Sitting on a 3-4 record and playing at home on Anzac Day, the Warriors should never have been left wanting for enthusiasm against the Titans.
Yet following the 32-28 loss at Mt Smart Stadium coach Andrew McFadden admitted his side simply hadn't wanted it enough.
"Somehow today we really lacked energy and we fell off the things we have been doing well and some of our standards," McFadden said.
"We scored 28 points, that should be enough at home, but there are some things that were very disappointing.
"That hasn't been typical of our performances, they have generally been [full of] lots of effort and spirit.
"We had a moment in that second half where Tui Lolohea made a terrific cover tackle and that should have been something that really picked us up, but it didn't.
"It's our defence that we really need to focus on at the moment, we are just leaking too many points, and easy points. When you leak easy points the opposition feels that.
"It wasn't one of our better performances… that was our own undoing tonight."
McFadden said injuries to Jacob Lillyman, Ryan Hoffman and David Fusitu'a – which forced all three from the field – didn't help the cause, but that the squad would benefit from a week off for the representative round next weekend.
"We lacked a bit of energy and then you throw in those things [injuries] – a bit more adversity in there – and we really fell away and they put on some points pretty quickly," he said.
"Hopefully we get through the rep round unscathed.
"It probably is a good time, we have a few bumps and bruises there."
Meanwhile prop Ben Matulino opened up on his 80-minute feud with Greg Bird, who was placed on report in the 46th minute for tackle which saw Hoffman leave the field with concussion.
"He (Bird) came in and kneed me in the face, that's why I pushed him back in the face," Matulino told NRL.com.
"I didn't really see it (the tackle on Hoffman) on the screen, but obviously with Hoffy knocked out he must have done something bad.
"We had another run-in when Ryan James pushed over our captain, I ran in and Greg ran in.
"He said sorry though… that's just footy, we both apologised at the scrum and there's no bad blood."