SG Ball Match Report: Tigers tamed in wet

A third win in five starts has lifted the One New Zealand Warriors into the top six in the SG Ball Cup (under-19) competition.

They iced today’s doubleheader at Pukekohe’s Navigation Homes Stadium with a hard-fought 20-6 triumph over the winless Balmain Tigers.

Earlier the club’s Harold Matthews Cup under-17 side had accounted for the Tigers 16-4.

Backing up from last week’s 44-14 win over South Sydney, the Warriors had a tough battle in the wet in their SG Ball Cup encounter.

Tries to centre Alvin Chong-Nee and second rower Te Waaka Popata-Henare gave them an 8-0 lead which Balmain whittled back to 8-6 with a converted try just before halftime.

But as the Harold Matthews side did in the curtain raiser, the Warriors were unyielding in the second half as they, too, added 12 points without reply for a 14-point winning margin.

The result gave the One New Zealand Warriors the ideal start to a run of five consecutive games at Navigation Homes Stadium to finish the regular season in the short-form competition.

They moved inside the top six sitting just two points adrift of their opponents next week, the Illawarra Steelers. After starting the season with four straight wins, the Steelers had their first loss on Friday going down 16-24 to Penrith.

Match details:
Navigation Homes Stadium, Pukekohe

One New Zealand Warriors 20 (Alvin Chong, Te Waaka Popata-Henare, Francis Tuimauga, Rodney Tuipulotu Vea tries; Motu Pasikala 2 conversions).
Balmain Tigers 6 (Cameron Kanaan try; Marc Tannous conversion).
Halftime: 8-6 One New Zealand Warriors.
One New Zealand Warriors | Motu Pasikala; Malakai Cama, Alvin Chong Nee, Hiraka Waitai-Haenga, Raphael Sio; Jesse Soric, Maui Winitana-Patelesio; Jason Salalilo, JD Auloa (co-captain), Rodney Tuipulotu Vea; Te Waaka Popata-Henare, Kayliss Fatialofa (co-captain); Augustino Filipo. Interchange: Jeriko Filipi-Talisau, Francis Tuimauga, Kalani Peyroux-Donaldson, Te Paeroa Wineera. 18th man: Tallan Egan. Coach | Grant Pocklington.