Another outstanding 80-minute performance has enabled One New Zealand Warriors front rower Jackson Ford to extend his lead to four points on the Dally M leaderboard.
Starting round seven on 23 points, Ford picked up five of the maximum six votes available to move to 28 points following his exceptional all-out effort in Saturday night’s 28-20 win over the Titans at Go Media Stadium.
That has taken him four clear of Penrith's Nathan Cleary who is on 24 after being awarded three points for his display in the Panthers’ 23-22 golden point win over the Dolphins in Darwin.
Playing the full 80 for the third time this season, Ford clocked up team-high numbers for the most runs (23), most metres (233) and post-contact metres (95), all the best by any forward on the field. He also made 49 tackles – the most by any players – plus five tackle breaks.
Match: Warriors v Titans
Round 7 -
home Team
Warriors
2nd Position
away Team
Titans
16th Position
Venue: Go Media Stadium, Auckland
Warriors players swept all 12 points again with second rower Leka Halasima awarded three, prop Mitchell Barnett two and former Titans Tanah Boyd and Alofi’ana Khan-Pereira one each.
Putting in another 80-minute shift Halasima finished with 104 metres from 12 runs, six tackle, a game-high six tackle breaks and 21 tackles.
In his first game back less than three weeks after surgery on his broken thumb, Barnett had two stints for a total of 44 minutes in which time he made 165 metres from 17 runs, three tackles breaks and 22 tackles.
Halfback Boyd controlled the match with his options and consistent kicking game (553 metres from 15 kicks) while having a key hand in four of the five tries as well as making 22 tackles.
After making his club debut in the 38-14 win over the Storm in Melbourne, Khan-Pereira had his first home game as a Warriors and made the most of it against his old club. His two terrific tries in the fifth and 22nd minutes had Go Media Stadium rocking as he went on to make 105 metres from 12 runs, three line breaks and five tackle breaks.
Dally M leaderboard | Round 7
28 Jackson Ford (One New Zealand Warriors)
24 Nathan Cleary (Panthers)
17 Dylan Edwards (Panthers)
16 Scott Drinkwater (Cowboys)
15 Braydon Trindall (Sharks)
14 Adam Doueihi (Wests Tigers), James Tedesco (Roosters)
13 Tanah Boyd (One New Zealand Warriors), Hudson Young (Raiders)
12 Mitch Moses (Eels)
Other One New Zealand Warriors
4 Wayde Egan
3 Leka Halasima, Roger Tuivasa-Sheck, Taine Tuaupiki, James Fisher-Harris
2 Mitchell Barnett
1 Alofi’ana Khan-Pereira, Dallin Watene-Zelezniak
