8 Feb 2015

Warriors beaten in trial match

10:53 am on 8 February 2015

An inexperienced New Zealand Warriors side has been beaten 22-12 by the Gold Coast in their first National Rugby League trial of the season in Toowoomba.

Stacey Jones

Stacey Jones Photo: PHOTOSPORT

The effort was encouraging considering the Warriors fielded only six players with NRL experience and then with just 56 games between them.

In contrast, the Titans had significant NRL experience to draw on with Brad Tighe (166) and Matt White (138) counting more than 100 appearances eachwhile they boasted a combined total of more than 600 NRL games across the squad.

The Titans also ran with a 26-man squad while the Warriors had 23.

Yet despite such odds the Warriors, with New South Wales Cup coach Stacey Jones in charge, pushed the home side all the way.

Indeed they twice had the lead, went to half-time locked at 12-12 and were still even nearing the end of the third quarter.

It was only then that Gold Coast snatched the lead for the first time through wing Shaun Hudson and then added a fourth try inside the final 10 minutes to secure a 10-point win.

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