Gold Coast sustained some serious damage on the scoreboard and in the injury department as Newcastle logged their first away win of the NRL season at Skilled Park yesterday.

Another rollicking weekend of NRL football already has clubs reaching for their calculators - and not even the struggling Warriors are out of top eight possibilities.

It was far from their vintage best but the Cowboys got their campaign back on track with a workmanlike win over a flat Canberra side.

If Sam Tomkins comes to the Warriors, he is set to be the highest paid player at Mt Smart

"Are we looking at smoke signals or a smoke screen when it comes to Matt Elliott and the Warriors?" asks Chris Rattue.

On the only measure that matters, the Warriors are the worst team in the NRL. They sit on the bottom of the ladder, with only one win in seven games, and there's a widespread belief their season is effectively over with barely one-quarter gone.

Warriors coach Matt Elliott said his team were hard done by with refereeing decisions for the second straight week following last night's 28-18 defeat to the Melbourne Storm.

The Melbourne Storm have laughed off suggestions that they fear the Warriors, saying they don't fear anyone.

As British talent begins to make an impact on the NRL, Wigan superstar Sam Tomkins has been targeted by the Warriors.

In the past sporting week the spotlight has been focused on using heroes as international sports competition hots up across a range of codes and traditional rivalries.

The Warriors are second-to-last after just one win in six games. It represents the equal worst start in the club's 19-year history.