After their second consecutive victory to end the season, the One New Zealand Warriors have secured their best finish yet in the Jersey Flegg Cup competition.
Their 28-20 win over the Knights in Newcastle lifted them to eighth spot on the ladder on 27 points.
The Sydney Roosters had a chance on Sunday to climb back above the Warriors with a win over the seventh-placed Wests Tigers but slipped up losing 30-36 to ensure the Warriors finished a highly creditable eighth .
After an up and down campaign, the Warriors had given themselves a chance of making the top five playoffs a month ago but a run of four defeats ended those hopes, the last of them a crushing 22-60 loss to the Panthers.
Instead of limping to the end of the season in the final two rounds, the Warriors regrouped, intent on salvaging pride, first against the much higher-ranked Parramatta Eels and then the Knights.
The Eels were third entering their round 25 contest and were widely expected to prevail but the Warriors produced one of their best efforts of the year in winning 26-10.
Match: Knights v Warriors
Round 26 -
home Team
Knights
10th Position
away Team
Warriors
8th Position
Venue: Newcastle Knights COE, Newcastle
Against the Knights, the Warriors continued in the same vein with hooker Etuate Fukofuka charging over from dummy half but the home side changed the momentum by scoring three straight tries to lead 14-6 at halftime.
The flow of the battle changed in the second half as the Warriors worked their way to a match-winning 28-14 lead before conceding a late try.
Standoff Maui Winitana-Patelesio started the surge when he regathered his own grubber to score after 47 minutes.
In the 66th minute, interchange forward Tepatasi Laumalili splintered Newcastle’s defence on a powerful run to the line to put the Warriors back in front.
Their next try again showcased winger Brandon Norris’ wonderful aerial skills as he chased a Jack Thompson bomb from halfway, soared to snare the ball on the fly and raced down the touchline to score.
Winitana-Patelesio’s second came in remarkable circumstances from another Thompson bomb.
With the game being played in gale-like winds, Thompson pumped up a kick from his own 40. Two Knights defenders couldn't handle it and then failed to pounce on the loose ball. Instead following up Warriors second rower Alvin Chong Nee picked it up, charged towards the posts and shifted to the left for Winitana-Patelesio to score.
The win left the Warriors with a record of 10 wins, three draws and 11 losses, a step up from last year when they finished 11th on 21 points from eight wins, a draw and 15 losses.
