NZ Warriors have received an NRL wake-up call, falling to their first defeat in a month with a 30-12 demolition against St George Dragons at Wollongong.
After scoring the opening try through veteran half Shaun Johnson and seemingly in total control over the opening minutes, the visitors conceded 30 unanswered points, as the Dragons produced one of their best performances in years.
Ahead 16-6 at halftime, they struck immediately after the restart, when centre Zac Lomax pounced on an attacking kick and put the contest out of reach, even for the most ambitious Warriors comeback.
They finally recorded a vintage consolation try from winger Dallin Watene-Zelezniak, but left coach Andrew Webster to ponder duruing the week, as they regroup for their Anzac Day outing against Gold Coast Titans on Thursday.
After a 70-metres opening set came to nothing, the Warriors quickly had another chance, when they won a penalty that put them back deep inside Dragons territory, but that also came to an ineffectual ending.
The Warriors struggled with their early timing, but were able to keep their rivals pinned in their own half on defence to maintain pressure.
They had another opening, when Dragons second-rower Jayden Su'a was penalised in a tackle and Johnson found plenty of space to score the opening try from close range.
When Dragons centre Moses Suli spilled the ball inside his own half, the Warriors enjoyed a couple of set restarts, but wasted the momentum, when hooker Jacob Liddle intercepted a pass near his goal-line.
With their first scoring chance, Dragons half Ben Hunt put up a high kick on the last tackle, easily claimed by winger Marcelo Montoya. Moments later, Hunt found Suli brushing aside Warriors centre Rocco Berry for their opening try.
Montoya handed them another prime opportunity, when he lost the ball in a tackle in front of his posts, and from the scrum, counterpart Mikaele Ravalawa was over in the corner.
Suddenly, all the momentum was with the Dragons, and another penalty and set restart saw Hunt stretch out in a tackle to score.
With halftime looming, Lomax slotting a long-range two-point field goal, extending the Dragons margin to 16-6 at the break.
The Warriors' woes became even more dire after the restart, when Lomax sprinted onto a high kick from Hunt and scored untouched.
Lomax kicked a penalty, when Johnson's short kickoff failed to travel 10 metres, with second-rower Jackson Ford also placed on report for a crusher tackle.
The visitors had a chance on their opponents' goal-line, but Johnson's short pass bounced off Berry's shoulder. On their next possession, Johnson spilled the ball and Hunt sent fullback Tyrell Sloane the length of the field to score.
The Warriors desperately needed some reward, but captain Tohu Harris was held up over the line and dragged back into play. Later that set, Watene-Zelezniak finally dived over in the corner, grounding just a blade of grass in play.
From the kickoff, they went deep again and forced a mistake, but another short pass missed its target and their fate was sealed.
St George Dragons 30 (Suli, Ravalawa, Hunt, Lomax & Sloane try; Lomax 3 conversions, penalty & field goal) NZ Warriors 12 (Johnson, Watene-Zelezniak tries; Johnson 2 conversions)
