The Vodafone Warriors produced one of the best trial performances in their history with an impressive seven-tries-to-two 34-12 victory over Gold Coast at Oakes Oval tonight.
The victory completed a clean-sweep of wins in their three build-up matches ahead of the 2009 NRL season.
It followed a 24-12 triumph against Melbourne in Hamilton and a 32-28 win over North Queensland at North Harbour Stadium last Sunday.
The Vodafone Warriors were in exceptional mood in the first 52 minutes of tonight’s contest, leading 30-0 after a six-try surge.
Only then – and as the Vodafone Warriors made numerous interchanges – were the Titans able to make an impression with two tries to come back to 12-30.
But the Vodafone Warriors finished the match as they began it, getting the ball wide to their right side for new winger Denan Kemp to use his scorching speed to score his second try of the night.
Fullback Wade McKinnon also relished numerous opportunities with the ball with a double of his own, one try in each half.
Centre Brent Tate started the onslaught as early as the ninth minute when he stepped through the defence from close range as the Vodafone Warriors probed Gold Coast’s short side.
And there were also second half tries for World Cup-winning Kiwi prop Sam Rapira as well as former Bronco Joel Moon on a night when the overall effort oozed precision and quality.
While the margin of the win and the style of it was satisfying for the coach staff, one feature of the display was positively stunning. That was the Vodafone Warriors’ kicking game and especially the long kicking which produced an amazing four 40/20 kicks, two each to halfback Nathan Fien and standoff Moon. Three of those led directly to tries.
Executing 40/20 kicks has been a challenge for the Vodafone Warriors historically with just two successful efforts in the whole of their 2008 campaign and very few in previous seasons. The combination of a right-foot kicker in Fien and a left footer in Moon worked to perfection tonight.
Veteran halfback Stacey Jones was a late withdrawal from the match, sidelined as a precaution with a slight calf muscle injury.
The Vodafone Warriors now eye their season-opening first-round clash at home against Parramatta on March 14 knowing they have rounded off the most successful trials programme since the club entered the competition in 1995.
Match details:
At Oakes Oval, Lismore
Vodafone Warriors 34 (Denan Kemp 2, Wade McKinnon 2, Brent Tate, Sam Rapira, Joel Moon tries; Denan Kemp 2 conversions; Joel Moon conversion).
Gold Coast Titans 12 (Brad David, Shannon Walker tries; Chris Walker 2 conversions).
Halftime: 14-0 Vodafone Warriors.
Referees: Jared Maxwell and Adam Devcich.
Crowd: 5117.
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