The Warriors have become the first team outside NSW to claim The Knock-On Effect NSW Cup, backing up their Minor Premiership status with a 30-12 victory over St George Illawarra Dragons in today’s Grand Final at CommBank Stadium.
Both sides picked up early tries before the Warriors ran in two more in quick succession just before the break. But while the Dragons were next to score to start the second half, the Warriors turned things around and stepped up a gear on the way to an 18-point win.
“It’s unreal, especially with the bunch of boys we’ve got,” Warriors captain Kalani Going said. “We got to send off a few of the old boys, what a way to send them off.
“Super proud of the effort and a great game from the Dragons as well. We’ll be celebrating tonight.
“It was unreal to look up at the clock towards the end. It was real important we still played to the whistle.
“But yeah, unreal. I am sort of on a bit of a buzz right now.”
In the Dragons’ opening set they managed to get a midfield bomb away off the boot Lachlan Ilias with halves partner Jonah Glover chasing through, forcing a Warriors knock-on after some deliberation from the video referee.
Despite the Dragons earning prime field position with a scrum 10 metres from the try-line and in front of the uprights, the Warriors did well to turn them away.
At the 10-minute mark Warriors halfback and eventual Player of the Match Tanah Boyd suddenly had his side on the attack, after a booming, would-be 40/20 found touch despite the best efforts of Mat Feagai to keep the ball in play. The Minor Premiers struck first within a few tackles when centre Moala Graham-Taufa snuck over from dummy-half to lead 4-0.
St George Illawarra didn’t take long to respond when hooker Connor Muhleisen opted to take on the short side, before Ilias laid on a short ball for centre Hayden Buchanan who zigzagged around Taine Tuaupiki to score beside the posts. Five-eighth Jonah Glover added the extra two and put his side ahead 6-4.
Not long after that involvement Muhleisen’s afternoon prematurely came to end, going to ground with a suspected knee injury before being replaced by No.14 Haele Finau.
The next big break came with about 10 minutes to go in the half after Boyd’s torpedo kick bounced awkwardly in the lap of Dragons centre Tyler Peckham-Harris, who burst through to the halfway line with footwork and speed only to lose possession in the eventual tackle.
The Warriors followed up with their second try of the afternoon, Boyd lofting a kick from close range and 15 metres in from touch for winger Setu Tu to leap above the back. The halfback converted from in front for a 10-6 advantage.
The Warriors then produced a short side raid of their own to extend the lead even further, this time with Sam Healey looking in and turning back out for Boyd to put second-rower Eddie Ierema-Toeava through a gap. Fittingly, he found Healey back in support to finish off the try as Boyd’s conversion brought the half-time score to 16-6.
The Dragons needed to score first in the second half and did exactly that after building some pressure on the Warriors’ goal-line. By the 47th minute it was Finau, the Muhleisen substitute, who managed a try from dummy-half to help lessen the deficit to 16-12.
The momentum swung back in the Warriors’ favour when Kayliss Fatialofa found open pasture from a break on halfway, passing off for Tuaupiki who couldn’t find support on his outside.
That led to a sin bin for Ilias after he was deemed to have tackled support runner Freddy Lussick without the ball. Boyd added another two points from in front to improve the lead to 18-12.
In the 52nd minute the Warriors took advantage of the extra man as Tu bagged a double down the right edge. Shifting wide from 10 metres out, the ball found the grasp of the dangerous Ali Leiataua who delivered a one-armed pass for Tu to score untouched. With Boyd’s conversion they led 24-12.
Within a few minutes the Warriors were in for another four-pointer, Boyd once again in the thick of the action directing a pinpoint grubber for Ieremia-Toeava to touch down. He left the field immediately after sustaining an injury in the act of scoring, before Boyd converted to increase the margin to 30-12.
The final 20 minutes remained scoreless while the Dragons pushed to fight back without success, but as the clock ticked down the Warriors soaked up what was an historic day for the Auckland-based club.
