Kurt Capewell races away for his game-changing try against the Dolphins. Photo: AAP/DAVE HUNT
Warriors v Raiders
Kickoff 6pm Sunday, 25 May
Go Media Stadium, Auckland
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NZ Warriors coach Andrew Webster is claiming the referee bungle that helped his team stretch their five-game winning streak with a 16-12 victory over the Dolphins at Brisbane's Suncorp Stadium last Saturday.
Leading only 4-0 in the first half, the visitors benefited from a howler by lead official Peter Gough and the bunker, when winger Roger Tuivasa-Sheck clearly spilled a high kick forward, but the trajectory was ruled backwards.
As play continued, lock Erin Clark stormed to halfway, and halfback Luke Metcalf kicked and recovered, before sending centre Kurt Capewell across for the try.
Even the most one-eyed Warriors fans had to concede the Dolphins were hard done by and Webster is one of them.
"The thing about those things is we've been on a million of those," he reflected. "A couple of years ago in a semi-final, we were on the end of a really bad forward pass at the same stadium.
"You've got to take them. The second half was a 6-0 penalty count against us and that's not including six-to-go, so everyone has their day in the sun.
"I'll admit we got away with one."
Warriors supporters have long suspected their team have been on the wrong end of marginal officiating - a belief often borne out during the NRL's weekly reviews, which have been conveniently canned this season.
Tuivasa-Sheck - who could be seen admonishing himself in the background, as his teammates raced upfield - was a little more diplomatic.
"I definitely dropped the ball," he said. "Which way it went, the call has been made ... the ball went backwards, as the ref said, and Charnze jumped on it.
''I was gutted I dropped the ball, but as soon as you get over that, you carry on. No whistle, play on."
Afterwards, Dolphins coach Kristian Woolf would not be drawn on the incident.
"You know I'm not allowed to talk about referee decisions," he told media. "Everyone's seen what happened there and it's one we just have to avoid.
"Things like that certainly make it challenging, but we probably ran out of time in the end. We had plenty of effort and were certainly coming home, we just didn't have enough time to do it."
Unsurprisingly, Gough is nowhere to be seen among officiating assignments for this week's reduced five-game schedule, with seven teams drawing byes and State of Origin I looming next Wednesday.
While the Warriors are sitting pretty at 8-2 and second on the competition table, the nature of their wins has kept them grounded and their supporters on tenterhooks this season.
Despite their lopsided record, their points differential is just plus-five. During their five-game streak, they have been outscored 60-33 in the second halves of those encounters, as they seemingly find new and excruciating ways to somehow salvage victory from the jaws of defeat.
The Warriors needed an extra-time penalty against Brisbane Broncos, a desperate defensive stand against North Queensland Cowboys, a late field goal against St George Illawarra Dragons and a dubious call against the Dolphins. Two months ago, only a late penalty was the difference between them and Wests Tigers.
Webster knows they must do better to be true contenders, as the season approaches halfway.
"I think, if we were winning by 50, we'd still feel the same way," he said. "We still like a lot to do with our wins.
"Who's to say these teams aren't bring their best football against us? It doesn't matter if they're running last or first in the competition.
"We're so grounded this season, because we know we've got way more in us."
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