The Warriors’ 20-18 loss to Canberra was a brutal one, especially for young playmaker Chanel Harris-Tavita, who ‘shanked’ a late conversion from next to the posts.
It was a costly miss, as the Warriors would have tied the game up at 20 with five minutes remaining had it been converted.
Harris-Tavita missed all three of his conversions after taking over kicking duties from Adam Pompey, who left the field with a knee injury.
“He missed a couple beforehand, never looked comfortable off the tee and he shanks it,” Cooper Cronk said on Fox League when Harris-Tavita missed what should have been an automatic two points.
Dan Ginnane added: “I believe he missed all three to the right … That third one, not even close really.”
The Warriors five-eighth struck a dejected and lone figure in the dressing rooms after the match.
“You can see how shattered he is. He has taken himself into the Warriors dressing room and you can see, he is very down on himself,” Fox League’s Greg Alexander commented.
“That was a bad miss.
“He’s kicked 54 goals in his career, so he’s not a non-kicker. He knows how to kick the ball but you could tell by the first one that missed by 20 metres that he hasn’t done that much practice.
“There was a strong breeze which didn’t help him, but I’m just trying to give him an out here.
“You could tell how nervous he was.
“For all kickers, that is one you can’t miss. Your season is on the line and you miss one you can throw over.”
Regarding the Warriors season, the loss could prove to be the final nail in the coffin.
Last season’s darlings after finishing top four and reaching a preliminary final, the Warriors now need to win six of their last seven to make the eight.
Michael Ennis said the game situation and the fact the Warriors’ season is on thin ice, “amplifies” the miss.
“The season on the line stuff amplifies it and makes it tenfold,” Ennis said.
“A kick adjacent to the post, and he had to land it but he didn’t. It’s awfully cruel.”
Yvonne Sampson added: “He must feel like the weight of the world is on his shoulder at the moment. He is going to replay that moment over and over.
“There is not much anyone else can say.”
Harris-Tavita had an ally post-game in coach Andrew Webster, who believed it was unfair to blame the loss on the 25-year-old.
“I think we love to be 100 per cent on our goalkicking every week but there’s plenty of other things to put it down to that wasn’t goalkicking,” Webster said in his post-match press conference.
“There were lots of injuries and lots going on, but goalkicking was not the thing that defined us tonight.”
