Warriors lick wounds after NRL loss
Three words were all New Zealand Warriors coach Ivan Cleary needed to sum up his side's NRL finals effort on Saturday night: "It's all bad".
Certainly Cleary was brutally honest after the Warriors' 40-10 loss to the Broncos at Suncorp Stadium left them sweating on the result of Sunday's clash between minor premiers Melbourne and eight-placed Newcastle to see if their season is over or not.
As much as he was smarting after the seven-tries-to-two romp by Brisbane, the Warriors mentor admitted his men did not deserve another finals chance before he left to take up the Panthers reins next season.
"I hope we get one. I don't think that can happen again," he said of their disappointing finals effort.
"But at this stage we have no right to have another game next week, really after that."
Asked what he could say to his downcast troops after their dismal effort, a frank Cleary said: "I have no idea - I need some help.
"Everything that could have gone wrong did - it's all bad.
"It is pretty hard to sit through.
"I didn't say we were ready (for the finals) for nothing - I wasn't trying to instil false hope, it was based on what we had done.
"That performance was completely out of character for what we have done all year.
"Everyone is entitled to a bad night and we certainly had one tonight."
At least Cleary kept his sense of humour after the demolition.
Asked if there was finals footy produced on Saturday night, Cleary said: "It was from one team - but not ours."
Asked if he could explain their listless effort, Cleary said: "Nope".
In keeping with the Warriors' woeful evening highlighted by winger Manu Vatuvei's butter-fingered display, centre Joel Moon suffered a suspected broken leg in the 57th minute.
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