" at the end of the game.
"I don't know if there was enough evidence to overturn it," said Webster of the call by the bunker that Denetric Vaimauga had knocked the ball on, off a contested bomb, which was then scooped up by Adam Pompey to score under the posts.
"If he touched it, I can't tell if he touched it or not. I'll have to rely on everyone else watching…I'm not frustrated by the way we're trying, or the way we prepare. We had a no try down on their tryline and they scooped and took it 100 metres. That happened like three times to us, our last plays ended up being a weapon for them."
Webster ruefully brought up the fact that the Warriors had dominated every statistic of the game except the scoreboard, with the Eels scoring two long range tries against the run of play that saw them facing a 20-4 deficit in the second half.
Leka Halasima of the Warriors fends off Joash Papalii of the Eels. Photo: Andrew Cornaga/www.photosport.nz
There were some positives, like crowd pleaser Leka Halasima's late double, with Webster saying the 20-year-old was "awesome".
"I thought we brought him in the game well, he imposed himself and changed the game."
Unsurprisingly, Eels coach Jason Ryles had a rather different view and was adamant the decision to deny Pompey's try was clear cut.
"That's a knock on every day of the week…I don't even know why you're asking me the question," said Ryles, whose side was out of playoff contention coming into the match but have now pulled off two very good wins in consecutive weekends after thumping the Roosters.
Eels captain Mitchell Moses was also quick to point out that the Warriors enjoyed a 12-4 penalty count in their favour.
"At the end of the day, the referees are there to do a job and it's not easy. I'm sure there's a whole heap of other things the Warriors will look at and say if we did this or that better, it might have been a different result," said Ryles.
"But if it's going to come down to one finger touch that went forward, then you're barking up the wrong tree."
The result means the Warriors are now sweating on the results of the Broncos and Sharks, who play the Cowboys and Knights on Saturday. Wins to the fifth and sixth placed sides will send the Warriors down to sixth, they could finish as low as seventh if the Warriors lose to the Sea Eagles next weekend.
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