New Zealand Warriors coach Andrew Webster has refused to blame distraught half Chanel Harris-Tavita for his side's loss to the Canberra Raiders on Friday evening.
The Warriors, who found themselves behind 14-0 at one point, clawed their way back into Friday night's contest in a freezing cold Canberra.
A try for Addin Fonua-Blake next to the posts with just seven and a half minutes to play saw the Warriors edge within two points, however, Harris-Tavita, who had taken over goal kicking duties from injured outside back Adam Pompey, managed to miss the kick.
It would be the final score of the game, with the Warriors falling short by two points.
However, Webster looked elsewhere in factors that contributed to the loss.
"I mean, we'd love to be 100 per cent on our goal kicking every week, but there are plenty of other things to put it down to, not goal-kicking. There was lots of injuries and things going on, but goal-kicking isn't what defined us tonight. We have to start better, 14-0 isn't good enough and we are just chasing the game for the rest of it," Webster said during his post-match press conference.
Webster admitted he was 'gutted' by the loss, and suggested his side simply had to start games better.
"Obviously there was errors, and our last plays were poor in attack and defence. We weren't attacking well enough at the start, and we were putting extra fatigue in ourselves through errors," Webster said.
"Look, the boys had a good week. You could see they were motivated, they cared, they wanted to win, but things just aren't going our way at the moment. We have to work hard and make our own luck."
The loss may well have sunk the Warriors' narrowing finals chances, with the club now likely needing to win five, if not all six, of their remaining six games.
The Auckland-based club, who do have a bye in their final game, play the Wests Tigers (home), Parramatta Eels (home), the Dolphins (away), Manly Sea Eagles (away), Canterbury Bulldogs (home) and Cronulla Sharks (away) in their final six games, with it likely considered one of the 'easier' runs to the finish line.
