NEW ZEALAND WARRIORS 34 WESTS TIGERS 14
TOM SMITH, Go Media Stadium, Sunday
TANAH BOYD steered the Warriors to a professional win over the Tigers on his club debut.
Replacing Luke Metcalf (ACL) at halfback, the ex-Titan set up a try, kicked well and booted five goals as the Auckland club snapped a two-game losing streak to cement their top-four spot.
Taine Tuaupiki replaced Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad (knee) at fullback, joined by Roger Tuivasa-Sheck and the fit-again Dallin Watene-Zelezniak in a rampant back three.
Wests also regained captain Api Koroisau from concussion and NSW stand-off Jarome Luai from Origin duty after their upset win over the Roosters last weekend, but couldn’t stop the Warriors from notching their ninth straight win in this match-up.
Jeral Skelton opened the scoring in the left corner inside two minutes, before Rocco Berry slashed through and Chanel Harris-Tavita capitalised on a Watene-Zelezniak bust.
The outstanding Adam Doueihi kept the Tigers in touch but Watene-Zelezniak’s acrobatic put-down sent the Aucklanders to the sheds up by eight.
Tuivasa-Sheck and Doueihi traded tries after the restart, leaving just eight points between the teams heading into the final ten minutes.
However, a Boyd bomb caused the chaos that created Harris-Tavita’s second try, then Tuaupiki’s line break led to Leka Halasima’s 80th-minute sealer.
WARRIORS: 1 Taine Tuaupiki, 2 Dallin Watene-Zelezniak, 3 Adam Pompey, 4 Rocco Berry, 5 Roger Tuivasa-Sheck, 6 Chanel Harris-Tavita, 7 Tanah Boyd, 8 James Fisher-Harris, 9 Wayde Egan, 10 Jackson Ford, 11 Leka Halasima, 12 Marata Niukore, 13 Erin Clark. Subs (all used): 14 Te Maire Martin, 15 Jacob Laban, 16 Demitric Vaimauga, 17 Tanner Stowers-Smith
Tries: Berry (8), Harris-Tavita (19, 73), Watene-Zelezniak (33), Tuivasa-Sheck (50), Halasima (80); Goals: Boyd 5/6
TIGERS: 1 Sunia Turuva, 2 Charlie Staines, 3 Adam Doueihi, 4 Starford To’a, 5 Jeral Skelton, 6 Jarome Luai, 7 Latu Fainu, 8 Terrell May, 9 Api Koroisau, 10 Fonua Pole, 11 Samuela Fainu, 12 Tony Sukkar, 13 Alex Twal. Subs (all used): 14 Tristan Hope, 15 Alex Seyfarth, 16 Sione Fainu, 17 Jack Bird
Tries: Skelton (2), Doueihi (28, 57); Goals: Doueihi 1/3
SCORING SEQUENCE: 0-4, 6-4, 12-4, 12-8, 16-8; 22-8, 22-14, 28-14, 34-14
Rugby Leaguer & League Express Men of the Match
Warriors: Tanah Boyd; Tigers: Adam Doueihi
Penalty count: 5-4; Half-time: 16-8; Referee: Gerard Sutton; Attendance: 24,112