The 20,714 spectators at Mt Smart Stadium on Saturday night thought the Warriors had done enough to defeat the Titans when they were up 26-12 with seven minutes to go, but Stacey Jones knew they hadn’t.
It turned out to be one of the most spectacular defeats in the club’s history as they conceded two tries, two conversions and a penalty over the last seven minutes.
Then in golden point time, Tanah Boyd kicked the winning field goal to clinch a remarkable comeback victory for the Titans.
It was a defeat that summed up the Warriors season, but Jones said he never felt like the Warriors had done to enough secure the game.
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“No, we should have though,” Jones said.
Andrew Cornaga/Photosport
Titans players celebrate winning the game in golden point.
“But we know that we were playing against a team that can play good, attacking footy.
“We came up with some dumb moments on the field in that last 10 minutes and by no means did I think it was over.
“We came up with some dumb plays that got them back into the game and it shouldn’t have been like that.”
“Very disappointing,” he added.
“We’ve had some tough moments this year and that’s right up there.”
Even though the Warriors had blown their lead, the game was still up for grabs with a golden point winning field goal.
Dave Rowland/Getty Images
A dejected looking Wayde Egan and Jesse Arthars reflect on what was a crushing defeat.
But they needed to do it without Shaun Johnson who was injured for this game, and Reece Walsh, who had left the field with a pectoral injury.
Daejarn Asi had the only field goal attempt from a Warriors player, but his effort never went close, much to Jones’s frustration.
“I thought we didn’t handle that well at all, taking a field goal from a long way out with time on the clock,” he said.
“The game was about building pressure and we go down there and try a miracle field goal in tough conditions. That was a moment we didn’t do smart.
“You kick it in the corner, put pressure back on them and we’ve got the wind. We weren’t smart there.”
No player has a stronger connection to the Warriors than Jones. He’s been there through the highs and lows and for him, taking over the head coaching job midway through this season has been one of his toughest challenges.
“Thinking back, we’ve had some tough moments this year,” he said.
“It has been a tough three years for this club and we’ve had some stuff that we had to deal with during the year.
“Not nice, but at least the boys can have a break and reset themselves wherever they go.
“Whether they’re going to another club, or the boys that are staying here, they’ve got to turn up wherever they go and get themselves ready for I’d imagine a tough preseason.”
Meanwhile, reflecting on this loss, Warriors captain Tohu Harris was clearly hurt by the manner of this defeat.
Andrew Cornaga / www.photosport.
Tohu Harris says the Warriors find ways to shoot themselves in the foot.
“We spoke about it in the sheds, it seems to be the story of our season,” Harris said.
“We have some really good moments and tonight we built a really big lead and then like Stacey said, there were dumb moments or lack of discipline.
“Whatever it is, we find a way to shoot ourselves in the foot. It’s very frustrating.”
Harris said over the last period of the game his team-mates didn’t keep their composure.
“Just individuals losing their head, a lack of discipline at times,” he said.
“There were a few times we took the easy option and gave cheap possession away when it could have easily been ours.
“It happened in different ways, but it was individual lapses at crucial times.”
Meanwhile, the Simon Mannering Medal for the club’s player of the year was given to Euan Aitken in a post match ceremony. Viliami Vailea was announced as the rookie of the year.
