After jumping out to an early 14-0 advantage, the Auckland-based NRL side slumped to a 38-24 defeat against competition leaders Melbourne Storm, extending a nine-year, 15-game winless streak against their rivals from across the Tasman.
Trailling just 20-18 early in the second half, they were rocked by back-to-back sin-binnings to wingers Marcelo Montoya and Dallin Watene-Zelezniak, reducing them to 11 men for three minutes.
While defending shorthanded, the Warriors conceded two converted tries that took the contest out of their grasp.
Montoya’s crime was a simple professional foul, so he escaped any subsequent action, but Watene-Zelezniak faces a Grade 2 Careless High Tackle charge for his reflex stiffarm against Storm counterpart Grant Anderson.
The charge carries a one-week suspension on early plea or two, if he fights the charge and loses.
As well as defending without both wingers from a few minutes, the Warriors also lost both centres, Rocco Berry and Adam Pompey, to injury.
Berry, who only recently returned from finger surgery, suffered a shoulder injury late in the first half, with veteran utility Dylan Walker slotting back into a position where he has played much of his career.
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