Workmanlike Warriors outlast gallant Raiders

THE New Zealand Warriors continue to confuse both punters and their fans following a workmanlike 18-6 victory over Canberra at GIO Stadium.

Eight days after they gave up a half-time lead, the Warriors held their opposition scoreless in the second half on their way to the 12-point victory.

Playing his first game of the season after missing last week's loss, fullback Sam Tomkins had a hand in two of the Warriors three tries.

Forward Ben Matulino said they wanted to focus on the defensive aspect of their game after last week's performance.

"Our focus this week was coming out and being better in the second half defensively and we did that, came out and kept them scoreless so that was good," he said.

The visitors opened the scoring in the 28th minute through winger Manu Vatuvei after a perfectly executed set play from the base of the scrum.

Successive second-man plays created space on the outside and it was fullback Tomkins who provided the final pass for Vatuvei to race 30 metres untouched.

The home side hit back several minutes later through winger Sisa Waqa who outleapt opposite number Jonathan Wright to score out wide.

Both sides went to the break at 6-all before the Warriors blew the game open with two tries in seven minutes to start the second half.

Raiders interchange forward Paul Vaughan knocked on from the kickoff and he was made to pay soon after when Warriors centre Solomone Kata crossed out wide with Tomkins again providing the final pass.

Second-rower Ryan Hoffman then extended the lead when he out-jumped Jack Wighton at the back to put the visitors in front by two converted tries which remained the full-time score.

Raiders five-eighth Blake Austin conceded his sides' lacklustre opening to the second half cost them, but said he needed to create more opportunities with halfback Mitch Cornish in attack.

"There are a few things I can work on personally, but we can't drop off in the second half like we did, we have to be better," he said.

CANBERRA RAIDERS (6)
Tries: Sisa Waqa
Field Goals:
Conversions: Jarrod Croker (1/1)
Penalty Goals:

WARRIORS (18)
Tries: Manu Vatuvei, Solomone Kata, Ryan Hoffman
Field Goals: Shaun Johnson (0/1), Sam Tomkins (0/1)
Conversions: Shaun Johnson (3/3)
Penalty Goals:

Good evening footy fans and welcome to Canberra Stadium for tonight's round two encounter between the Raiders and Warriors. Team news filtering through from downstairs is that Shannon Boyd will start for the home side in place of Dane Tilse.

Jeremy Hawkins will also come onto the right wing in place of Jordan Rapana who was forced to withdraw because of hamstring complaint.

The visitors from across the Tasman will line up 1-17 as named on Tuesday with Sam Tomkins to play his first game of the year after missing last week's loss to the Knights.

Fulltime in the Holden Cup and the Warriors have defeated the Raiders 44-24. Kick-off in first grade is a little over half an hour away.

We've had some late drama in the referees warm-up with David Munro doing some damage to his hamstring. Gavin Reynolds will take his spot.

Warriors head out onto GIO Stadium in their predominantly black strip and head to the northern end of the ground.

They're joined by the men in lime green who head to the southern end of GIO Stadium and they will kick off to get us underway.

1: Blake Austin gets us underway!

1: Steady start from the Warriors as they run the ball on the last before Lolohea kicks back to the posts but Hawkins is back there for the Raiders.

2: Mistake free opening set from the home side as Cornish plugs a kick into the corner.

3: Townsend goes to the air and Wighton leaves the ground to take the bomb, but the ball hits his chest and goes into touch. Goal-line dropout.

4: The Warriors shift the ball to the left hand side and Manu tries to put the ball in the corner one-handed but Wighton bundles him into touch. Raiders scrum.

6: Johnson tries to run the ball on the last tackle but his flick pass is knocked on. Raiders ball.

8: Cornish goes to the air with the last tackle kick, but Manu comes up with the catch. Warriors work the ball up field.

8: One-on-one strip from Josh Hodgson on Lillyman and the home side go back on the attack.

9: Cornish fires a cut-out pass to the right hand side, but Lee can't quite get the ball away. Changeover for the Warriors.

11: The arm wrestle continues after Townsend's kick trickles touch in-goal, Hodgson finds touch down the other end. Warriors to feed the scrum 10m from their own line.

12: Johnson kicks towards his winger after Matulino delivered a perfect one-handed pass to Townsend. Somehow the refs have found a Warriors knock on and the Raiders work the ball off their own line.

14: Cornish has his kick batted back by Waqa and then Croker drops his lollies. Warriors ball.

15: Wighton claims another Townsend bomb with two hands above his head under extreme pressure.

17: Johnson goes to the air and Waqa knocks on. Warriors on the attack.

17: PENALTY Warriors. Hands on the ball.

18: VIDEO REFEREE: Possible Warriors try to Ben Matulino.

18: No try. Matulino is ruled to have lost the ball attempting to stretch out and Wighton's hand forced the ball free.

19: PENALTY Raiders. Lolohea ruled to have pushed Hodgson down in the play-the-ball.

20: Austin slices through the Warriors defence, but some desperate cover forces the ball free. Warriors ball.

21: PENALTY Raiders. Mannering comes over the top and collects Waqa high.

22: Vaughan tries to force his way over the Warriors line but the defence comes from everywhere and they hold him up. For the visitors, Johnson is receiving treatment in back play.

24: PENALTY Warriors. Tomkins slices through, but Kennedy chases him down and slows the play-the-ball down and is lucky not to find himself in the bin.

24: Forward pass from the Warriors on tackle two and the Raiders breathe again. Raiders scrum.

26: Soliola drops the ball on the first tackle for the home side and the Warriors will go on the attack 20 metres from the line.

