Conflicted is the best way to describe how I feel about Saturday night's loss to Manly - the Perth hoodoo is for really, really real folks. This was certainly not the best performance we have seen from the Warriors and it was a tough watch for much of the game as they fumbled opportunities, while also fumbling their way through basic errors and inviting Manly down their end for a few points. 

Not to mention that we wanted 2 points here, we needed to bring 2 points back from Perth and continue to stack up points. The party on the fringes of the top-8 is crowded, a few too many blokes and the Warriors need to stack up points to get some separation. 2 points were there for the taking and our Warriors showed no clutch at all, bummer.

I'm not really that down on the Warriors performance though. The result sucked, yet the losses of Albert Vete and Bodene Thompson were absorbed nicely. Despite playing well below their best, if the Warriors took just one of a few bumbled opportunities  they would have won and they took Manly deep into golden point even though our Warriors were pretty average.

Let's get the strange use of Tuimoala Lolohea out of the way first and foremost. In keeping with the trend of this diary entry, I'm conflicted about Lolohea's use as I love him and want to see him play as often as possible but I can see why Andrew McFadden didn't put him on until the after the 80th minute. It's hard for Lolohea to crack a starting spot in any backline position right now and his utility value means that right now, he's best suited to the bench. 

Lolohea will probably nail a halves spot next season, don't stress folks (the Warriors will be much better next season and the season after). I still think McFadden is being too cute with Lolohea instead of clearly outlining a plan of attack for him; it must be bloody confusing for Tui. This game though wasn't really suited to Lolohea's strengths and he wouldn't have helped Solomone Kata plant the footy, nor would Lolohea have helped Issac Luke kick that penalty he missed. 

A lazy New Zealand journalist will focus on Lolohea and his situation, overlooking the fact that this Warriors team hung in there and grinded away in conditions that really don't suit their free-natured footy. I have been screaming for the Warriors to find their identity and they've done that (attacking intent, offloads, power and speed through the middle - y'all already know) but for much of that second-half, the Warriors rolled through repeat sets and strong defensive sets building pressure to the point where they were able to level the scores up.

They didn't score many points in that period but I wasn't too fussed - even if the commentators kept blabbing on about it. Shaun Johnson, Thomas Leuluai and Issac Luke controlled proceedings and kept Manly coming off their own try-line, this was followed with an attitude and intensity in defence that saw the lads get up off their defensive line with the desire to really pin Manly down their own end. It worked and opportunities were presented to win, thanks purely to that grind ... a grind that we never really see from this gang of Warriors.

All the hard work was done, it's just that the ol' clutch for the Warriors wasn't following the lead. There were the missed tries, but the most worrying moments came late in the game and in golden point where the Warriors once again showed an inability to win a close game. The same happened against Cronulla when the Warriors had no idea how to seal the game with a field-goal and now we've got another perfect example of what not to do in that situation.

Honestly, it's baffling how the Warriors messed up those crucial minutes and hopefully they have definitely learned their lesson now. Everyone involved in the team should be embarrassed that Sam Lisone had an air-swing at a field-goal to win the game. 

It's not Lisone's fault - he doesn't organise things. The coaching staff and the key play-makers should be buying Lisone a few energy drinks and pain-killers because he looks like the silly bugger, instead of the guys who are in the team to do that.

Just look at Manly; Daly Cherry-Evans had his right-footed kick charged down and then slotted a lefty. So simple, right?

Thankfully we have Ben Matulino to swing us back around to some positive vibes. Matulino has been consistently awesome this season and once again ate metres like they were KFC wicked wings. Matulino had 19 carries for 146m in 58 minutes off the bench and just take one looksie at Matulino's past six games to get an idea of how fabulous he has been...

vs Broncos: 42mins, 15 carries, 147m.
vs Knights: 39mins, 11 carries, 105m.
vs Roosters: 57mins, 16 carries 131m.
vs Sharks 57mins, 18 carries 168m.
vs Titans: 59mins, 15 carries, 154m.
vs Sea Eagles: 58mins, 19 carries, 146m.

In his last four games he has played at least 50 minutes, with at least 15 carries and 130m.
We shouldn't view it as a coincidence that the Warriors started slowly and then played their best footy after the 25 minute mark and that Matulino was on the field for much of that time. Along with Ryan Hoffman's 17 carries for 134m (playing the whole game), Matulino and Hoffman led this team strongly through the middle channel.

With two tries running off of Johnson's shoulder, Bunty Afoa was a standout performer and he continues to look like an exciting prospect on the edge. I must remind y'all to ponder a Warriors forward pack consisting of Afoa, Lisone, Vete, Gubb (maybe) and Toafofoa Sipley for the next five years or so. That's an exciting thought, gimme some Fusitua, Lolohea, Maumalo and yeah ... I'm gonna give you this though every week as they are the future of the club.

And Afoa's performance highlights an interesting note on this Warriors forward pack against Manly as three of the five big boppers wouldn't usually start in a full-strength side. Gubb and James Gavet started as props with Afoa on the edge, leaving Mannering and Hoffman as the only true starters. Throw in Jazz Tevaga coming off the bench - usually Tevaga wouldn't feature in a full-strength side, especially not with Lolohea as the utility - and you've gotta view this as a fine performance from a weakened forward pack.

The Warriors weren't overly good and lost by a point. 

It's a similar vibe when looking at Manu Vatuvei's performance as he returned from injury. Vatuvei definitely didn't have his best outing and looked short of a gallop, it honestly just looked like Vatuvei lacked a bit of confidence and was trying to do a wee bit too much. He'll be better for the run and should settle back into his work.

But Vatuvei wasn't horrible, in fact he was part of a back-three that took a load off the forwards and ensured that the Warriors were able to kick from inside Manly's half. This was especially crucial in that period in the second half as Vatuvei, Ken Maumalo and David Fusitua kept edging the Warriors down field and put them in position to pin Manly down their end. 

Vatuvei had 16 carries for 121m with 6 tackle busts, Maumalo had 15 carries for 114m with 5 tackle busts and Fusitua had 19 carries for 194m with 5 tackle busts.

Consider those numbers and then mix it in with only Hoffman and Matulino running for more than 100m in the forwards. Without such a powerful back-three, the Warriors would have been struggling for field position and wouldn't have been able to build that pressure.

And that sizeable back-three is why Lolohea's on the bench. 

Here's Bunty Afoa apparently showing off his leadership credentials...