Mitch Barnett played like man making up for lost time in the Warriors’ 30-8 victory over the Dolphins in Auckland.
The second-rower, coming off a serious neck injury that kept him on the sidelines for two months, was a hard-hitting presence in a game that was an extremely physical affair until the Warriors ran away with it in the second half.
“It was good to get the win and knock a few of the cobwebs out,” said the 29-year-old Barnett after the game.
“There were some things that eight weeks on the sideline does to you, a bit of rust. But pretty happy with how I played and that we got the win. We needed that one and to put on a good performance in front of a good crowd.”
The win moved the Warriors up to seventh on the NRL ladder and showed what sort of defensive edge they possess with Barnett in the line-up.
“We stayed tough and solid tonight,” said coach Andrew Webster about the Warriors’ attitude on defence.
“That’s what we’ve been missing. I thought Mitch Barnett made a big difference by going after them defensively and you saw the results.”
Barnett made 28 tackles in his 50-minute shift, as well as 15 carries for 147 metres.
Still, he can see room for improvement considering the scoreline was precariously sitting at 6-4 in the Warriors’ favour at halftime.
“It was a real good team performance, but we left a few tries out there in the first half.”
Barnett also confirmed just how close he came to being forced to retire after the neck injury he suffered in round three.
“Early on, yeah, I’m not going to lie,” he admitted.
“I’ve had serious neck surgery before. Each scan was telling us something different, I didn’t really know what I was doing for about four or five weeks.
"Everything was up in the air, but once I got my final scan and appointment, we got some direction and here I am.”
Barnett harbours no ill-will for the incident that left him injured.
“It was a freak accident…basically, my neck doesn’t have the growth to be able to be fused. That was why we had to be cautious of it.
“I’ve had one fusion already. When you have two on separate vertebrae you are forced into retirement. That’s how serious it is. You only get one chance with your neck. I’m very fortunate that I can still play.”
The Warriors travel to Barnett’s former club, the Raiders, next weekend, in what should be another intriguing clash. Ricky Stuart’s side are coming off a last-gasp 20-19 win over the Tigers and are sitting one place above the Warriors in sixth.
