Accidental match-winner Blake Green is relieved the Warriors have snatched two points from a tight NRL contest, believing they haven't been rewarded lately for bossing games.
Green potted the decisive field goal in the 19-18 nail-biter against Cronulla in Wellington on Friday night, a seventh win that lifts them past the flailing Sharks and on the verge of the top eight.
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Fellow half Kodi Nikorima would probably have been lining up the one-pointer were it not for an ankle injury picked up while scoring an earlier try.
Green slotted the first field goal of his 153-match career, admitting it was a skill rarely needed when playing alongside the likes of Cooper Cronk (Melbourne), Daly Cherry-Evans (Manly) and Shaun Johnson (Warriors).
Getting to 18-18 has become commonplace for the Warriors this month, but they hashed field goals in going down by one point to Penrith and drawing with Brisbane.
Green felt they deserved better from both those contests, which he felt they dominated.
"It's probably relief, we've had some really close battles. Teams haven't been able to get on top of us and squash us completely out of the game," he said.
"Last week's draw was pretty deflating. I thought we were pretty dominant physically.
"Tonight was the same, we dominated for some big periods... so it would have been a tough one to take."
Green, who also bagged an earlier try with speed not always obvious in his playmaking role, was delighted the Warriors showed they could win without injured wingers Ken Maumalo (concussion) and David Fusitu'a (hamstring).
Former Sydney Roosters junior Adam Pompey made a sound debut, while veteran Blake Ayshford plugged the gap left by Fusitu'a at late notice, making just a third appearance in two seasons.
Skipper Roger Tuivasa-Sheck made up for the metres lost by the hulking wingers, storming for 300m in another colossal performance.
Fusitu'a is likely to miss next week's game against Parramatta, while Nikorima could be in doubt, having slipped into a moon boot after full time.
AAP
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