Winger David Fusitua shines as Warriors thrash the disappointing Knights

WARRIORS flyer David Fusitua fished the game with four tries as the visitors belted a disappointing Newcastle side on Saturday afternoon.

David Fusitu'a of the Warriors celebrates a try.

WARRIORS coach Andrew McFadden says his side is finally starting to feel good about itself after securing back-to-back wins for only the second time this season at Hunter Stadium.

A week after knocking over Brisbane in Auckland, the Warriors produced a devastating second half performance to thrash Newcastle 50-14 with winger David Fusitua bagging four tries in the rout.

Big names Issac Luke, Shaun Johnson, Tuimoala Lolohea and Simon Mannering were all prominent as the Warriors raced in nine tries to over-run the Knights, who simply got sick of tackling.

Trent Hodkinson of the Knights passes the ball.

The flood gates opened and Newcastle’s inexperienced and youthful left edge defence was badly exposed.

“I think we are feeling good about our game,”Warriors coach Andrew McFadden said after the win.

“We can never get too carried away. It is only two wins (in a row) now and there is a long way to go.

“But the positive thing is we feel confident in our game and we just have to work hard.”

The game was in the balance at 22-14 at halftime but a bombed Knights try early in the second period proved a real turning point.

It was the catalyst for the Warriors to take complete control.

For the hapless Knights, it was their eight straight defeat and the third time this season they have conceded 50 points or more in a game.

Knights coach Nathan Brown pointed to the missed opportunity early in the second half when prop Daniel Saifiti put down a Brendan Elliot pass when he was certain to score as crucial to the outcome.

“When we dropped the ball with the line open, we just don’t have the resolve, fight - experience if you like, to be able to regroup after those types of things don’t go your way,” he said.

Bodene Thompson of the Warriors celebrates a try.

“If we had have got that try and went to 22-20, I think our whole mind-set off the back of it would have been a whole lot different. They scored and then things got a little bit ugly.”

The Warriors scored four first half tries but struggled to shrug off the plucky Knights.

It looked ominous early for the home side when the Warriors jumped out to a 10-0 lead after just 11 minutes after tries to prop Albert Vete and winger David Fusitua.

But the Knights composed themselves and off the back of some good go-forward and a perfectly executed set move, centre Sione Mata’utia took a short pass off Jack Cogger and burst through Shaun Johnson to cross under the posts to reduce the deficit to 10-6 midway through the half.

David Fusitu'a of the Warriors celebrates a try.

Warriors winger Manu Vatutei scored his 19th try in 19 games against the Knights to extend the advantage to back out to 10 points just four minutes later.

But again Newcastle responded, with Cogger again heavily involved, this time executing a perfectly placed grubber for new signing Brendan Elliot to score in his first game for the club.

The roller-coaster 40 minutes continued when Bodene Thompson finished off sustained Warriors pressure to cross from close range to push the score out to 22-12.

Then right on halftime, the Knights curiously opted for the two points from a penalty to bring up the halftime score.

Within the space of 10 minutes, the visitors exposed the Knights fragile left edge with Fusitua adding to his first half try with a further three four pointers as Johnson and Luke started to run riot.

WARRIORS 50 (D Fusitua 4 A Vete 2 S Kata B Thompson M Vatuvei tries S Johnson 5 I Luke 2 goals) bt NEWCASTLE 14 (B Elliot S Mata’utia tries T Hodkinson 3 goals) at Hunter Stadium. Referee: Alan Shortall, David Munro. Crowd: 12,222.

Originally published as Winger David Fusitua shines as Warriors thrash the disappointing Knights