Warriors revive season with gutsy win

By Michael Burgess

The Warriors are back – and they’ll be talking about this game for quite some time.

Last week in Brisbane was special and unforgettable but this was maybe even better.

It will certainly go down in the annals of Warriors history, as a severely depleted team produced a stirring 24-20 victory over the Dolphins, in front of another sellout crowd of 23,116.

The Warriors were missing many of their top liners – and lost two more on game day – but the patched up side managed a performance for the ages, coming back from a 16-6 down to bank a massive win.

In terms of against the odds, the only recent comparison was the 2016 win by the “Baby Warriors” over St George Illawarra at Mt Smart, when the team were without 10 front-line players, including six stood down during the sleeping pills and energy drinks saga.

It’s the kind of result that could revive their season and is perfectly timed, ahead of a bye next week.

There were heroes aplenty. Te Maire Martin and Chanel Harris-Tavita were superb in the halves, while Dallin Watene-Zelezniak was inspirational at fullback. Centre Moala Graham-Taufa was gutsy on debut. And the forwards never stopped working, while Marata Niukore made a big impact in his return.

Despite the early deficit on the scoreboard, as the Dolphins scored three tries in the first 25 minutes, there was a feeling that the Warriors were up for it, with a point to prove and an energy that hasn’t always been present this season.

Already missing the likes of Shaun Johnson, Tohu Harris, Wayde Egan, Addin Fonua-Blake and Roger Tuivasa-Sheck, the Warriors lost Rocco Berry (hand) on Saturday, before Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad (illness) and Taine Tuaupiki (wife awaiting birth of first child) were withdrawals on Sunday.

It meant a drastic rejig, including Watene-Zelezniak going to fullback. He had played almost a quarter of his NRL career at the back (42 games) but only once there since May 2021. Graham-Taufa (22) came into centre – for only his second first grade game, after one appearance for the Roosters back in 2021, while Ed Kosi was promoted to the wing.

In the circumstances, the home side needed a hot start – but it didn’t happen, with Jamayne Isaako’s try in the fifth minute an acrobatic finish following a Warriors’ mistake.

The Brisbane team dominated the rest of the quarter, with almost perfect percentage football, while the Warriors were mostly struck in their own half. There was some impressive defence from the home side, including a desperate stop of Herbie Farnworth – but it was no surprise when the Dolphins extended their lead, with Farnworth cutting back against the grain.

A Harris-Tavita try, after Marcelo Montoya soared for a Martin bomb, got the crowd going but the Dolphins responded quickly, with a long-range break finished off by Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow. But the Warriors kept coming and were inspired by Martin’s superb individual effort, as he twisted and stepped to beat three defenders.

The Warriors finished the half stronger, with three clear opportunities, with only a lack of precision and some impressive cover defence preventing them from another try.

They continued that momentum into the second half, intense in defence and willing in attack. There were some close shaves, before Watene-Zelezniak forced his way over from close range, just reward for an outstanding display. The chance came after a pivotal Dolphins mistake, with Tabuai-Fidow unable to clean up a kick.

As the crowd lifted to an unprecedented level of noise this season, the Warriors turned the screw. They forced three successive goal-line drop outs, before Niukore powered to the line, off a precise Martin pass in the 66th minute.

There were nervy moments – after the Dolphins forced a mistake off Jazz Tevaga – before Isaako’s second try dragged the Dolphins closer with four minutes to play, from a Kodi Nikorima kick. But the Warriors were good enough to hang on, sparking memorable celebrations.

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