Stats the spirit: Running the Round 5 numbers 📊📉

• DWZ climbs club’s tryscoring leaderboard

• Ford’s post-contact high

• TSS one of NRL’s most improved

• Wahs opponents copping wrong end of the whistle

• Storm hoodoo looms large

Riding high after a 3-0 start to the season, the Warriors are smarting from a second straight loss – crashing 36-22 on the road to Cronulla.

The result extended the Warriors’ away record on Easter Sunday to 0-7, while it was their 13th loss from 15 games in Australia over the holiday weekend since 1995.

Four Sharks tries in the space of 20 minutes negated Dallin Watene-Zelezniak’s first-half double as the visitors trailed 24-10 at the break. Somewhat encouragingly, the second-half ledger finished two tries apiece – including DWZ’s third of the afternoon.

The Warriors had 51 percent possession and were only slightly worse on the completion front (76 percent to the Sharks’ 80 percent) as both teams racked up 12 errors. But the Sharks had the Warriors on the back foot through the middle, winning the run metres count (1,838 to 1,651) and averaging 44.84 metres per set to the Warriors’ 35.9.

The most glaring statline was Cronulla’s nine line-breaks to the Warriors’ three, while the home side finished in the black in terms of the tackle-break count (34-26).

Looking on the bright side, this is the fourth time in as many seasons under Andrew Webster that the club has had a winning record after five rounds. The Warriors managed to win three or more of their first five games just eight times in their first 28 seasons.