Kurt Capewell scores the Warriors' opening try against Canberra. Photo: www.photosport.nz
NZ Warriors coach Andrew Webster hopes that bitter taste in the mouths of his team will pay off down the track, after their disappointing NRL season-opening defeat to Canberra Raiders in Las Vegas.
Part of a showcase of rugby league for the US sports market, the 30-8 loss threatened to surpass their worst-ever opening result, when Parramatta Eels inflicted a 40-10 hiding in 2013.
The Auckland club found themselves down 16-0 soon after the half hour, when Raiders winger Xavier Savage intercepted a pass on his own goal-line and sprinted the length of the field, potentially a 10-12-point turnaround.
During the build-up, Webster promised his players would remain focused on the game, despite the distractions outside their hotel rooms, but they seemed overwhelmed by their surroundings and the occasion.
Desperately searching for positives to take from the outcome, he admitted his team were "100 percent outclassed", but hoped it would teach them some valuable lessons about handling the big stage.
"Like everything, you look back and wonder what parts we did well and what parts didn't we get right," said Webster. "In years to come, we might look back on all the cool opportunities we had and cool moments we had together.
Luke Metcalf misses a conversion against Canberra. Photo: www.photosport.nz
"There's a real opportunity to look back and wonder what galvanises us. That was pretty clear what we needed to do and we didn't get it right, but if we get an opportunity in big build-ups like this, we can handle them better, because of the experience.
"There will be plenty to look back on that's positive, but at the moment, there's a sour taste in your mouth that we didn't come all this way to get beaten."
That disappointment may yet serve them well, if they can regroup to reach the NRL playoffs.
Webster defended the performance of his newlook halves combinations, even though Luke Metcalf and Chanel Harris-Tavita were unable to unlock their backline for much of the contest.
With Warriors stalwart Shaun Johnson now retired, Metcalf was handed the No.7 halfback jersey, but also threw the pass that was picked off by Savage.
"I felt like we didn't go forward enough for them, we went too sideways," assessed Webster. "That will be part of our review - were they asking for the ball at the wrong times - that's what you look at.
"I didn't think we gave them a good enough platform to play off, but we'll sit down and talk about it, and work out why it didn't work tonight.
"There was enough to see that I loved what they did, but as everyone knows, if you're not defending well and not going forward, it's pretty hard to play off."
The Warriors missed almost twice as many tackles as their rivals (40-21), but were also shredded by their offload game that gifted momentum.
"They ofloaded the ball really well and we knew it was coming, because they're very good at it, but we focused on the next play too much," said Webster. "The guys involved were trying their best, there was plenty of effort, but often they'd offload the ball and we'd have our backs to it, and they just built too much momentum.
"They'd hit the ball up, we'd put all our energy into it with three blokes and the rest of the team were working hard for the next thing, rather than focusing on that. We'll fix it quick, it's pretty clear what we want to do.
Warriors captain Mitch Barnett reflects on another mistake against the Raiders. Photo: www.photosport.nz
"We've got to celebrate anything we did well tonight and look at it with the right colour glasses on. When there's things we're not happy with, we've got address them.
"We can't just sweep it under and say that was Vegas, now the real comp starts, because that's two points tonight. We've got plenty of things to look at, but we're not going to be reactive as well."
The Warriors have almost two weeks to regroup, while the rest of the competition completes the opening round. They next face Manly Sea Eagles at Go Media Stadium Mt Smart on 14 March.
