The soul-searching begins for the Warriors, after their last-gasp defeat to the Dolphins. Photo: Andrew Cornaga/www.photosport.nz
NZ Warriors v Canterbury Bulldogs
Kickoff: 9.35pm Saturday, 9 August
Accor Stadium, Sydney
Live blog updates on RNZ Sport
Amid the ruins of a heartbreaking, last-gasp defeat to the Dolphins, each and every NZ Warriors player has had to hold themselves accountable to some degree - and then move on.
In a frozen moment in time, as Dolphins and Kiwis winger Jamayne Isaako scored the gamewinning try in the corner of Go Media Stadium, the parochial home crowd fell silent, praying for some divine intervention from the NRL bunker that never came.
The impact of this result was not lost on the fans, as they began to console themselves on a season seemingly slipping away, nor the players, as they began to second-guess what they could have done better to avoid this fate.
"I've been part of teams that would say, 'Let's not worry about a review, it's too hard to see or let's not watch it'," coach Andrew Webster explained. "I just think you can't move on if you don't do that.
"We had to get a bit of closure, when you go through some trauma like that, and then move on."
Two weeks after inflicting the same torment on Newcastle Knights, there was also a matter of accepting the same medicine they had previously dished out.
The Dolphins snatched their 20-18 victory, when they ran on the last tackle of their last set of the game, testing the Warriors' vulnerable right-edge defence, before sending the ball back to the left, where winger Roger Tuivasa-Sheck remained alone against three attackers.
Hooker Sam Healey and stand-in captain Kurt Capewell made valiant attempts to scramble back, but could not reach Isaako in time.
One of the toughest on himself was fullback Taine Tuaupiki, the last line of defence who allowed himself to be sucked across the field in cover and could not respond quickly enough, when the ball went back the other way.
"I just missed the job, bro," he lamented.
"Elite fullbacks make that tackle in the corner and I didn't.
"I'm sure a lot off the boys are nitpicking what they did wrong. That was my part, it's over now, but I wish I could have that back."
Tuaupiki had already saved a certain try to Dolphins winger Jake Averillo and was also the last cover defender, as centre Herbie Farnworth broke into an open field, before pulling up with a hamstring injury.
Jamayne Isaako scores the gamewinning try against the Warriors. Photo: Andrew Cornaga/www.photosport.nz
"That's just my job as well," Tuaupiki insisted.
"If someone makes a linebreak and runs straight through to the tryline, everyone would ask where was the fullback, so that was just me doing my job."
Five-eighth Te Maire Martin was another shifting right, hoping to close down the final play on that side of the field.
"We base so much of our stuff on effort and, if you look at that last play, we were almost putting in too much effort, which sounds stupid," he reflected.
"I was at marker at the play-of-the-ball on the other side and chased right across to cover, and they ended up scoring where I would have been.
"There were a few of us trying to shut it down, thinking it was the last play, then they came back. Instead of thinking calmly at that time, when the pressure was on… if we had stayed in our lanes, we could have shut it off.
"You want to work hard for your teammates and a few of the boys were cramping up at the same time, so you want to cover. You still want to put in effort, but thinking calmer in those situations is the main [lesson].
"If they had scored on that right edge and I had stayed on the left, I would have been kicking myself."
From Webster's perspective, the threat could have been nullified at the other end of the field. Moments before, the Warriors turned down a penalty shot at goal, which would have stretched their lead, but handed the ball back to their opponents on halfway.
Instead, Webster ordered them to keep the ball in hand and pin the Dolphins deep in their own half for the rest of the game.
"We had so much effort, everyone was circling behind to cover corners and they moved the ball back twice," he said, reliving that final play.
"As they did that, guys were trying to cover corners, instead of having one big, beautiful line, and we allowed too much space.
"We also let them off their line twice to give them a shot at that and we didn't need to do that. The learning there is, if we're ever in touch-football mode at the end of the game, we don't need 3-4 guys heading to the corner early - we should have just kept it straight."
Webster was adamant the team had put their disappointment behind them, although some achieved that quicker than others.
"You tend to drag your feet when you get home, but when you arrive to a bit of noise like a baby, partner pregnant... I've got a bit going on and can't afford to be dragging my feet," Tuaupiki chuckled.
"When I was here, I was a bit gutted, but as soon as I got home, straight into dad mode and you get a spray from the misses if you're ruining the weekend."
The Warriors have sat in the competition's top four most of the season, but a six-point buffer has now shrunk to just one, with four-time defending champions Penrith Panthers now breathing down their necks, as they prepare to face high-flying Canterbury Bulldogs in Sydney on Saturday.
They have won two of their last six games and what looked like a favourable run to the playoffs has proved anything but.
They need to win at least three of their last five fixtures to clinch a post-season spot, although that may soften, as teams on the edge of the top eight also face their challenges.
Eighth-placed Dolphins take on ninth-placed Sydney Roosters this weekend and defeat would leave the Sydneysiders clinging to mathematical chances, while Manly Sea Eagles (10th) have top-of-the-table Canberra Raiders in the Australian capital.
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