Grim-faced Warriors coach Ivan Cleary admitted his side got what it deserved after the club's five-game winning streak came to an end at the hands of a committed South Sydney on Sunday.
The Kiwis led 20-10 at half-time but leaked five second half tries to go down 38-28 at ANZ Stadium.
The fact his team was still in the hunt until the end – the Bunnies scoring a converted try with 90 seconds left – comforted Cleary slightly but he admitted any late escape would not have been truly earned.
"We just weren't quite there today. We've had a really good strong period of probably six games and today we were just a little bit off," he said.
"There were a couple of blokes who were well below what they needed to be and that's probably enough."
"You invite the opportunities and you take the risk of them making you play and that's pretty much what happened."
"We just weren't as sharp as we have been and at the end of the day we got what we deserved."
"They deserved the win."
Skipper Simon Mannering called the loss 'a wake-up call' and conceded the Warriors were outplayed by a team performing with greater urgency and intensity.
"I don't know if we got a bit ahead of ourselves or not and today wasn't how we can play and it was just disappointing to give yourself a chance and throw it away in the second half there," he said.
"Coming into the game we said they needed a win here today they showed out there how much they wanted it. That roll on they got there in the second half, they just went from there and really gave it to us."
Cleary added: "If you're off the pace a little bit you're going to lose in the NRL."
The Warriors return over the ditch with injury concerns surrounding winger Kevin Locke (hamstring) and centre Brent Tate (eye) ahead of Sunday's meeting with Gold Coast in Auckland.