Warriors coach Andrew Webster admitted Xavier Coates’ match winning try was “pretty amazing” but conceded it was “hard to cheer” for the unthinkable effort.
With only minutes left on the clock New Zealand looked to have secured a massive victory over the Storm, breaking an eight-game losing streak against the Melbourne club.
But instead the Warriors had their hearts broken and were left stunned after winger Coates sailed high for one of the greatest tries the NRL has ever seen.
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When asked if he could appreciate the effort as a losing coach, Webster explained he was impressed and even pointed to Papenhuyzen’s pair of tries.
The gun fullback scored a double, with both four pointers coming from inside balls reminiscent of Billy Slater’s exploits alongside Cameron Smith and Cooper Cronk.
“Even the Papenhuyzen try, the one he scored in the first half and then also the second. The out and back in play, it’s a huge play and you’ve got to respect that,” Webster said in the post-match press conference.
“Then when you have a winger who can jump over a skyscraper and then put the ball down in a corner it is pretty amazing.
“But it’s hard to cheer them when you feel this way.”
When asked how he felt about the loss, Webster didn’t pull any punches and pointed to his side’s slow start, going down 18-6 at halftime.
“It’s pretty obvious it’s gut-wrenching, it hurts obviously and there is parts of me that are so proud but there is parts of me that want the boys to realise if they do that for 80 minutes we wouldn’t be in that situation,” Webster said.
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The Warriors have now started their season without a victory, going down to both the Sharks and Storm, with both teams being premiership contenders.
Now Webster has called upon his side to bounce back at training and focus on their next clash against a Raiders outfit who haven’t lost in 2024.
“I said to the boys when you put all your emotion and your physical into two performances and the boys are trying hard and you don’t get what you want,” he said.
“Particularly tonight when they score right on the siren, it’s going to test you and it’s going to test what we are about as a team, and a club.
“We are going to Christchurch with a full house, our fans, but it’s on us now to make sure we have our heads up and attack the week.
“We can’t sook for long, put it that way.”
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