The Warriors are back in the winning groove after sandwiching back-to-back losses between their Round 15 and 18 byes, improving to an 11-5 record with a 34-14 defeat of Wests Tigers on Sunday.
Spine back-ups Tanah Boyd (four try involvements) and Taine Tuaupiki starred as the Warriors moved on seamlessly from Luke Metcalf’s season-ending injury and the short-term absence of Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad.
The Warriors made 10 line-breaks to the Tigers’ three, but perhaps the most telling statistical advantage was yardage-wise – completely dominating the visitors through the middle of the park.
The Warriors led the run metres (1,739 to 1,341), post-contact metres (562 to 422), average set distance (38.65 to 36.25) and metres per run (9.66 to 7.93) counts in a game where possession was evenly split.
Tigers tamed
The Warriors’ ongoing dominance of the Tigers has lifted this current run to second on the list of the club’s longest rivalry winning streaks.
WARRIORS’ LONGEST RIVALRY WINNING STREAKS
12 matches – v South Sydney Rabbitohs (1999-2007)
8 matches – v Wests Tigers (2020-25)
8 matches – v Gold Coast Titans (2011-14)
6 matches – v Gold Coast Titans (2015-18)
6 matches – v Canterbury Bulldogs (2019-23)
Ladder of success
The Warriors have spent 14 weeks in the top four this season.
That represents a hefty proportion of just 81 weeks of the 772 the Warriors have been in the premiership that they have occupied a top-four spot on the ladder.
The club has only sat atop the competition ladder at the end of a weekend four times – one of those being when they collected the 2002 minor premiership.
Boasting a four-point buffer in fourth spot, the Warriors are on track for just their fourth top-four finish ever – after 2002, 2007 and 2023.
Tryscoring race wide open
Luke Metcalf’s season-ending injury has left the door ajar for some unlikely top tryscorer candidates. The halfback crossed for eight tries in 15 games before suffering his ACL setback – and now Roger Tuivasa-Sheck, Chanel Harris-Tavita and Leka Halasima are just one four-pointer behind.
Harris-Tavita’s previous best season total was the four tries he scored in 2024, while back-row sensation Halasima had not scored an NRL try before this year. Tuivasa-Sheck, whose tally has come in only 10 games, is also on track for a career-best haul – his highest total was 12 tries for the Roosters in 2015, while he managed 10 for the Warriors in 2017.
WARRIORS TOP TRYSCORERS 2025
8 – Luke Metcalf
7 – Roger Tuivasa-Sheck, Chanel Harris-Tavita, Leka Halasima
5 – Adam Pompey
3 – Rocco Berry, Jackson Ford, Ali Leiataua, Marata Niukore, Dallin Watene-Zelezniak
Hunted in the Hunter
The Warriors will be striving to end a six-year drought at McDonald Jones Stadium this Sunday, having lost their last four away matches against Newcastle.
Their only victory over in their last seven clashes with the Knights in Australia was a memorable 36-6 win in Tamworth in late-2020, suffering losses at temporary homes Gosford and Redcliffe during their COVID odyssey.
The Warriors have won four of their last six against the Knights overall, however, including a 26-12 Anzac Day result in Christchurch in Round 8 this year.
Interestingly, at least one Warriors interchange player has scored a try in the club’s last four encounters with Newcastle.
Number crunchers
No shortage of statistical standouts from a handsome win over the Tigers:
- On top of scoring a try, Roger Tuivasa-Sheck racked up a mammoth 271 metres from the wing on 24 carries, including two line-breaks.
- Taine Tuaupiki thrived in his opportunity at fullback, making 223 metres from 18 runs, producing a line-break and a try assist, and notching a game-high 11 tackle-breaks.
- Dallin Watene-Zelezniak had his best game of a chequered season, with 17 runs for 160 metres, a try and two line-breaks.
- Jackson Ford led the Warriors’ forwards with 18 runs for 165 metres and 48 tackles in 65 minutes after starting at prop.
- Leka Halasima was a workhorse, making 10 runs for 108 metres and 44 tackles in an 80-minute second-row showing.
- Wayde Egan toiled for a game-high 54 tackles.
- Erin Clark put in yet again, finishing with 38 tackles and 119 metres.
