Warriors blow huge lead in 32-all draw

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FOUR FOURS: Joel Moon celebrates one of his four tries for the Warriors against the Panthers.

Warriors draw with Penrith

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ARE YOU KIDDING: Warrior Lance Hohaia (centre) and other players watch as his drop goal bounces back into the field of play off the crossbar.

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Where do we begin? Penrith's 26-point comeback? The four tries to Joel Moon? Lance Hohaia's 83rd-minute field goal attempt hitting the cross bar? Stacey Jones retiring again?

This game should have been over at the 51st minute mark. At that stage the Warriors led 32-6, courtesy of four consecutive tries to Warriors utility Moon.

The Chocolate Soldiers had never recovered from such a deficit in their previous 999 games. No one has. The biggest comeback in Panthers history was against Wests Tigers, when they overcame a 31-8 deficit in round 18, 2000. But last night they produced something even more special. Four converted tries, to be precise, to level the scores at 32-all.

Perhaps it was a full Moon.

Panthers coach Matthew Elliott was asked if he had ever witnessed such a swift and savage swing in momentum.

''You shouldn't ask people with grey hair that's falling out and that colour,'' he said, pointing at his scalp. ''Look at that. There's your answer.''

He was also looking for answers after some questionable decisions by his players in golden-point time.

Like a third tackle field goal attempt. ''As I said to the CEO, we took our heads off and our pumpkins on tonight. It's a line I've used before, I know. It was Halloween.''

In those final, frantic 10 minutes of extra time, there were five field goals. One of them, an 83rd-minute effort from Hohaia, bounced off the cross bar. Unbelievable. Asked about that moment, Moon was almost totally lost for words.

The best he could offer was: ''Uh, you don't see that often.''

Indeed.

The last half an hour was some of the most extraordinary football you will ever see.

When Michael Jennings scored in the 75th minute - and the try was converted by Michael Gordon from the left-hand corner, the game was deadlocked. It was fitting that, when the golden-point period ended, that the stalemate remained.

This was a big day for the Warriors in many ways. Stacey Jones retired. Again.

This time, The Little General assured us, it was for the final time. The evergreen Kiwi halfback, the oldest man on the field in the absence of injured bookends Petero Civoniceva and Steve Price, was instrumental in setting up a 20-6 half-time lead. When the gap was extended to 26, it was a margin no team in 101 years of football had overcome.

However, the hosts scored three tries in the space of 16 minutes to cut the lead to just eight with 10 minutes remaining. They were throwing the football around with what Warriors coach Ivan Cleary described as ''gay abandon''. And then Jennings struck to send the 12,677 crowd into a frenzy.

''My initial reaction is disappointment,'' Warriors coach Ivan Cleary said afterwards. ''With a lead that big we should win those.''

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Ninja   #15   11:12 am Aug 06 2009

Spineless and brainless. More softer than a baby's bum! Nearly a carbon copy of what happened against the Bulldogs. Things like this makes me want to burn my Warriors jersey.

jarryd   #14   04:20 pm Aug 04 2009

agree with kevin. support a real team like para. top8 here we come

kevin   #13   10:30 pm Aug 03 2009

stacey jones has been a disaster. wayne scurrah should be sacked for his continual giving stacey time to make a decision and getting him back in the first place. now they sign seymour. they are disgusting. they should be removed from the nrl. go the eels.

Chris   #12   02:27 pm Aug 03 2009

Adam comment 7, if you care to remember the 1999 world Cup rugby game against France the All Blacks gave up a fairly huge lead to knock themselves out of contention in the semi final......so its not just the warriors

Melvin   #11   09:23 am Aug 03 2009

Moons best game. Warriors' worst

Joe B   #10   10:40 pm Aug 02 2009

Awesome buy by the Warriors to get Stacey Jones to comeback......

Bye Bye Warriors   #9   07:21 pm Aug 02 2009

I can't resist, isn't that photo of Joel Moon's celebration classic...!! (LOL) I think it is a real shame that Stacey came back this year. I would have always remembered him as the great player he was but now... a season to far! Stacey, you should have left us with the image of you placing your football boots down by the corner post as you waved goodbye to the viewers. Cheers for the memories. God only knows how they are going to fill your boots next year! 28 points!!! Geez guys.

guy   #8   02:28 pm Aug 02 2009

GO THE PANTHERS!!!!!!! the 1 team you never ease up on!

Adam   #7   08:02 am Aug 02 2009

great job warriors, leaving the door open for the Eels to sneak into the 8.

I love it when these clowns play like, well, clowns. WHo blows a 28 point lead?

nguyen   #6   02:26 am Aug 02 2009

I still could not believe what have just happened in this game and how the Warriors played in the last 20 minutes of the game.The Warriors's form displayed recently has been nothing more than simple conclusion " very disappointing"

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