The Warriors made a monumental statement on Saturday night with a 40-10 thrashing of Cronulla in Sydney.
Leading only 12-10 at halftime, the Warriors dominated the second stanza to cruise past their highest points total and biggest winning margin of 2025, as well as conceding their second-least points in a game this season.
It was the second time this year the Warriors have kept a defensive clean sheet in the second half (after the 14-6 win over the Roosters in Round 4), conceding at least two tries after the break in six of their previous seven games.
The Warriors led the all run metres tally (1,719 to 1,525) but most other statistical categories were remarkably even considering the blowout scoreline:
- The Warriors were fractionally ahead on post-contact metres (512 to 506)
- Line-breaks finished five apiece, while the Warriors made 39 tackle-breaks to the Sharks’ 31
- The Warriors landed on the positive side of a tight 7-6 error count
- Penalties went 6-all, with the Warriors giving away six six-agains to the Sharks’ one.
Road Warriors
The Warriors’ win in the Sutherland Shire gave the club five consecutive wins in NSW territory for the first time in their history.
Meanwhile, it was their third straight win at Cronulla’s home ground after unlikely, Shaun Johnson-led comeback victories there in 2023 and ’24.
Along with Wellington’s Sky Stadium, it’s the only venue that the Warriors currently have a three-match winning streak at. They will be chasing three wins on the trot at Suncorp Stadium when they travel to take on the Broncos in Round 17.
2002 team in Webster’s Wahs’ sights
The Warriors’ unlikely 10-3 start to the season keeps them in the hunt to make history.
The club’s iconic 2002 combination – which went on to claim the minor premiership and reach the grand final – crafted an 11-2 record before settling into a loss-win pattern for six weeks.
If the Andrew Webster’s charges beat Penrith and Brisbane after this weekend’s bye, they will be the first Warriors team to start a season 12-3.
Eight wins from their last 11 games would give this side an unprecedented 18 regular-season wins – the 2002 team finished top of the NRL table with a 17-7 record.
Metre-eater
Fullback Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad followed up his monster 339-metre effort against South Sydney in Round 13 with a game-high 21 runs for 242 metres against Cronulla, firmly establishing him as the most metre-hungry player in the NRL.
CNK has racked up a competition-best 2,499 metres from 12 appearances, ahead of Manly winger/fullback Lehi Hopoate (2,441 metres from 13 games) and Sydney Roosters custodian James Tedesco (2,437 metres from 12 games).
Meanwhile, Nicoll-Klokstad’s per-game average of 208.3 metres is second in the NRL in 2025 only two North Queensland winger Jaxson Paulo, who has played only two games.
Executive assist-ant
Playing somewhat in the shadow of burgeoning halves partner Luke Metcalf in 2025, Chanel Harris-Tavita has quietly charged up the NRL’s try assists standings.
A pair of try assists in each of the Warriors’ past two matches has given CHT 12 for the season so far in as many appearances, behind only million-dollar stars Cameron Munster (15) and Nicho Hynes (13).
Amazingly, Harris-Tavita has already doubled his previous best season tally, notching six assists in 2020 and 2022.
Dallin climbs the leaderboard
While his form generally since making a return from a lengthy injury layoff for his first appearance of the season in Round 10 has been below-par, Dallin Watene-Zelezniak has regained his tryscoring touch with near-identical four-pointers from Luke Metcalf kicks to open the scoring in the Warriors’ past two matches.
DWZ now has 54 tries in just 74 games for the Warriors, joining Jerome Ropati in ninth for most tries in the club’s history.
Four more tries will see the cult hero leapfrog Clinton Toopi and Lance Hohaia into outright seventh, while he is 10 tries away from overtaking Francis Meli, David Fusitu’a and Simon Mannering as the Warriors’ fourth-greatest tryscorer.
Number crunchers
CNK and CHT led the way at Shark Park, but there were a host of other statistical standouts:
- Roger Tuivasa-Sheck was a wing workhorse once again, notching 200 metres from 22 runs with five tackle-breaks.
- Demetric Vaimauga produced his best performance in the NRL with a try, a try assist, 11 runs for 107 metres and 21 tackles. Fellow forward tyros Leka Halasima (10 runs for 74 metres, 38 tackles) and Jacob Laban (10 runs for 76 metres, 32 tackles) were also outstanding.
- As well as scoring a maiden try for the club, James Fisher-Harris racked up 34 tackles and 12 carries for 107 metres.
- Jackson Ford continues to chew through mountains of work off the bench, making 38 tackles and 18 runs for 158 metres in 53 minutes.
- In what has become par for the course for lock Erin Clark, he powered through 170 metres on 19 carries and made 25 tackles.
