The NZ Warriors have claimed the top position on the NRL ladder following a 45-26 victory over the South Sydney Rabbitohs in Sydney. Rookie five-eighth Luke Hanson sealed the win with a last-minute field goal, pushing his team ahead in the competition standings.
The match, held on Saturday, saw the Warriors establish a significant lead early on. Tries from skipper James Fisher-Harris and centre Leka Halasima put them 12-0 up within the first 10 minutes. Despite the Rabbitohs scoring a couple of tries in the first half, co-skipper Mitch Barnett and halfback Chanel Harris-Tavita also crossed the line, contributing to a 26-8 halftime advantage for the Warriors.
With incumbent fullback Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad suspended, Taine Tuaupiki stepped into the number one jersey and handled the kicking duties effectively. His performance has been noted as potentially securing his long-term spot in the team lineup.
Second-half adjustments and key plays
The Warriors started the second half strongly, with wing Dallin Watene-Zelezniak scoring first after the restart, which temporarily gave them an outright lead. However, Watene-Zelezniak sustained a shoulder injury during the play and had to leave the field. This led to a reshuffle in the backline, with centre Adam Pompey moving out and second-rower Eddie Ieremia-Toeava shifting into the midfield.
The disruption allowed the Rabbitohs to mount a comeback. Centre Tallis Duncan, wing Alex Johnston, and halfback Cody Walker all scored on the left side, bringing the home team within six points. The momentum shifted back to the Warriors when Harris-Tavita executed a high kick on the last tackle, regathering the ball to set up second-rower Jacob Laban for a crucial try.
Alofiana Khan-Pereira then scored, bringing the Warriors level with the Penrith Panthers in the closing moments of the game. Hanson, who was playing in his second first-grade game due to star halfback Luke Metcalf‘s hamstring injury, received an offload from Harris-Tavita in the red zone and successfully kicked the field goal, securing the competition lead for the Warriors.
Lineup changes and player performances
The match against the Rabbitohs saw several lineup adjustments for the Warriors. Adam Pompey was brought into the starting centres from the bench, marking his first start since round 21. Ali Leiataua moved to the interchange bench. Rookie halfback Jett Cleary was also added to the six-man bench, potentially making his NRL debut as Warrior #300 if called upon. Cleary joined Leiataua, Sam Healey, Tanner Stowers-Smith, Demitric Vaimauga, and Eddie Ieremia-Toeava on the bench. Morgan Gannon was omitted from the squad to play for the New South Wales Cup side.
Chanel Harris-Tavita started at halfback for the first time since 2021, partnering with Luke Hanson at standoff. Harris-Tavita took over the halfback role after Metcalf’s hamstring injury, which occurred 20 minutes into the previous Saturday night’s match against the Broncos. Metcalf is expected to be sidelined until the finals, missing the remaining three regular season games against the Rabbitohs, Knights, and Sea Eagles.
Harris-Tavita is the fourth starting halfback for the Warriors this year, following Tanah Boyd, Te Maire Martin, and Metcalf, all of whom are currently injured. Nicoll-Klokstad, who played in the halves during the 42-6 win over the Broncos, was unavailable for the number six jersey this week due to a two-match suspension for a dangerous contact charge. This paved the way for the 22-year-old Hanson to make his second NRL appearance, having debuted as Warrior #295 in a 38-12 round three win over the Knights on March 21.
Outside of his sole previous first-grade outing, Hanson has made 15 appearances for the club’s New South Wales Cup side this season, reaching his 50-game milestone with a try in an 18-12 win over the Sea Eagles. He averages 80 running metres per game and maintains a tackling efficiency rate of 96.35 per cent, with only seven missed tackles. With Nicoll-Klokstad suspended, Taine Tuaupiki returned as the starting fullback. The rest of the lineup remained unchanged from the Broncos match, including loose forward Erin Clark and hooker Wayde Egan, who have played every game this year.
The Warriors entered round 25 level on 36 points, two behind Penrith and the Roosters. The Sydney Roosters could still reclaim the top spot if they win their Sunday match against the Wests Tigers. However, this result virtually secures a top-four position for the Warriors. The fifth-placed Cronulla Sharks are now six points behind with three games remaining, and trail by 130 points on differential countback. The match kicked off at 7:30 PM on Saturday.
Source: rnz.co.nz
