The New Zealand Warriors aren’t seeking excuses as they set about ending their run of NRL meltdown defeats when they host the Cronulla in Auckland on Sunday.

The Warriors’ playoff hopes have drifted courtesy of three successive narrow losses that have dropped them to 12th place in the NRL, though just two points outside the top eight.

A gutsy two-point loss to Brisbane was followed by galling defeats at home to Newcastle and away to Manly in Perth. On both occasions the Warriors led 18-0 but lost – the first time that has happened in NRL history.

Experienced playmaker Feleti Mateo refused to go searching for reasons for the lapses. He wouldn’t bite when it was put to him that a number of new faces had been promoted to the first grade ranks this season.

“With the senior guys we’ve got in our team, we should be able to close these games out. But we just haven’t been,” Mateo told LiveSport radio.

“It’s easy to blame it on inexperience but we’re professionals.”

Mateo said it was hard to define why momentum had taken such dramatic swings in their last two matches. He said physical fitness wasn’t the issue.

“It definitely comes down to a mental thing. It only takes one play, one tackle, one run by a player to shift the momentum,” he said.

“It’s easy to say `we should have done this’ to change the momentum but in the heat of the moment it’s hard to make that change.

“It’s not one you can coach but it’s something we’ve had to deal with for most of our season… we have to get it right.”