NZ Warriors coach Andrew Webster is frustrated, but unworried by his team's defeat to the expansion Dolphins in their NRL regular season finale at Brisbane.
With a top-four playoff spot already secure, Webster chose to rest eight of his frontline stars and watched his makeshift line-up fall 34-10 to the competition newcomers, snapping a seven-game winning streak.
Victory would have seen the Warriors equal their longest-ever winning run, achieved on their way to the 2002 NRL Grand Final, but the rookie coach isn't concerned a loss at this stage will dent his team's confidence, as they enter their first post-season since 2018.
"Not at all, mate," he said. "We know what our game looks like, we know what we've got to do... we'll be fine."
Even with a depleted line-up, Webster hoped to extend the winning run, but his team quickly fell behind to trail 22-0 at halftime.
After the break, they enjoyed a brief period of dominance that saw hooker Freddy Lussick and winger Marcelo Montoya cross for tries, but another error allowed the Dolphins field position for a try to Max Plath that effectively ended any thoughts of a comeback.
"We should have been way better," said Webster. "We've got high standards, as a club.
"I thought there were lots of individually strong performances, but as a team, we didn't do it. We didn't build any pressure, possession rate in the first half was unbelievable... our kicking game and building pressure just wasn't good enough.
"We saw a lot of tired boys, as a result of tackling all the time. The boys were trying hard, but we weren't putting our energy into the right things."
One player who would have benefited from the run was five-eighth Te Maire Martin, making his first appearance since suffering a broken leg in April. With Luke Metcalf seemingly out for the rest of the season with a hamstring strain, Martin has perfectly timed his return for a playoff run.
"I thought there were some really good touches from Te Maire," said Webster. "The way he competed and how hard he tried was the most important thing today.
"He was always going to be rusty, but he had a nice pass to Josh [Curran] for a linebreak. A couple of things he'd like to have back, but when you don't get that much possession, you start to make things up and force things, and that's fine.
"It was a perfect hitout for him today and he'll have so much confidence this week, knowing that one's out of the way, as opposed to coming into a playoff game and not having a hitout."
Later on Saturday, Penrith Panthers defeated North Queensland to clinch the minor premiership - their third in the past four years - and book a home playoff against the Warriors, with timing still to be confirmed.
"The seven-day turnaround would be better, but the six-day doesn't matter," said Webster. "We're ready to go, we're excited.
"We don't complain, we haven't complained all year. What we're given, we're given and we'll win no matter what - we've got to be positive about it, not negative."
The Warriors lost to Penrith 18-6 during the regular season - the third straight defeat in a brutal three-game run that saw them pitted against Melbourne Storm (on Anzac Day), Sydney Roosters and the Panthers over 11 days.
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