Shaun Johnson of the Warriors. Photo: Hannah Peters
The Warriors have slumped to their fourth straight defeat, going down 38-18 to the Sydney Roosters at Allianz Stadium.
The game was effectively over after just 12 minutes after the home side scored four tries to race to a 22-0 lead.
To make matters worse, Shaun Johnson left the game late with a suspected pectoral injury. The Warriors can ill afford to lose their influential playmaker, with another huge test coming up next weekend against the Panthers at NRL Magic Round.
The Roosters' big off-season signing, English wing Dom Young, was the star of the game. He picked up two tries in the opening blitz and kept busy for an outstanding 178 run metres in the first half alone.
Angus Crichton also crossed twice, with Sam Walker's three goals pushing the score out to an insurmountable challenge before the game had really got underway.
The Warriors' dismal set completion was the key indicator of their struggles in the first half, running at only 60 percent while also missing 25 tackles. They also had to put up with a vintage Jared Waerea-Hargreaves performance in the middle of the park, with the Kiwis prop appearing in his 300th NRL game.
To their credit, the Warriors improved in the second half and scored three good tries - but by then the score was 26-0, thanks to a fantastic length-of-the-field effort finished off by Daniel Tupou.
Ed Kosi finally got the Warriors on the board after a Johnson cut out pass, but that deficit was stacked straight back on when James Tedesco crossed only three minutes later.
Late efforts by Addin Fonua-Blake and Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad added some respectability to the scoreline, but Walker had the last say with a well-taken try.
The result moves the Roosters to fifth on the NRL ladder, while the Warriors remain rooted in 14th.
Roosters 38 (Dom Young 2, Angus Crichton 2, Daniel Tupou, James Tedesco, Sam Walker tries; Walker 5 goals)
Warriors 18 (Ed Kosi, Addin Fonua-Blake, Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad tries; Adam Pompey 3 goals)
HT: 22-0 Roosters