'Just have to move on': Warriors quickly turn attention to elimination semi

The Warriors insist they can’t dwell on their qualifying final defeat to the Dolphins and instead must use the setback as fuel to produce a response.

The Warriors’ 26-16 loss at Go Media Stadium on Saturday night means their path to a maiden NRL premiership has become considerably harder, with instead of having the week off and hosting a preliminary final, they must now square off against the Newcastle Knights in an elimination semi-final.

The Knights defied the odds on Friday night, eliminating the South Sydney Rabbitohs 20-10, and will travel to Auckland for a sudden-death clash after producing an impressive performance despite missing several key players.

The Warriors were in control for the majority of the clash with the Dolphins, but appeared to run out of steam heading into the final 20 minutes and the visitors capitalised, overcoming an eight-point deficit to reach the preliminary finals in their first finals campaign in the club’s history.

Rather than lamenting what slipped away against the Dolphins, Warriors halfback Te Maire Martin said their attention quickly turns to their next challenge.

“You just have to move on,” Martin said. “You review what we can work on from that game, and you move on to next week like every other week.

“It’s still the same goal to get to the GF, it’s just a different path now.”

Martin was quick to point out the Warriors’ last defeat back in round 21, when they were quite flat against the Canterbury Bulldogs but responded with some clinical displays with and without the ball, which catapulted them into the minor premiership conversation.

He believes the disappointment can provide similar motivation.

“That was the last time we lost and we came out firing after that,” Martin said. “It just lights a bit of fire there – and there’s no chances now, so we’ve got to make it count.”

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The Warriors had appeared to be on course for a direct passage to the preliminary finals after taking a 16-8 lead into the final quarter against the Dolphins.

Taine Tuaupiki scored all of the Warriors’ points, including an impressive first-half try, to go with five penalty goals.

The first half was tense and physical, with both sides up to the challenge and tensions at times boiling over, leaving the Warriors with 11 players on the field at one stage while the Dolphins were also down a player.

That physical battle appeared to take it out of the Warriors and the Dolphins’ back five got them back into the match and won them the game.

Two tries in six minutes, including a brilliant long-range effort from Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow, swung the contest in the visitors’ favour and they didn’t allow the Warriors back into the contest.

Hooker Wayde Egan echoed Martin’s message, saying they can’t get too caught up in what went wrong as there were plenty of positives to come out of the performance.

“Just don’t get too down in the dumps,” Egan said. “We’ve done some really good things tonight and we obviously got some things to work on.

“I don’t dwell too much on the loss. It’s a quick game. You’ve got to obviously review it really hard tomorrow and be honest and have a look at where we can get better, but come Monday, that game’s gone, it’s done.

“You can’t think about it for too long.”

Tuaupiki admitted the defeat was difficult to take, particularly after the Warriors had controlled large periods of the match.

Taine Tuaupiki. Photo / Photosport

“It was tough, chaotic, and just lots of scramble, lots of effort from both teams,” Tuaupiki said. “Gutted to be on the losing side of it.

“They just got some freaks in their team that can just do things like what Hammer done off that long kick return. And good on them, but we need to be better.”

The Warriors will now have to win three consecutive finals matches to claim the premiership, beginning with their elimination final against the Knights.

For Egan, that is reason enough to embrace the challenge rather than feel sorry for themselves.

“It hurts a lot,” Egan said. “Obviously, we were sort of going into the game wanting to win, but ... take the long route now and I guess play another game, an extra game, have fun.”

Beating the Knights won’t be easy, though. Even though the Warriors have beaten them twice this season, their meeting last month caused plenty of headaches.

The visitors dominated the opening exchanges before losing Jacob Saifiti, who was sent off for a dangerous shoulder charge.

The Knights led by as many as 16 points before the Warriors rallied to eventually claim the vital two points.

However, the match shouldn’t have been as close considering the Knights played the majority of it down a player.

There is a chance the Warriors will welcome back Dallin Watene-Zelezniak from a shoulder injury, however, they face the prospect of being without Leka Halasima, who was a late withdrawal with a hamstring injury, and Jackson Ford, who picked up an ankle injury in his comeback match.

Ben Francis is an Auckland-based reporter for the New Zealand Herald who covers breaking sports news.