An eight-try salvo including a Haizyn Mellars hat-trick rebooted the One New Zealand Warriors’ New South Wales Cup campaign as they surged to a 44-20 victory over Western Suburbs at Lidcombe Oval in Sydney on Saturday.
The win and the nature of it was a much-needed fillip for the Warriors coming out of last weekend’s bye following big losses to the Raiders and the Bulldogs in their previous two outings.
With their side bolstered by the inclusion of new signings Riley Price and Luke Laulilii, the Warriors were much-improved as they aimed to be.
And that against a Magpies side which had picked up big wins in its last three games against the Roosters (68-8), Sea Eagles (46-12) and Dragons (42-8).
The match was only a few minutes in when halfback Luke Metcalf shipped a superb long pass wide to the right for Mellars’ first try.
While the Magpies countered with a try wide out the Warriors regrouped, Price making his presence felt when he was injected from the bench. Two impressive carries in the same set provided momentum before standoff Luke Hanson popped a short ball for prop Rodney Tuipulotu-Vea to score for a 12-4 lead.
Match: Magpies v Warriors
Round 19 -
home Team
Magpies
7th Position
away Team
Warriors
9th Position
Venue: Lidcombe Oval, Sydney
On the 20-minute mark centre Jye Linnane produced the individual play of the match.
Receiving the ball from Hanson on halfway, Linnane beat multiple defenders with a mix of power, pace and evasive skill on a withering run to score in the corner.
While the Magpies bit back to make it 8-16, the Warriors had the last say in the first half when second rower Kayliss Fatialofa raced through to claim a Metcalf bomb.
Ahead 22-8 at halftime, the Warriors went on with the job in the second half.
In the opening minutes Metcalf was again the provider, his bomb claimed by Mellars for his second try to take the lead to 26-8.
Mellars was the beneficiary again a few minutes later when Metcalf, fullback Geronimo Doyle and centre Daeon Amituanai shifted the ball sweetly on a right side play for the winger to run in his third try.
Down 8-32, Western Suburbs rallied with a third try but Metcalf then picked up a Makaia Tafua off load and stepped his way through the defence for a try he converted.
Soon after Hanson pierced the line with a nice grubber for Fatialofa to race onto for his second try taking the Warriors into the 40s.
While they conceded a fourth try late in the contest it could do little to detract from one of the Warriors’ best efforts of the season, one which lifted them to 22 points just two outside the top five.
Next Saturday they face the Dragons in the first leg of a tripleheader at Go Media Stadium.
