Dolphins players celebrate a try by Jamayne Isaako. Photo: Andrew Cornaga/www.photosport.nz
A try to Dolphins wing Jamayne Isaako has snatched a 20-18 victory away from the Warriors at Mt Smart on Friday night.
The winger took advantage of a wild final play that saw the defence scatter and open up for him to scoot down the sideline and score, with the home side paying the price for giving away a penalty and crucial field position as the clock ticked down.
Coming into the game with plenty of disruption due to injuries to James Fisher-Harris, Wayde Egan and Chanel Harris-Tavita, the Warriors were dealt worse news last night when Demitric Vaimauga was ruled out as well.
The ensuing reshuffle saw Taine Tuaupiki start at fullback, Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad move to the centres and Kurt Capewell into the second row.
Dolphins centre Herbie Farnworth got the visitors off to the perfect start, piercing the much-talked-about right edge defence for a try after only four minutes.
Dallin Watene-Zelezniak then crossed after some excellent lead-up work by Tanah Boyd and his new centre partner Adam Pompey, with Boyd's sideline conversion levelling the scores.
Farnworth then broke upfield for a 70m run and looked to be cruising for the line; however, he pulled his hamstring and went down in a heap.
That ended Farnworth's involvement in the game; however, it didn't slow his side down as they struck again with two quick tries from Jeremy Marshall-King and Oryn Keely.
To the Warriors' credit, they pulled themselves together and avoided the half becoming a disaster, with stand-in captain Capewell leading from the front with some strong runs.
They were rewarded just before the break with another well-worked try to Watene-Zelezniak in the same spot.
The second half quickly turned into an arm wrestle, with neither side able to cash in on each other's mistakes until Boyd first forced a goal line restart on the hour mark, then sent a perfect kick over for Leka Helasima to collect and muscle his way over.
Boyd's kick gave the Warriors their first lead of the game.
From there, Boyd and Te Maire Martin looked to have done an excellent job of keeping the ball in the right end of the field, until an obstruction penalty gave the Dolphins their best opportunity of the half.
Former Warriors half Kodi Nikorima looked to have made the most of it when he dived on a Isaiya Katoa grubber, but replays confirmed he'd lost the ball forward.
Dolphins second rower Felise Kaufusi then put in a foolish prowler tackle penalty soon after, for which he was binned and gave the Warriors what should've been the final phase of the game.
However, Watene-Zelezniak's dangerous tackle gave the Dolphins the momentum back and just enough time for Isaako's heroics.
The Warriors travel to Sydney to take on the in-form Bulldogs next Saturday night.
Read how the game unfolded here:
Team lists
Warriors: 1. Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad, 2. Dallin Watene-Zelezniak, 3. Adam Pompey, 4 Kurt Capewell, 5. Roger Tuivasa-Sheck, 6. Te Maire Martin, 7. Tanah Boyd, 17. Tanner Stowers-Smith, 9. Sam Healey, 10. Jackson Ford, 11. Leka Halasima, 12. Marata Niukore, 13. Erin Clark
Interchange: 14. Taine Tuaupiki, 15. Jacob Laban, 16. Freddy Lussick, 20. Bunty Afoa
Reserves: 18. Eddie Ieremia-Toeava, 21, Ed Kosi
Dolphins: 1. Hamiso Tabui-Fidow, 2. Jamayne Isaako, 3. Max Feagai, 4. Herbie Farnworth, 5. Jake Averillo, 6. Kodi Nikorima, 7. Isaiya Katoa, 8. Francis Molo, 9. Jeremy Marshall-King, 10. Felise Kaufusi, 11. Connelly Lemuelu, 12. Oryn Keeley, 13. Kurt Donoghue
Interchange: 14. Ray Stone, 15. Aublix Tawha, 16. Mark Nicholls, 17. Josh Kerr
Reserves: 18. Harrison Graham, 20. LJ Nonu
