Demitric Vaimauga and Leka Halasima celebrate a try against Wests Tigers. Photo: Brett Phibbs/www.photosport.nz
Analysis: On a weekend when all four NZ Warriors teams produced extraordinary winning performances, the first-grade team set aside some mid-season wobbles to consolidate their top-four position on the NRL table.
On Saturday, the club's Jersey Flegg (U21) side rallied from 20 points down with 10 minutes remaining to prevail 44-42 over Wests Tigers.
On Sunday, the reserves stretched their unbeaten NSW Cup streak to 12 games against West Magpies, before the wahine RELATED] https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/sport/566757/warriors-women-chalk-up-first-win-in-nrlw-return secured their first-ever home NRLW victory] 14-0 over Parramatta Eels.
In some ways, the premiers' achievement - the 34-14 triumph over the Tigers - was the least of the four, but important nevertheless, as they took another step towards clinching a playoff position.
Here are some of the key talking points:
Boyd debut
With the loss of Luke Metcalf to injury for the season, much of the pre-game attention focused on replacement half Tanah Boyd, who was making his Warriors debut, but had logged 69 first-grade games for Gold Coast Titans in the previous six seasons.
The transition seemed seamless and, if anything, Boyd may actually improve the Warriors' kicking potency, both from the tee and in general play.
For all his strengths, Metcalf was arguably the least-accurate fulltime goalkicker in the competition, with a conversion success rate of 67 percent.
By contrast, Boyd brought an 81 percent return from NSW Cup and immediately took over the duties from centre Adam Pompey and fullback Taine Tuaupiki, probably the other leading candidates for the role, slotting five of six attempts.
Elsewhere, he immediately took over the kicking load from halves partner Chanel Harris-Tavita to the tune of 14-4 and his seven bombs were the most by a Warriors player this season.
That kicking split was eerily similar to the 18-5 ratio between Metcalf and CHT in consecutive wins over South Sydney Rabbitohs and Cronulla Sharks - perhaps their best performance of the season.
Taking that responsibility seemed to free up Harris-Tavita, who responded with a try double, a try assist, a linebreak and two linebreak assists. Fittingly, he scored his second try, when he chased a high kick from Boyd that went loose behind the goal-line.
"He talks really well," coach Andrew Webster reflected. "I think everyone was clear on their roles and where they needed to be - that's his strength, and he kicks the ball really high and far.
Tanah Boyd kicks skyward against Wests Tigers. Photo: Brett Phibbs/www.photosport.nz
"The big thing is they were looking to fade outside his right shoulder a couple of times and he came up with some big tackles by himself. His focus was to defend well and he did that tonight."
Best player
Many to choose from, including Boyd and Harris-Tavita.
Winger Roger Tuivasa-Sheck (271) and fullback Taine Tuaupiki (223) - deputising for injured Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad - both exceeded 200 running metres for the game, while prop Terrell May could only manage 137 to lead the Tigers in this regard.
Hooker Wayde Egan had 54 tackles, while prop Jackson Ford, promoted to the starting line-up, made 48.
"A lot of people had their individual best games for a long time," Webster said. "They focused on their jobs and executed their roles, and that helped each other.
"We were just talking about who played well and I think we listed just about every player - that's always a good feeling."
If you put any stock in Fantasy NRL, the most points (67) went to teenage second-rower Leka Halasima, who also produced…
Key moment
With seven minutes remaining, the Tigers only trailled 22-14 and a try then would have made for another nervous finish for the Warriors.
When Boyd kicked skywards towards the tryline, Halasima bore down on winger Corey Staines, pressuring him into error. The ball went loose behind the line, somehow Te Maire Martin resisted the temptation to reach out and Harris-Tavita was next to arrive for the try that finally put the result to bed.
Moments later, Halasima put the cherry on the performance, shrugging off two tacklers on the left sideline to score in the corner - his seventh try of the season.
Chanel Harris-Tavita scores a try against Wests Tigers. Photo: Brett Phibbs/www.photosport.nz
"The last one just showed how brilliant he is," Webster said. "The best part about Leka's game tonight was he was trying to be aggressive in his collision - he got one wrong unfortunately.
"We know how flashy he can be in those big plays, but it's the work ethic and toughness that we want him to get better at, and I thought there were signs tonight he was chasing that."
Injury toll
Centre Rocco Berry continued his cursed season of injury, leaving the game just before halftime with what seemed like a dislocated shoulder.
Depending on severity, that could spell the end of his campaign, which has never really reached full flight, after undergoing shoulder surgery in the off-season.
He missed the opening four rounds of the regular season and a hamstring strain delayed his return, then he copped a one-game suspension in his first game, tweaked the hammy two games later and only returned against Brisbane Broncos two weeks ago, before the bye.
Berry has managed just five appearances this season, but didn't finish two of them.
"Sometimes that's a season, sometimes you can rehab them," Webster said. "We'll just wait and see on that one."
Only a couple of weeks after suffering concussion in reserve grade, Tuaupiki was on the receiving end of another big hit from opposition winger Jeral Skelton, but bounced back to his feet and responded with a long run down the right sideline to set up Halasima's try in the final minute.
What the result means
Victory at this juncture of the season was absolutely crucial, especially against a team that seemed a fairly safe two points in the offering.
After their first back-to-back losses of the season against Penrith Panthers and Brisbane Broncos, the Warriors needed to nip their mini-slide in the bud, but against the context of a shaky record emerging from bye weeks.
Both those obstacles were safely overcome and the result consolidates a spot in the top four for at least another couple of weeks.
The Warriors ended the game six points clear of their nearest pursuers, but both Penrith and Brisbane cut into that buffer with subsequent wins over Parramatta Eels and Gold Coast Titans.
Both are now riding five-game winning streaks, so they have momentum on their sides. The Broncos also have another bye up their sleeves, while the Panthers have recovered, after a disastrous start to their pursuit of a fifth straight NRL crown.
While the Warriors now have eight more games in their run home - hopefully - to the playoffs, six are against opponents currently outside the top eight. The two exceptions - against Canterbury Bulldogs and Manly Sea Eagles - are both across the Tasman.
Four of them are home games and winning those would be enough to see them into the post-season. They probably need a fifth win to remain in the top four.
Next week…
The Warriors travel to Newcastle, where they face a Knights team languishing in 13th place on the table and missing star fullback Kalyn Ponga indefinitely to a foot injury.
They lost forward Dylan Lucas to a foot injury in this week's loss to Melbourne Storm and Fletcher Sharpe - one of their best performers this season - to a lacerated kidney.
Kiwis hooker Phoenix Crossland was also charged with his third dangerous contact offence this season against the Storm, but will escape with a fine, if he takes the early guilty plea.
For the Warriors, Berry seems likely to miss time with his latest shoulder complaint, but Webster will presumably have Kurt Capewell back from Origin recovery and centre Ali Leiataua available, after testing his dodgy knee in reserve grade this weekend.
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