Scoring at better than a point a minute in the second half, the One New Zealand Warriors have rampaged to their first win of the season trouncing the Central Coast Roosters 50-18 in Sunday’s fourth-round Harold Matthews Cup (under-17) clash at Bruce Pullman Park in Takanini.
After starting their campaign with back-to-back losses to Manly Warringah and South Sydney, the defending premiers rebounded from their bye last week by hitting 50 points for the first time since joining the competition in 2024.
Scoring first through captain Tusi Fanolua, the Warriors were locked in a battle with the visitors with the contest locked at 6-6 12 minutes short of halftime.
Then they flicked the switch, a slick shift left giving fullback Kaian Olsen all the room he needed as he chopped back off his left and surged over to score.
Six minutes later winger Chris Sau had the first of his two tries wide on the right after a contested kick, Keanu Simpson converting both tries from a wide angle to open up an 18-6 lead at the break.
Match: Warriors v CC Roosters
Round 4 -
home Team
Warriors
away Team
CC Roosters
Venue: Bruce Pulman Park, Takanini
Having seized the momentum, the Warriors were in no mood to let up as they hit the Roosters with five tries in the space of 14 minutes to leap ahead 44-6 after 46 minutes of the 60-minute encounter.
Mixing physicality, power running and pace, the Warriors carved up as centre Daniel Kali, prop Hanita Takulua, Sau, Olsen and lively interchange dummy Agelu Malaesilia all cashed in.
There was a lapse as the Roosters scored their second but normal service was resumed when interchange forward Hemiata Togia powered over between the posts, Simpson kicking his seventh conversion from nine attempts to bring up the half century.
There was a sense of disappointment that the Roosters were able to score their third try in the final moments but securing a strong 32-point victory was the key.
The win lifted the Warriors to seventh on the ladder and did wonders for their points for and against.
After three consecutive games at home, they now face a run of three away trips, the first against Canterbury Bankstown at Belmore Sports Ground in Sydney next Saturday.
