Mike's Minute: The Warriors draw is as good as a win

The rules around opening the week with the Warriors is I do an editorial it’s a Warriors win.  Did the Warriors win? No they did not.  But was it as good as a win? Yes it was and that is why we are here.  Glen Larmer, the commentator, at the end of the game said both sides will feel that they let it slip away.  I don’t agree.  I think we were losing for most of it. We weren't losing badly, but Manly, for the better part of the game, looked like the better side.  We were under pressure and pressure sometimes makes diamonds, but on other days it makes Roger Tuivasa-Sheck drop the ball, which he did twice.  Overall, and this is the best bit, it was as good as any game we've seen for a while and was played at a very high level by a couple of really high quality sides.  The fact we were behind for most of it, especially the first part, gave rise to some level of concern given that at the very start we looked like we could get caned.  The Manly tries were quality tries. They carved us up, they played at pace and they may well have been playing above themselves, given their place on the table.  But the comeback eventually arrived, although it was too late. A try, which we got, would leave us two points short.  The drop goal missed by a mile, so we lose. Except Shaun Johnson got his leg whacked and we got a life  Penalty. Two points. A draw. Extra time.  Could we have won? Yes.  Could they have won? Yes.  But in an odd way, the way it ended seemed fair.  Manly should be gutted. For too much of the 80 minutes they were better than us and that is a lesson for the rest of the season.  The competition is tight and if a side fires up we need to respond and if we don’t it will be Saturday night all over again.  So, we got lucky. But sometimes when you are a pretty consistent, quality side you earn your luck.  Which is why a draw is essentially a win. We more than likely could have got nothing, but we got a point and it's one of the best points we will get all year.  Speaking of years, I'm still feeling good and still feeling confident.  This is our year. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.