Warriors fullback Taine Tuaupiki has vowed to not dwell on an opportunity lost as the pocket rocket insisted the team would "work our arses off" to reach the preliminary final.
The 27-year-old scored every point in the 26-16 qualifying final loss to the Dolphins in Auckland on Saturday night with a dazzling try and six goals from as many attempts, including five penalty goals.
A win in the historic elimination final at Eden Park against Newcastle on Sunday will send the Warriors through to an away grand final qualifier against Penrith.
The smallest player on the park at 178cm, diminutive dynamo Tuaupiki was on track to almost single-handedly outpoint the Dolphins with his big plays in an elite display that included 227m, two line breaks and nine tackle busts
His first half try was reminiscent of Warriors legends Stacey Jones and Shaun Johnson in their pomp as he left four defenders grasping at air as he jinked and jived his way to the line.
It was a bittersweet night for Tuaupiki and the Warriors in front of 26,131 fans at a sold-out Mt Smart Stadium. At 16-8 up and 20 minutes to play they were on track to host what would have been a historic first preliminary final, before the Dolphins rallied.
"Oh, I don't really know how to act. You lose, but we're still in the finals," Tuaupiki said.
"Obviously disappointed because a week off would have been nice. We've got some sore bodies out there."
Strike centre Leka Halasima injured his right hamstring in the warm-up and did not take the field, while prop Jackson Ford suffered an ankle injury in the same match he returned from a 12-week pectoral rupture layoff. Coach Andrew Webster said Ford was "not good".
Tuaupiki said the Warriors may be "battered and bruised" after a missed opportunity but were far from beaten in the finals race, despite missing out on a home prelim.
"In the scheme of life, it's small, but I guess right now at present it is big," Tuaupiki said.
"But I feel like I'm quite a chill guy and I won't dwell on it for too long. I'll just be keen to get back out there and get back on the training paddock this week to right the wrongs.
"We'll get back out on the paddock and work our arses off to be right for this week."
Modest Tuaupiki was not entirely happy with his own display.
"It's hard to look at because there's still plenty of things I needed to do well and should have done well out there," he said.
"I missed some tackles. Yeah, there's so many things that I could have done well to help the team. So, it's hard to say I played well."
The Warriors lost Kurt Capewell and Adam Pompey to the sin bin and were down to 11 men at one stage.
"I think we came out on top through that," Tuaupiki said.
"It just sort of showed our connection. But I guess you could argue that it fatigued us at the end of the game because we worked our arses off with 11 players.
"A few things we would like in the second half back, but it is what it is."
SHARE ME