History repeated when the One New Zealand Warriors opened their 2026 SG Ball Cup (under-19) campaign on Sunday.
A year ago, the opposition was the Manly Warringah Sea Eagles, the venue 4 Pines Park in Sydney.
This time the match-up was the same, the location Bruce Pulman Park in Takanini in Manukau City.
Last year the Sea Eagles won 28-14 – and the score was exactly the same on this occasion.
Coming into the contest without a trial, cohesion was bound to be a challenge for the Warriors against a Manly side which had benefited from three preseason hit outs.
It showed as the Sea Eagles scored twice in the first half to take a 10-0 lead into the break.
Match: Warriors v Sea Eagles
Round 1 -
home Team
Warriors
away Team
Sea Eagles
Venue: Bruce Pulman Park, Takanini
The Warriors opened the second term assertively with Tyson Hansen – captain of last year’s premiership-winning Harold Matthews Cup (under-17) side – coming onto a pass from dummy half Amasio Tiatia, chopping off his left foot and then surging through numerous defenders to score between the posts.
Having cut the margin to 6-10, the Warriors then not only promptly gave it back but allowed the Sea Eagles to score three unanswered tries to bolt to a 26-6 lead with 18 minutes to play.
There was a glimmer of hope when Warriors second rower Bishop Neal couldn’t be stopped from close range but Manly soon added a penalty to make the lead 18 points at 28-10.
In the dying minutes second rower Militoni Sikuvea drove over off a Tiatia pass to complete the scoring.
The Warriors are back at Bruce Pulman Park next Sunday facing the South Sydney Rabbitohs, who beat the Illawarra Steelers 28-22 on Saturday.
