NRL: Warriors look to push on from famous victory

Warriors coach Andrew Webster is proud of his side after their dramatic 22-20 win over the Panthers over the weekend.

The team returns home to Go Media Mt Smart Stadium this Sunday to face the fourth placed Dolphins, and while the casualty ward still has Shaun Johnson, Roger Tuivasa-Sheck and Tohu Harris in it, Webster can welcome back one big name in Marata Niukore.

“That resilience, whoever played wherever, it didn’t matter,” said Webster about the unlikely victory at Suncorp Stadium.

“I was happy for the boys, even when we haven’t won they’ve still showed up and tried hard.”

The win snapped a four-game loss streak for the Warriors, as they enter a crucial period. If last season is anything to go by, the next half a dozen games or so will set up the season, in 2023 they won seven in a row after Magic Round, including a big victory at home against the Dolphins.

“Now we’ve got to go again and stay real consistent with what we want to do and how we want to do it. I think our leaders in our group wanted to go after it and didn’t want to wait for someone else to do it, hence the result,” said Webster.

Webster has named Rocco Berry at centre, while Freddy Lussick is back at hooker in place of Wayde Egan, who was forced from the field and failed a HIA at Suncorp Stadium.

Charnze Niccol-Klokstad partners Te Maire Martin in the halves, with Niccol-Klokstad’s role as a more direct runner, rather than a playmaker, taking the Panthers by surprise.

“I was stoked with him and for him. It was exactly the same role but on the left side of the field. If you’re being creative, it’s because you run first and then you pass, then if you see what you like, run,” said Webster on Niccol-Klokstad’s impressive run at stand-off in the Panthers game.

“He didn’t have to be Te Maire or Chanel (Harris-Tavita)… it needed to go the way he did it. He took them on that often, I think that’s why everyone got excited about what he did.”

As for his halves partner, Webster was full of praise for Martin and Dylan Walker, whose utility value meant that the former NSW Origin rep could shoulder a share of the playmaking duties as well.

“Te Maire felt really free there, I thought Dylan Walker did a really good job for him, they work in tandem those two. When it broke down there, Dylan knew ‘well, I’ll provide this for you’. They were like glue with each other.”

Harris-Tavita has been named on the extended bench after overcoming a calf injury and Webster said that it was a close call not to bring him straight back into the starting team.

Paul Roache is also in the reserves, after coming off the bench on the weekend and eventually topping the Warriors’ tackle count.

Warriors v Dolphins

Kick-off: 6:05pm Sunday 26 May

Go Media Mt Smart Stadium

Live blog updates on RNZ Sport

Warriors (six to be omitted): 1. Taine Tuaupiki 2. Dallin Watene-Zelezniak 3. Rocco Berry 4. Adam Pompey 5. Marcelo Montoya 6. Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad 7. Te Maire Martin 8. Addin Fonua-Blake 9. Freddy Lussick 10. Bunty Afoa 11. Jackson Ford 12. Mitchell Barnett 13. Dylan Walker 14. Tom Ale 15. Jazz Tevaga 16. Jacob Laban 17. Marata Niukore 18. Paul Roache 20. Chanel Harris-Tavita 21. Zyon Maiu’u 22. Edward Kosi 23. Moala Graham-Taufa