Incredibly, after giving up an 18-point lead and losing to the Knights the previous week, the Warriors did it again when they lost to the Sea Eagles in Round 21 of last season.
The Warriors scored three tries in the first 31 minutes to lead 18-0 at Patersons Stadium, in Perth, with the man with the golden hands – second-rower Feleti Mateo – setting up two of them with typically clever passes.
The Sea Eagles cut the deficit to 12 points before halftime. The Warriors were first to score in the second half, through winger Manu Vatuvei off a Shaun Johnson long ball, and led 22-6. Surely, after what happened against the Knights, they would steel themselves and hang on from there.
But no. The Sea Eagles finished over the top of them with tries from David Williams, Kieran Foran and a late double from halfback Dale Cherry-Evans to win 24-22. And that was despite having lost prop Jason King to injury after only 16 minutes.
It was the third loss in a row for the Warriors, who collapsed completely after that and finished the season with an eight-game losing streak.
