📰 Warriors hold off late comeback to win fifth consecutive game

By Benjamin Plummer

The Warriors’ fairytale start to the season has added another chapter, winning their fifth consecutive game in a low-scoring thriller against the Dolphins.

As has been the case all season, a strong opening half from the Warriors was overshadowed by a late comeback. But the visitors hung on with 12 men in the end for a historic win in Brisbane.

Buoyed by the return of co-captain James Fisher-Harris and star winger Roger Tuivasa-Sheck, the Warriors had an energetic start.

Strong sets saw both teams with scoring opportunities early in the half, each crossing the line only to have tries overturned by the bunker.

The deadlock was broken in the 28th minute on the back of a short ball from Wayde Egan to barnstorming second-rower Marata Niukore, who crashed over for the first try of the game.

The home side were guilty of giving the Warriors plenty of opportunities for points in the closing 15 minutes, conceding too many penalties and set restarts. It was in those closing 15 minutes that the game broke open for the visitors.

Looking into the afternoon Brisbane sun, Tuivasa-Sheck struggled under the high ball early. The Warriors had some luck when a dropped ball from the winger went forward in the 35th minute, but wasn’t picked up by referee Peter Gough.

You have to take your strokes of luck in the NRL, and Metcalf did just that, receiving the ball on the last tackle of that set 40m out before breaking a tackle, grubbering ahead for himself, regathering and passing to an unmarked Kurt Capewell for the visitors’ second score.

In true Metcalf style, the halfback converted from the sideline to put the Warriors ahead by 10 at halftime.

The recent struggle for the Warriors had been letting teams back into a match in the second half and, in turn, raising the blood pressure of coach Andrew Webster – so it would take a big defensive effort to win again.

It looked as though the Dolphins had scored early in the second half after fullback Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow strode into an open gap and dove over the line with an assist by referee Gough, who was run into by Warriors winger Dallin Watene-Zelezniak to stop a possible tackle – but the bunker overturned a third try with a knock-on detected in the lead-up.

In a gritty second 40 the visitors failed to have any real attacking chance, with the Dolphins holding much of the ball – but forfeiting points with crucial errors in good field position under strong Warriors defence.

It felt the game was put beyond reach with 10 minutes to go, with replacement second-rower Jacob Laban contesting a high ball, which he bobbled and dove over to score for the Warriors’ third try.

But the Dolphins struck back two minutes later through standout fullback Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow, getting the home side on the board and keeping their hopes alive.

The drama was far from over, with Warriors co-captain Fisher-Harris finding himself placed on report and sin-binned after his shoulder connected with the chin of Dolphins replacement hooker Harrison Graham.

The Dolphins made full use of the one-man advantage, scoring again in the corner through Herbie Farnworth and converting from the sideline with two minutes to play.

It wouldn’t be a Warriors win without a nail-biting finish, and with the Dolphins kicking the ball into open space and leading the chase in the final minute, it looked like the game would be all tied up. But it dribbled over the sideline and the visitors hung on for their fifth consecutive win.

It’s the first time the Warriors have beaten the Dolphins at Suncorp Stadium in their third attempt, in front of an energetic crowd which seemed to be wearing more blue than red.

The Warriors will return home to face the Canberra Raiders next weekend in front of an already sold-out Go Media Stadium.

This article was first published on nzherald.co.nz and is republished here with permission.