Controversial calls sink Dragons in New Zealand

On the back of a set restart and a penalty, the Warriors moved deep into the Dragons' territory early in the second stanza and ultimately were awarded a try to Dallin Watene-Zelezniak despite the last pass from Ali Leiataua being forward.

Chanel Harris-Tevita rubbed salt in the wound with a sideline conversion to move the score to 16-12 in favour of the Warriors, shattering the momentum earned from the gritty first half. 

Then, after having a try overturned, the Dragons suffered a highly debatable escort call on Valentine Holmes in the 69th minute, which saw the Warriors extend their lead to six points and ultimately move out of reach. 

“We’re not getting rewarded for the effort we are putting in,” Dragons captain Damien Cook said post-match.

“The Warriors got a lot of stuff out there, we’re putting a lot of effort, we’re fighting for play the balls, we’re not getting the same six agains, we come out at halftime, they throw a forward pass, we’re chasing points straight away when we're in control of that game.

“It’s just not right. I feel sorry for the fans that have to watch that, but it’s happening too many times to us… so I think it’s unfair and we deserve better moving forward.”

Earlier, the Warriors started in ominous fashion when they scored from their first foray into good ball territory in just the third minute. 

Centre Adam Pompey was on the end of a shift to the left sideline, sliding over the try line and getting the all clear from video officials for a 4-0 lead. 

The home side kept coming, but the Dragons stiffened their resolve and, despite facing more goal-line pressure, held firm long enough to turn the momentum. 

The visitors then made their first trip to the red zone count via a clever left-edge trick shot, with Stewart getting past a few defenders before a slick inside ball to Clint Gutherson, who scored in the 13th minute. 

Holmes slotted the conversion, and the Dragons led 6-4, but a Harris-Tevita penalty goal for the Warriors in the 20th minute levelled the score at 6-6.

A sustained barrage of territory and possession followed for the Warriors, and while the Red V held firm and scrambled multiple times, they were finally unlocked by speedster Alofiana Khan-Pereira in the 32nd minute.

A clever short-side attack, direct from a line drop-out, saw the winger's blistering speed unleashed, pushing the score out to 10-6.

As halftime approached, the Dragons stunned the home side with more Stewart brilliance. This time, the rumbling back-rower threw a dummy any halfback would have been proud of, and the Gerringong junior strolled through the teeth of the Warriors’ defence to score under the posts. 

Holmes made no mistake, and the Dragons led 12-10 at the break. 

The dicey Warriors try came in the 44th minute before the Dragons thought they’d stolen the lead back after a 60-metre passage of play in the 60th minute. 

A Warriors pass hit the deck, allowing Dragons centre Mathew Feagai to scoop it up and head downfield before sending winger Setu Tu on his way. 

Tu, a former long-time Warriors lower grader, thought he’d scored only for the bunker to call him back, having ruled he was tackled. 

Moments earlier, the same pair had combined down the right side in a similar fashion, and just as the Dragons looked set for a quick play-the-ball and a shift to the left against a broken defensive line, the referee awarded a penalty 15 metres back downfield for a high tackle, failing to play the advantage. 

“They fought hard for the full 80 minutes. We’re improving each week and just competed with the second-best team in the competition, so we’re on the way up,” interim coach Dean Young said. 

“It’s been building. We’ve been consistent in the last three games prior to this night. These boys are starting to find some consistency in their performances, and as I said, we’re on the way up.”

When asked whether he would need to galvanise the group after another night when calls seemed to go against them, Young was defiant. 

“I don’t need to galvanise this group, they're galvanised. They're a tight group of players, they're working hard for each other, I don't need to galvanise them,” he stressed. 

“I'm sure I’ll ring the referees on Monday again and go through the same process but I'm not taking away anything from the Warriors. The Warriors are a good, well-coached team, and they played really well tonight. We're just frustrated.”