SG Ball Cup joy at last for the One New Zealand Warriors as they held on for their first win of the season beating the St George Dragons 20-12 in Sunday’s seventh-round encounter at Nestrata Jubilee Stadium in Sydney.
Victory was richly deserved – and overdue – for the luckless Warriors after cruel losses against Illawarra (26-28) and then Western Suburbs (18-22) in their last outing two weeks ago.
The run of six losses left them last on the ladder in 16th spot being the Dragons, who hadn’t won a game either having picked up a point from a 28-28 draw with the Bulldogs in round five.
And just ahead of them on two points were three teams – Penrith, Manly and North Sydney – all with inferior points for and against records.
The net effect of the win for the Warriors was that they not only tasted success for the first time in the campaign but the victory vaulted them above four teams to sit 12th on the table.
They had the lead in the ninth minute and never relinquished it.
Match: Dragons v Warriors
Round 7 -
home Team
Dragons
away Team
Warriors
Venue: Netstrata Jubilee Stadium, Sydney
They pounded the Dragons’ line with halfback Maui Winitana-Patelesio and prop Gordon Afoa stopped just short in consecutive tackles before centre Compton Purcell threatened from the next. He played it quickly, hooker Turama Paranihi shaped to pass out the back but threw a no-look flat ball to prop Tepatasi Laumalili who surged over from close range.
The Warriors came straight back at the Dragons, stretching them on both sides before setting up shape on the right, the ball going out the back with second rower Kahu Capper holding up the St George defence nicely before supplying centre Hiraka Waitai-Haenga who gave prolific try scorer Connor Bowden a clear run to the line.
The home side closed the scoreline up to 10-6 in the Warriors' favour at halftime but the visitors reasserted themselves in the opening minutes of the second half; Bowden was again the beneficiary from Capper’s floated cut-out pass for his second try.
There was more to follow.
From a tap restart after a penalty, front rower Waka Tate played the ball in midfield, dummy half Rico Lemalie came left and standoff Tyrone Hurt-Pickering poked his nose through the line off-loading to the combative Purcell who was unstoppable from 12 metres out.
The Dragons came back into it with a 64th minute try but the eight-point buffer was vital as the Warriors closed it out.
They’re back in Sydney next week for a searching examination from the second-placed Rabbitohs.
