After an arduous on-the-road schedule the One New Zealand Warriors are finally back home for their 16th-round New South Wales Cup encounter with the St George Illawarra Dragons at North Harbour Stadium in Albany tomorrow (12.00pm kick-off).
Such is the imbalance of the draw, the Warriors haven’t had a home game since their round 10 win over the Sydney Roosters on May 12, playing four away matches on end broken only by a bye two weeks.
If that hasn’t been enough to contend with coach David Tangata-Toa has also faced the usual challenge in reserve grade of patching a side together each week as injuries and unavailability among the NRL ranks impact on his selections.
Despite the curve balls, the Warriors came through the four-game stretch impressively by beating Penrith 22-10, losing a tight contest with North Sydney 16-22 – which they almost stole – before stringing together wins over the Roosters (24-16) and Western Suburbs (36-6), their biggest win of the season last week.
In their last eight games the Warriors have had six wins and a draw alongside the solitary defeat by the Bears to lift them to fifth on the ladder on 19 points, only four behind top side North Sydney.
Match: Warriors v Dragons
Round 16 -
home Team
Warriors
away Team
Dragons
Team Lists
Backs
-
Fullback for Warriors is number 1 Taine TuaupikiFullback for Dragons is number 1 Savelio Tamale
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Winger for Warriors is number 2 Setu TuWinger for Dragons is number 2 Cooper Roberts
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Centre for Warriors is number 4 Moala Graham-TaufaCentre for Dragons is number 3 Benjamin Johnson
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Centre for Warriors is number 20 Nganaiaiafu VakeCentre for Dragons is number 4 Jackson Shereb
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Winger for Warriors is number 5 Motu PasikalaWinger for Dragons is number 5 Sione Finau
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Five-Eighth for Warriors is number 3 Ben FarrFive-Eighth for Dragons is number 6 Lyhkan King-Togia
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Halfback for Warriors is number 7 Luke HansonHalfback for Dragons is number 7 Jonah Glover
Forwards
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Prop for Warriors is number 8 Demitric SifakulaProp for Dragons is number 8 Ryan Couchman
-
Hooker for Warriors is number 14 Makaia TafuaHooker for Dragons is number 9 Connor Muhleisen
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Prop for Warriors is number 10 Eddie Ieremia-ToeavaProp for Dragons is number 10 Joshua Coric
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2nd Row for Warriors is number 12 Leka Halasima2nd Row for Dragons is number 11 Dylan Egan
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2nd Row for Warriors is number 17 Maia Sands2nd Row for Dragons is number 12 Dan Russell
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Lock for Warriors is number 13 Kalani GoingLock for Dragons is number 21 Fa'amanu Brown
Interchange
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Interchange for Warriors is number 6 Caleb LaimanInterchange for Dragons is number 14 Haele Finau
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Interchange for Warriors is number 11 Kayliss FatialofaInterchange for Dragons is number 16 Levi Pascoe
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Interchange for Warriors is number 15 Harry DurbinInterchange for Dragons is number 17 Alec Tuitavake
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Interchange for Warriors is number 16 Rodney TuipulotuveaInterchange for Dragons is number 19 Viliami Fifita
Reserves
-
Replacement for Warriors is number 21 Walter FifitaReplacement for Dragons is number 18 Declan Purcell
Last updated:
They’ve also succeeded despite constant lineup changes and the need to field a heavy quota of players from the club’s Jersey Flegg Cup (under-21) and SG Ball Cup (under-17) ranks.
The upshot is captain Kalani Going and 19-year-old Eddie Ieremia are the only players to have appeared in each of the Warriors’ 14 matches so far this season.
When the Warriors and Dragons met on April 20 in Wollongong, the Warriors staged a remarkable comeback with fullback Taine Tuaupiki converting a last-second try for a 26-24, a result that kick-started their current eight-game run of form.
Back in the side this week is prolific winger Setu Tu, who’s returning from injury after being sidelined since round eight; he has 27 tries in 42 NSW Cup appearances.
The Dragons have lost their last two matches but have been solid throughout the season lying seventh three points behind the Warriors.
The match is the first of a double header at North Harbour Stadium tomorrow. In the early game at 10.00am, the Warriors host the Dragons in a 16th-round Jersey Flegg Cup contest.
