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NZPA/Wayne Drought
Warriors' tribute to lost teammate ends in defeat
The New Zealand Warriors were unable to mark their tribute match to teammate Sonny Fai with victory today, going down 16-22 to South Sydney in a National Rugby League match in Auckland.
The result took the Rabbitohs to the top of the table on points differential over three other teams, while the Warriors remain in mid-table.
Fai, 20, went missing while rescuing his brother and cousins at a west Auckland beach in early January.
Instead of a minute's silence before the match, the 19,386-strong crowd was instead asked to stand for a round of applause.
Earlier, there were performances by Polynesian groups, including from Fai's old school of De La Salle College and the Samoan Methodist Church in Otahuhu.
When the match began, Souths, with five-eighth John Sutton a constant danger with his ball-playing skills, made a lively start.
With a bit more luck, they could have been two tries up after seven minutes.
Second rower Ben Lowe, sent clear by a Sutton pass, looked set to score before he had the ball knocked from his grasp by opposition winger Aidan Kirk.
Then a great ball by halfback Chris Sandow released lock David Fa'alogo into open spaces, but the pass was ruled forward.
Instead, it was the injury-hit Warriors, without skipper Steve Price and star centre Brent Tate, who struck first in the ninth minute, with Kirk crossing in the corner.
