Doubles to winger Brandon Norris and Harry Tauafiafi kept the One New Zealand Warriors in the Jersey Flegg Cup playoffs race with a tension-packed 22-20 wet weather win over the Bulldogs at Waitakere City’s Trusts Stadium on Sunday.
The result leaves the Warriors in eighth spot on 20 points but they’re just behind the Sharks and the Eels who are level on 22 points holding fifth and sixth place.
The victory was vital coming off a disappointing performance against the Sharks but it was hard-earned in the extreme.
After yielding two tries in the opening 12 minutes, the Warriors rallied with four of their own to surge to a 20-8 lead at halftime.
The first came in the 19th minute, halfback Jack Thompson punching a grubber through the line which the Bulldogs failed to defuse and Norris collecting the loose ball for a simple try.
Three tries in 10 minutes just before halftime had the Warriors in a solid position.
Thompson’s influence was all over the next, first with a probing run and then a bomb wide to the left where Tauafiafi climbed expertly to catch and score.
In the 36th minute second rower Taipari Wikitera went close to scoring, the ball then shifted right where the impressive Thompson drew in defenders to give Norris a shot at the line for his second.
Match: Warriors v Bulldogs
Round 16 -
home Team
Warriors
8th Position
away Team
Bulldogs
4th Position
Venue: Trusts Stadium, Auckland
And right on halftime the Bulldogs spilled the ball in possession 30 metres from their line, Tauafiafi scooping up the offering and racing away for his second.
The 12-point lead was handy but by no means enough and so it proved.
Two minutes into the second half, former Warriors junior Kaawyn Patterson scored to bring the Bulldogs back within six points at 14-20.
Minutes later the Warriors went eight clear at 22-14 with a Harry Inch penalty. It would prove the difference.
A fourth Bulldogs try with 23 minutes still to play closed the margin to two points but the Warriors tapped into their defensive resilience to close out the match for a much-needed win.
The Warriors are away to ninth-placed Canberra (16points) next Saturday.
