Some big wins and near misses have typified a Jersey Flegg Cup (under-21) campaign that will end for the One New Zealand Warriors with their final regular season match against Newcastle at Trusts Stadium in Waitakere today (11.00am kick-off).
Out of finals contention, they go into the match sitting in eighth spot and will finish there if they beat the 12th-placed Knights.
Two weeks ago they squeaked home 26-24 against the Sea Eagles and then followed it up with a two-point loss to the sixth-placed Rabbitohs in a 78-point thriller which ended up with a crazy scoreline of 38-40.
Victory today would leave the Warriors with a 10-11 win-loss record knowing it could so easily have been much better.
They immediately established themselves as one of the competition’s best attacking sides in the opening rounds; as it stands now, they have scored 610 points, a total bettered by only two other teams, knocking up 40 points or more in six of their 10 wins.
Match: Warriors v Knights
Round 26 -
home Team
Warriors
away Team
Knights
Team Lists
Backs
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Fullback for Warriors is number 1 Mark SikuveaFullback for Knights is number 1 Tallan Egan
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Winger for Warriors is number 2 Alexander PuaWinger for Knights is number 2 Sosaia Latu
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Centre for Warriors is number 3 Taipari WikiteraCentre for Knights is number 3 Zahn McKay
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Centre for Warriors is number 4 Nganatatafu VakeCentre for Knights is number 4 Benji Thompson
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Winger for Warriors is number 5 Motu PasikalaWinger for Knights is number 5 Aidan Gow
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Five-Eighth for Warriors is number 6 Noah JensenFive-Eighth for Knights is number 6 Cooper McKenzie
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Halfback for Warriors is number 7 Ashton Ulaula-IeremiaHalfback for Knights is number 7 Chase Butler
Forwards
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Prop for Warriors is number 10 Tepatasi LaumaliliProp for Knights is number 8 Jack Hilliar
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Hooker for Warriors is number 14 Rico LemalieHooker for Knights is number 9 Jayden Seckold
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Prop for Warriors is number 15 Hohepa ChandlerProp for Knights is number 10 Riley Wells
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2nd Row for Warriors is number 12 Connor Bowden2nd Row for Knights is number 11 Tye Wicks
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2nd Row for Warriors is number 16 Lucas Carmine2nd Row for Knights is number 12 Tom Perkins
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Lock for Warriors is number 13 Harry InchLock for Knights is number 13 Te Kaio Cranwell
Interchange
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Interchange for Warriors is number 8 Emosi RavosaiInterchange for Knights is number 14 Brooklyn Rosemeyer
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Interchange for Warriors is number 17 Sione Manu TelefoniInterchange for Knights is number 16 William Bates
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Interchange for Warriors is number 18 Krushil KotekaInterchange for Knights is number 17 Wil Hope
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Interchange for Warriors is number 20 Rapheal SioInterchange for Knights is number 22 Ashton Allen
Reserves
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Replacement for Warriors is number 11 Dezman LabanReplacement for Knights is number 18 Julian Stewart
Last updated:
Conversely, seven of their losses have been close – two by two points, one by four, two by six and two by eight.
But regardless of the results the season has developed or introduced a new cohort of players which the Warriors’ multi-layered pathways system is designed to do.
Of those used this season, the majority have come through the Harold Matthews Cup (under-17) and SG Ball Cup (under-19) squads with some moving up to New South Wales Cup level.
