Despite a scratchy performance the One New Zealand Warriors moved a critical step closer to finals football when they held off the Balmain Tigers 22-12 in Sunday’s seventh-round Harold Matthews Cup (under-17) match at Leichhardt Oval in Sydney.
The victory improved the Warriors’ win-loss record to 5-1, lifting them to 12 points and third sport on the ladder.
They’ve also finished with a perfect 4-0 record in their regular season away games before their last two matches at home against the Sydney Roosters and the South Sydney Rabbitohs.
With the Tigers going into the contest with just two wins, the One New Zealand Warriors were heavily-favoured to win but the defending premiers didn’t make it easy on themselves.
They were down 0-4 in the first minute before striking back four minutes later when halfback Ashton Ulaula-Ieremia’s last tackle grubber ricocheted off legs, hooker Dreytin Marriott picking up the loose ball to score for a 6-4 lead.
Match: Tigers v Warriors
Round 7 -
home Team
Tigers
away Team
Warriors
Venue: Leichhardt Oval, Sydney
Back came Balmain as the Warriors surrendered possession and position, taking advantage of it in the 15th minute by going wide to the right for winger Levi Palfrey to score in the corner for an 8-6 lead.
Just as soon the Warriors were back in business and emphatically so as prop Lucian Mikaele cast aside would-be defenders with a storming run from 10 metres out.
With the conversion the Warriors had an 12-8 advantage and a platform to go on with the job - only they lapsed again on the last play of the half when they were fooled by the Tigers going on the short side from a penalty close to the line.
At 12-12 the Warriors were in need of significant improvement in the second half and they found it initially with a stunning individual try five minutes in.
From a tap restart after a penalty, centre Hinckley Ioka simply dummied and the world opened for him as he went through a yawning gap on a 45-metre run to the line.
Again it might have been the cue to finish the job but it wasn’t until 12 minutes from time that the Warriors created the buffer they needed, another powerhouse try – this time to prop Krushil Koteka – putting them 10 points clear, a margin they protected to nail two vital points.
Next Sunday the challenge will be sterner when the Warriors host sixth-placed South Sydney at Navigation Homes Stadium in Pukekohe.
