The Warriors’ 22-20 upset of three-time defending premiers Penrith ranks alongside any regular-season victory in the club’s history.
The brave backs-to-the-wall effort was achieved without up to eight first-choice members of their 17 – including, for the first time in 2024, Shaun Johnson, Tohu Harris and Rocco Berry – and after losing gun hooker Wayde Egan in just the 12th minute.
The Warriors fielded a group of four players – Taine Tuaupiki, Ali Leiataua, Jacob Laban and Paul Roache – with just 15 previous NRL appearances between them. But the quartet of tyros all played significant roles in the boilover. Leiataua and Tuaupiki notched their first NRL tries.
It was also the first time the Warriors have overturned a halftime deficit to win since Round 25 last year, when they trailed Manly 22-16 at the break before getting up 29-22.
The 13.5-point underdogs enjoyed the better of almost every key statistical category against an uncharacteristically sloppy Panthers outfit:
- Possession (54% to 46%)
- Completion rate (88% to 78%)
- All run metres (1,646 to 1,506)
- Post-contact metres (456 to 356)
- Line-breaks (8 to 6)
- Tackle-breaks (39 to 28)
- Offloads (11 to 6)
- Errors (7 to 11)
But the stats can’t measure the level of desire and heart that underpinned a dramatic, heroic and desperately needed W that will live long in Warriors folklore.
Panther jinx broken
The Warriors’ first Magic Round victory since the concept’s opening instalment in 2019 and the end of a five-match Suncorp Stadium losing streak also doubled as their first defeat of Penrith in nine matches.
The Panthers had won every game between the clubs since the second half of 2019, as well as 18 of the clubs’ last 22 encounters since 2012.
The result broke another short-term hoodoo for the Warriors, whose watershed 2023 season was countered by the notable stat that they failed to win any of their five matches against their fellow top-four teams Penrith, Brisbane and Melbourne (as well as losing another three from three to perceived heavyweights South Sydney and Sydney Roosters).
It was a drought-breaker in more ways than one that should serve the 4-1-6 Warriors well as they aim to turn this shock win into a midyear resurgence – particularly with clashes against the Storm and Broncos on the horizon.
Walker stuffs the stats sheet
Pitched into the starting forward pack for just the second time as a Warrior following Tohu Harris’ late withdrawal, Dylan Walker played a monumental role in the upset of Penrith.
The veteran utility had played no more than 57 minutes in his five interchange appearances so far in an injury-interrupted 2024, but he spent 73 minutes on the paddock in Magic Round.
Walker churned out season-high tallies for run metres (178) and post-contact metres (46) from a massive 24 carries, along with 30 tackles.
Meanwhile, he more than made up for Harris’ absence in the ball-playing lock department, with his tally of 28 passes behind only fill-in hooker Paul Roache and halfback Te Maire Martin, and Panthers counterparts Jarome Luai and Mitch Kenny.
Quiet day for AFB
Another remarkable and fascinating aspect of the Warriors’ win was that it was achieved despite a relatively modest contribution from their metre-eating monster Addin Fonua-Blake, who was arguably their best player – and a number-crunching machine – across the opening 10 rounds.
AFB played only 49 minutes, his lowest since Round 4 (he played at least 60 minutes in the interim) and managed just seven runs for 62 metres. The marquee prop’s previous lowest running-metre tally this season was 140, while he averages 178 – 12th in the NRL and second among forwards.
Fonua-Blake still recorded a handy five tackle-breaks, though he also came up with two errors. His 25 tackles right on his season average and a decent effort given his comparatively restricted minutes.
It’s a comforting thought moving forward in 2024 – and beyond, with AFB bound for Cronulla – that the Warriors can still compete and win without their resident steamroller dominating through the middle of the park.
Rebuilding the fortress
After snapping their winless streak in most unexpected fashion, the Warriors face another crunch Sunday showdown against the in-form Dolphins before their first bye.
Besides picking up another invaluable two points and clawing back towards the Top 8, one of the top priorities will be restoring Mt Smart Stadium’s status as a fortress. The Warriors have a modest record of one win, one draw and two losses at their beloved home base so far in 2024, most recently losing to lowly Gold Coast on Anzac Day.
The Warriors are hoping to avoid back-to-back losses at the venue since going down in six straight games there in 2019.
The ledger with the fledgling Dolphins is square one-all after their two 2023 encounters: Shaun Johnson engineered a dominant second-half display in a 30-8 home win midseason, while Andrew Webster rested seven top-liners for an inconsequential final-round clash at Suncorp Stadium, which the Dolphins won 34-10.
Number crunchers
No shortage of statistical standouts alongside Dylan Walker in an unforgettable Magic Round afternoon.
- As well as scoring his maiden NRL try to level the scores then burying the match-winning conversion from the sideline, plucky fullback Taine Tuaupiki made a team-high 198 metres from 23 runs.
- Adam Pompey led the three-quarter line with 18 runs for 165 metres – miles above his season and career average – along with scoring his first try since Round 26 last year.
- Marcelo Montoya bounced back with 15 runs for 153 metres, five tackle-breaks, two line-breaks and a try after being dropped last week.
- Te Maire Martin stood tall in the second half with four line-break assists and three try assists. His trio of try assists doubled his entire tally in 15 previous appearances for the Warriors.
- Mitch Barnett was a beast on the edge with 18 runs for 136 metres and 35 tackles.
- Jazz Tevaga made an indelible claim for a permanent spot in a full-strength 17, getting through an unbelievable 21 runs for 158 metres in just 42 minutes, along with a team-high six tackle-breaks and 21 tackles.
- With a mere 19 minutes of first-grade football under his belt prior to being pitchforked into the fray for HIA magnet Wayde Egan, Paul Roache played out the remaining 68 minutes and reeled off a team-high 37 tackles in a marvellous display.