27: TRY WARRIORS
Scored by Manu Vatuvei. Kick to come.
Manu opens the scoring for the visitors tonight with a superb set piece from the scrum. Some second-man plays saw Tomkins throw the final pass and the beast wins the race to the corner.

28: SUCCESSFUL CONVERSION WARRIORS
Conversion attempt by Shaun Johnson successful.
Johnson adds the extras from out near the eastern touchline.

29: Warriors run the ball on the last and Lolohea's kick rebounds off Croker but he's ruled not to have played at it. Raiders scrum.

32: Again the Warriors throw the ball around on the last, but Thompson knocks on. Yet another changeover.

33: PENALTY Raiders. Kata gets tangled up with Austin, but is ruled to have slowed the play-the-ball down.

34: TRY CANBERRA RAIDERS
Scored by Sisa Waqa. Kick to come.
Sisa flies through the air, out jumps Wright and claims Cornish's kick to score in the corner. Great play!

35: SUCCESSFUL CONVERSION CANBERRA RAIDERS
Conversion attempt by Jarrod Croker successful.
Croker splits the posts from out wide to level the scores at six each.

38: Matulino has the ball forced free and the Raiders have a chance to add to their score in the shadows of half-time.

39: Frank-Paul now loses possession as he tried for the miracle one-handed pass in sight of the tryline. Warriors hang on and will feed a scrum.

40: Wright and Tomkins argue the refs have got the call wrong about the winger losing the ball, but the men in red won't hear of it. Raiders scrum.

40: Half-time in the nation's capital and we're all locked up at six each.

40: Visitors back out onto GIO Stadium. They'll defend the southern end and will kick off. The home side will have the breeze in the second stanza.

41: Second 40 underway!

41: Vaughan has spilt his lollies straight off the kick-off! Good chance for the Warriors first-up.

42: TRY WARRIORS
Scored by Solomone Kata. Kick to come.
Kata scores first in the second half after Vaughan's error. Townsend and Tomkins combine to send the centre over out wide.

43: SUCCESSFUL CONVERSION WARRIORS
Conversion attempt by Shaun Johnson successful.
Johnson sneaks the conversion inside the left upright from out near the western touchline.

45: TRY WARRIORS
Scored by Ryan Hoffman. Kick to come.
The Warriors go back-to-back with Hoffman crossing! Townsend went to the air and the second-rower outjumped Wighton before improving the position.

46: SUCCESSFUL CONVERSION WARRIORS
Conversion attempt by Shaun Johnson successful.
Johnson again adds the extras.

47: The Warriors throw a speculator out the back and the Raiders knock-on in the scramble for the ball. Warriors scrum.

48: VIDEO REFEREE: Possible Warriors try.

49: PENALTY Raiders. No try. Johnson's kick is knocked on by Hoffman into Tomkins who is in an offside position even though he batted the ball back to Kata.

49: Cornish kicks towards the corner and the officials rule it's gone touch in-goal which the locals don't agree with. Warriors 20m restart.

49: Matulino forces the pass and Leuluai knocks on. Raiders in the Warriors half and on the attack.

51: Wighton tries to force the pass and he knocks it on. Tomkins in possession for the Warriors.

51: PENALTY Warriors. The boys are getting a bit restless after Manu is placed in a dangerous position.

53: Hawkins is placed on report for his effort in the tackle.

54: PENALTY Raiders. Wighton again takes Johnson's bomb and is then taken out by Thompson.

55: Croker kicks on the last and even though Lolohea looks like he might have played at the ball, the referees think otherwise. Warriors ball.

59: Raiders try to muscle up in defence and then Johnson runs around the outside before knocking on in the play-the-ball. Raiders scrum.

60: The strangest piece of play you're ever likely to see finishes with some desperate goal-line defence from the Warriors to hold up Kennedy.

61: The green machine now lift in defence and Hoffman is pushed back into the in-goal. Warriors goal-line dropout.

62: Knock on by the Raiders after Manu flew out of the line and hammered Wighton. The home side then lost 20 metres on the next play before Croker drops the ball. Warriors in possession.

64: Tomkins has gone down like a sniper from the crowd shot him, but it looks like he's just scared himself and he appears to be ok.

65: Cornish bombs to the corner and Lee knocks the ball into touch. Warriors scrum.

68: PENALTY Warriors. Bateman is ruled to have come up with a crusher tackle on Tomkins and he's been subsequently reported.

70: Lisone pops the ball up for Lillyman but he can't hang on! Raiders ball.

71: UNSUCCESSFUL FIELD GOAL WARRIORS
Field goal attempt by Sam Tomkins unsuccessful.
Tomkins has his attempted field goal charged down.

73: Lolohea chips over the top and Waqa doesn't knock on and the Raiders go on the attack down field.

75: Johnson kicks back across field from the halfway line and finds touch five metres from the Raiders line. Raiders scrum.

76: Austin's kick on the last is horrendous and the ball goes over the dead ball line on the full. Warriors 20m restart.

78: UNSUCCESSFUL FIELD GOAL WARRIORS
Field goal attempt by Shaun Johnson unsuccessful.
Johnson misses to the left and the Raiders now have a seven-tackle set.

78: PENALTY Raiders. Townsend slowing the play-the-ball down.

79: Croker throws a speculator over his head as he went towards the first row of the grandstand. Warriors in possession now and they should hang on.

80: Tomkins kicks towards the corner and the Raiders now have possession with 30 seconds left.

80: Cornish is met front on by Thompson and the Warriors get home.

80: Fulltime at GIO Stadium and the Warriors have opened their account for 2015 with an 18-6 victory.