The Warriors have been handed a heart-breaking defeat by a familiar face, losing in golden point to the Penrith Panthers at Mt Smart Stadium, 19-18.
Coming into the match on the back of two-straight losses, and four matches without a win at home, the Warriors' quest for victory got off to the perfect start, Peta Hiku showing great strength to score on the left edge, the Bunker awarding the centre his fifth try of the season.
Hiku's centre partner Patrick Herbert unable to add the conversion, the Warriors taking a 4-0 lead inside the opening 10 minutes.
The Panthers would level the scores towards the end of the first half though, prop James Tamou crashing over from close range to score under the posts, James Maloney's successful conversion putting Penrith up 6-4.
Penrith's efforts would be hampered towards the end of the first half though, poor discipline first costing an equalising penalty, converted by Herbert, before lock Liam Martin sent to the sin bin for constant infringements.
The Warriors would make the most of their numerical advantage, Bunty Afoa scoring under the posts before the break, giving the hosts a 16-6 lead at the break.
After the resumption, the Panthers were rocked again with another man sent to the bin, five-eighth Jarome Luai sent from the field for a professional foul on Roger Tuivasa-Sheck. Now with two extra men, David Fusitu'a needed no second invitation for the Warriors' third try, going over with a trademark flying finish in the corner.
The Panthers weren't going to go down without a fight though - centre Brent Naden beating Tuivasa-Sheck in the air to score from a James Maloney kick, Penrith back in the contest at 16-12.
Things would go from bad to worse for the Warriors, with injury prone hooker Nathaniel Roache limping off with 15 minutes to go in the second half, appearing to have suffered yet another issue with his problematic knee.
Naden would then produce surreal run - traversing nearly the entire length of the field to score, Maloney converting to see the Panthers with an 18-16 lead into the final two minutes, before a Patrick Herbert penalty sent the match into golden point.
Maloney would prove to be the match-winner, firing home a field goal inside the first period of added time, seeing the Warriors slump to their ninth loss of the 2019 season.
The Warriors miss the chance to overtake the Dragons on the NRL ladder, a fact made worse by being leapfrogged themselves by the Panthers, now sitting 12th on the table.
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