At times it looked as if another unlikely NZ Warriors comeback was on the cards, but instead, had their NRL three-match win streak snapped against the Newcastle Knights.
The Knights avenged their season-opening defeat against the Warriors with a 34-24 victory at McDonald Jones Stadium.
Despite losing captain Wayde Egan and Te Maire Martin to injuries, a quick-fire double early in the second half suggested another come-from-behind victory could be on.
After a first half to forget, Adam Pompey and Ed Kosi crossed for tries within minutes of each other to claw the Warriors back within just four points.
But that was as close as they got, as the Knights put the result beyond reach with a quick-fire double of their own to hand the Warriors just their second defeat of the season.
True to form, the Warriors conceded the game's opening try, with Knights winger Dominic Young showing great strength to carry Kosi with him over the line.
It was then Greg Marzhew's turn to dot down for his first try, after centre Bradman Best committed the attention of the Warriors midfield to free up his winger.
With the Warriors in desperate need of a score, they called upon who else but Shaun Johnson to step up and carry them over.
From a scrum restart, Johnson glided across field, before timing his pass to Adam Pompey to perfection to send him over for the easiest of put-downs.
However, with 10 minutes remaining in the first half, the Knights scored two more times to extend their lead to 22-6 at the break.
First to cross was Tyson Frizell, who was in the right place and the right to clean up a bomb and collect the scraps to score the try.
The Warriors looked to have hit back through fullback Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad, but Pompey was adjudged to have obstructed the defence in the lead-up.
That saw the Knights go the other end and score an even messier try than their last, with Phoenix Crossland finding himself all alone in the chase of Best's kick to dive on the loose ball.
Just as if it seemed the half couldn't get any worse for the Warriors, they lost Egan to a head injury after he collided with his own teammate.
Te Maire Martin almost hit back for the Warriors in the opening minutes of the second half, but lost the ball in his attempted grounding.
To make matters worse, he was helped off the field with a suspected fibula fracture, with the Warriors' depth put to the test.
Just as he did in the first half, Johnson was instrumental in their next try, with his run and pass sending Pompey over, after the centre left Best for dead with a devastating sidestep.
Kosi then crossed to bring the Warriors within reach of just one try, after a Nicoll-Klokstad offload in the corner.
But replacement Kurt Mann would give the Knights a bit more breathing room with a clever snipe from dummy, before Marzhew grabbed his double to seal the win.
A late try to Jackson Ford made for an interesting final 10 minutes, but this time, the gap proved too big to overcome.
Warriors 24 (Pompey 2, Kosi, Ford tries; Johnson 4 con) Knights 34 (Marzhew 2, Young, Frizell, Crossland, Mann tries; Miller 5 con)
