The result may not have done justice to the occasion, but NZ Warriors fullback Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad refuses to let a setback undermine celebrations of a significant milestone in his NRL career.
While his team let another win slip away, conceding 27 unanswered points to Gold Coast Titans in their Anzac Day defeat at Go Media Stadium, the outstanding No.1 was at his brilliant best in his 100th first-grade appearance - a tenure that started at Mt Smart, flourished at Canberra and now returns to his original stamping ground.
"Special," he told Newshub's Tia McDougall. "Although we had a loss, it doesn't dampen the moment, this special moment and I'm grateful to be here."
Nicoll-Klokstad had the Warriors off to an ideal start, scoring the opening try, as they rocketed to an early 12-0 advantage, before letting their hands off the steering wheel. The Titans ran in the next five tries and, by the time they regained momentum, the home side were too far behind to make up the deficit.
"Very disappointing," he reflected. "We're still ironing out a few things and if we can play like we did in the second half... we'll put ourselves in a good position to have a good season."
Watch the video for the full interview.
