The Warriors made it five straight in a third consecutive nail-biter, holding off a late Dolphins rally in a 16-12 victory in Brisbane.
The Warriors had just 46 percent possession and lost the run metres count 1,735 to 1,559, yet held a 16-0 lead with 10 minutes to go.
Though the penalty count finished 8-all and the Warriors conceded six ruck infringements to the Dolphins’ two, the Warriors made only eight errors – half that of the Dolphins.
The second-placed Warriors are now 8-2 for just the second time in their history, bearing down on the 2002 minor premiership-winning side’s record 11-2 start.
Odds and ends
Besides the Warriors’ increasingly historic start to the season, Saturday’s win over the Dolphins created several notable statistical titbits:
- The Warriors have now won five in a row for just the 11th time in their history; this weekend they shoot for six straight for only the fourth time – after runs in 2002 (8 wins), 2023 (7 wins) and 1995 (6 wins).
- Following on from their 14-6 win over the Roosters in Round 3, the Warriors have won two games while scored 16 points or less in the same season for the first time since 2014.
- Winning three consecutive games by margins of four points or less has occurred just once previously in Warriors history, in 2015, when they beat the Sharks (20-16), Eels (17-13) and Knights (24-20) in consecutive nail-biters – and that run was interspersed by a bye.
- The Warriors have won three straight games in Australia. Only three times have they collected more consecutive victories across the Tasman: in 2002 (6 wins), 2023 (5 wins) and 1995 (4 wins).
- The victory snapped a run of five straight day-game losses for the Warriors, with both of their defeats so far in 2025 occurring during daylight hours.
Metcalf Medal mania!
Man of the moment Luke Metcalf earned another somewhat dubious maximum haul on six Dally M Medal votes after the win over the Dolphins, catapulting him into top spot in the count – one ahead of Sharks fullback Will Kennedy and three clear of Tigers prop Terrell May.
Metcalf is also the only No.7 in the current leaderboard’s top 10, putting him in prime position to become just the Warriors’ second Dally M Halfback of the Year recipient after Shaun Johson in 2023.
Meanwhile, he is in the frame to join a select group of Warriors to finish in the Dally M’s top 10 – and become only the second player from the club after Roger Tuivasa-Sheck to take out the game’s highest individual gong.
BEST DALLY M MEDAL FINISHES BY A WARRIORS PLAYER
1st – Roger Tuivasa-Sheck (2018)
2nd – Shaun Johnson (2023)
3rd – Stacey Jones (2001)
5th – Roger Tuivasa-Sheck (2019)
6th – Stacey Jones (2002)
7th – Stacey Jones (2005), Addin Fonua-Blake (2023)
8th – Issac Luke (2018)
9th – Brent Webb (2006), Steve Price (2007)
11th – Kevin Locke (2011)
Origin of the species
Retaining his place in the NSW team for next week’s series opener, Mitch Barnett becomes the first player to represent the Blues from the Warriors in more than one season.
Ryan Hoffman, who rounded out his Origin career by playing all three games in 2015 – his first year with the Warriors – is the club’s only other NSW representative.
Queensland stalwarts Steve Price (12 Origins from 2005-09) and Jacob Lillyman (10 Origins in 2011 and 2014-17) are the only Warriors to represent in more than two series.
Milking it
Canberra, dominant 30-8 victors in the Las Vegas season opener against the Warriors, are looking to complete a regular-season sweep in this rivalry at Mt Smart this Sunday – a feat they achieved in 2000, 2012, 2016, 2017 and 2020.
The Warriors boast a 13-8 record against the Raiders at Mt Smart, but the last four encounters have been split two wins apiece. Their last encounter at the ground saw Shaun Johnson get the Warriors home 21-20 with a golden point field goal.
Number crunchers
Big numbers from a host of victorious Warriors at Suncorp Stadium:
- Roger Tuivasa-Sheck returned from an eight-week layoff with a game-high 21 runs for 193 metres.
- Adam Pompey was a standout with 16 tackles (no misses), eight runs for 85 metres and six tackle-breaks.
- Erin Clark keeps taking care of business, making 14 runs for 147 metres with six tackle-breaks, and 41 tackles.
- Nineteen-year-old Leka Halasima’s rookie-season efforts are out of this world, this time chewing through 14 runs for 130 metres and 37 tackles in the second-row.
- Mitch Barnett clinched his NSW Origin berth with 16 runs for 162 metres and 33 tackles.
- James Fisher-Harris came back from a pec injury with 41 tackles and 13 runs for 110 metres.
