A win on Friday night will guarantee the One New Zealand Warriors a top four finish while victory for the Dragons would all but assure them of avoiding the dreaded wooden spoon in 2023.
Andrew Webster's men won their sixth game on the trot last week by beating the Sea Eagles, becoming the first Warriors side to do that since 2002, while they are now just two wins short of equaling the club record winning streak, also set in that season 21 years ago.
While it was a more convincing performance than what they dished up in the previous two weeks, some question marks remain over the One New Zealand Warriors in defence right now, particularly their left edge which allowed Jason Saab to score three tries in round 25.
The Dragons have been in every game over the past month but have nothing to show for it, with late lapses costing them again in a 38-28 defeat to the Storm in which they trailed by just two with six minutes to play.
St George Illawarra has played at Go Media Stadium only twice since 2015, losing on both occasions, and when they met the One New Zealand Warriors earlier this year in Wollongong they were on the wrong side of a 48-18 scoreline.
Match: Warriors v Dragons
Round 26 -
home Team
Warriors
away Team
Dragons
Team Lists
Backs
-
Fullback for Warriors is number 1 Charnze Nicoll-KlokstadFullback for Dragons is number 1 Tyrell Sloan
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Winger for Warriors is number 2 Dallin Watene-ZelezniakWinger for Dragons is number 5 Mikaele Ravalawa
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Centre for Warriors is number 3 Rocco BerryCentre for Dragons is number 3 Mosese Suli
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Centre for Warriors is number 4 Adam PompeyCentre for Dragons is number 4 Zac Lomax
-
Winger for Warriors is number 5 Marcelo MontoyaWinger for Dragons is number 21 Sione Finau
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Five-Eighth for Warriors is number 6 Luke MetcalfFive-Eighth for Dragons is number 6 Talatau Amone
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Halfback for Warriors is number 7 Shaun JohnsonHalfback for Dragons is number 7 Ben Hunt
Forwards
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Prop for Warriors is number 8 Addin Fonua-BlakeProp for Dragons is number 8 Francis Molo
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Hooker for Warriors is number 9 Wayde EganHooker for Dragons is number 14 Connor Muhleisen
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Prop for Warriors is number 10 Bunty AfoaProp for Dragons is number 10 Blake Lawrie
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2nd Row for Warriors is number 11 Josh Curran2nd Row for Dragons is number 11 Billy Burns
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2nd Row for Warriors is number 12 Marata Niukore2nd Row for Dragons is number 12 Dan Russell
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Lock for Warriors is number 13 Tohu HarrisLock for Dragons is number 13 Michael Molo
Interchange
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Interchange for Warriors is number 14 Dylan WalkerInterchange for Dragons is number 9 Jacob Liddle
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Interchange for Warriors is number 15 Jackson FordInterchange for Dragons is number 15 Ryan Couchman
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Interchange for Warriors is number 16 Bayley SironenInterchange for Dragons is number 16 Ben Murdoch-Masila
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Interchange for Warriors is number 17 Freddy LussickInterchange for Dragons is number 17 Zane Musgrove
Reserves
-
Replacement for Warriors is number 20 Taine TuaupikiReplacement for Dragons is number 2 Mathew Feagai
Match Officials
- Referee: Peter Gough
- Touch Judge: Matt Noyen
- Touch Judge: Ziggy Przeklasa-Adamski
- Senior Review Official: Adam Gee
Last updated:
Team news
One New Zealand Warriors: Te Maire Martin's NRL return is on hold for at least another week, after he was cut from the squad when it was reduced to 19 on Thursday night. The team is otherwise unchanged from that which beat the Sea Eagles in round 25, with Tom Ale and Taine Tuaupiki remaining in the reserves. Forward Mitch Barnett remains sidelined due to a laceration on his leg.
Dragons: Centre Zac Lomax returns after being a late out last week with a shoulder injury in the only change to the side that pushed the Storm in round 25. Rookie hooker Connor Muhleisen has been named on the interchange bench but may come into the run-on side and bump Jacob Liddle back to the bench again as he did last week. There were no changes in the 24-hour update.
Stat attack
- One New Zealand Warriors winger Dallin Watene-Zelezniak has scored at least one try in each of his past seven appearances. He has 19 tries in his past 12 games.
- The Dragons have just one win since round 19 but haven't lost by a margin of more than 12 points in that period.
- Dragons prop Blake Lawrie hasn't made a single error in his 20 appearances this season.
- The One New Zealand Warriors are aiming for seven consecutive wins for the first time since 2002.
- The Dragons have lost all 11 games away from home in 2023.
- Dragons winger Mikaele Ravalawa has scored 11 tries in his past seven games.
- One New Zealand Warriors halfback Shaun Johnson will play his 250th NRL game and Tohu Harris his 100th for the Warriors.
- The match will be the 300th game for the One New Zealand Warriors at Go Media Stadium.
Stats supplied by David Middleton, League Information Services, author of the official annual of the NRL.
