{"id":19894,"date":"2025-07-24T07:20:00","date_gmt":"2025-07-23T19:20:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.tab.co.nz\/punters\/?p=19894"},"modified":"2025-07-24T08:55:38","modified_gmt":"2025-07-23T20:55:38","slug":"nz-warriors-stat-chat-round-20-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.tab.co.nz\/punters\/2025\/07\/nz-warriors-stat-chat-round-20-2\/","title":{"rendered":"NZ Warriors Stat Chat | Round 20"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The Warriors got out of jail 20-15 on the road against struggling Newcastle on Sunday afternoon, with teen sensation Leka Halasima producing an out-of-this-world try on the last play of the game to snatch the win.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After leading 6-0 early, the Warriors trailed 12-6 at halftime but clawed back to 12-all in the 50th minute and 14-all in the 67th. Knights halfback Jack Cogger\u2019s 74th-minute field goal looked set to consign the Warriors to their first one-point loss since 2022, before Halasima\u2019s heroics saved the day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There was very little between the teams statistically, with the Warriors enjoying narrow advantages in possession (51%), run metres (1,614 to 1,512), post-contact metres (565 to 511), completion rate (82% to 80%), offloads (11 to 9) and penalties awarded (7 to 6).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Th Knights went down despite making six line-breaks to the Warriors\u2019 three, while they also headed the tackle-break count (30 to 24). Errors finished nine apiece.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The result saw the Warriors snap a six-year drought in Newcastle and extended their unprecedented streak in NSW to six consecutive wins.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Highway to Halasima<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Leka Halasima\u2019s outrageous, instantly iconic match-winner put the rookie second-rower at the top of the Warriors\u2019 2025 tryscoring charts alongside injured halfback Luke Metcalf with eight, one ahead of Roger Tuivasa-Sheck and Chanel Harris-Tavita.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Halasima\u2019s buzzer-beating effort was his fifth try in six games. As well as being a genuine chance of becoming the first Warriors forward to finish a season as the club\u2019s leading tryscorer, he also has the all-time mark for the most tries in a season by a Warriors forward well within his sights.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

MOST TRIES IN A SEASON BY A WARRIORS FORWARD (1995-2025)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

10 \u2013 Logan Swann (2001)
10 \u2013 Ali Lautiiti (2002)
9 \u2013 Logan Swann (2003)
9 \u2013 Wairangi Koopu (2005)
9 \u2013 Simon Mannering (2014)
9 \u2013 Addin Fonua-Blake (2023)
8 \u2013 Elijah Taylor (2013)
8 \u2013 Addin Fonua-Blake (2024)
8 \u2013 Leka Halasima (2025)*<\/em>
7 \u2013 Logan Swann (1999)
7 \u2013 Ali Lauitiiti (1999)
7 \u2013 Ali Lauitiiti (2000)
7 \u2013 Ian Henderson (2008)
*season still active<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Better by half<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Trailing 12-6 at the break at McDonald Jones Stadium, the Warriors overturned a halftime deficit for just the second time this season.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The other occasion was when they beat Sydney Roosters 14-6 in Round 3 at home after being behind 6-4 at the change of ends.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Warriors are now 2-4 when trailing at halftime. They have gone on to win on each of the eight times they have led at the break, while they are 2-1 when the scores have been level.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

All that glitters is Gold Coast<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Gold Coast Titans have played one finals match in the past eight seasons, but that hasn\u2019t stopped the likely 2025 wooden spooners from dominating the Warriors in recent years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Titans arrive in Auckland having won five of the teams\u2019 last six encounters, including the last two at Mount Smart Stadium: a 27-26 final-round result in 2022, ironically with current Warriors No.7 Tanah Boyd kicking a golden point field goal; and a shock 27-24 Anzac Day result last year after the hosts led 12-0 early.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Warriors were subjected to a record-shattering 66-6 loss when the clubs last met, in Round 16 at Cbus Super Stadium on the Gold Coast last season.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The overall count since 2007 stands at 20-14 in the Warriors\u2019 favour.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

One win from history<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

A victory this weekend against Gold Coast will give the Warriors a 13-5 record \u2013 matching the club\u2019s 2002 combination for the most wins after 18 games.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That side went on to claim the minor premiership with a 17-7 record.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The 2023 Warriors were 11-7 after 18 games.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Number crunchers<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

A handful of statistical standouts from a streaky victory in Newcastle:<\/p>\n\n\n\n