NEW ZEALAND WARRIORS 42 SYDNEY ROOSTERS 18
WILL KERRIGAN, Go Media Stadium, Auckland, Friday

TANAH BOYD and Chanel Harris-Tavita outpointed star Roosters recruit Daly Cherry-Evans on club debut as the Warriors galloped away with a commanding win in front of a capacity home crowd.

With Luke Metcalf still recovering from his ACL injury, Boyd stepped up by nabbing the opener then assisting two tries, while Harris-Tavita scored two of his own.

The Chooks closed the gap to ten midway through the second half before the New Zealanders raced home.

Both these clubs expect to be contenders in 2026 after flaming out of last year’s finals in the opening week – and the Aucklanders made the perfect start.

Warriors coach Andrew Webster named a similar squad to the one that fizzled out of the 2025 campaign, slipping out of the top four then being eliminated by Penrith.

Former Leeds second-rower Morgan Gannon was named on the six-man bench but didn’t run on, while enforcers Mitch Barnett (knee) and Marata Niukore (calf) were on the sidelines with Metcalf.

Trent Robinson, on the other hand, unveiled one of this season’s most talked-about recruits in Cherry-Evans.

The former Manly captain donned the number six, symbolically leaving the playmaking reins with young number seven Sam Walker, in his first game in red, white and blue after 352 in Sea Eagles colours.

Robinson also named two noteworthy names on his interchange — former Dragons fullback Cody Ramsey, who last played NRL in 2022 due to a horror battle with ulcerative colitis, and Toby Rodwell, son of former New South Wales centre Brett — although neither played.

Maroons centre Robert Toia (foot) and Cowboys recruit Reece Robson (thumb) both missed out, as did Spencer Leniu, who hurt his hamstring in the warm-up.

Boyd sped past Cherry-Evans for the first score, although James Tedesco followed up a Billy Smith bust to square things up.

The Bunker denied Benaiah Ioelu thanks to Mark Nawaqanitawase’s interference, then up the other end Adam Pompey crossed in Nawaqanitawase’s corner.

With the Tricolours leaking penalty after penalty, Harris-Tavita released Kurt Capewell for another four-pointer.

And once the fast-footed stand-off snaffled a smart Roger Tuivasa-Sheck offload to grab a try of his own, the Warriors headed to the sheds up by 16.

The home team continued the momentum after the restart, when impact sub Leka Halasima soared into the Auckland sky to reel in a Boyd bomb.

But the Roosters finally got a meaningful foothold in the contest when Smith fended off Ali Leiataua to go in from close range, then Walker and Tedesco combined to assist Angus Crichton.

With the gap now just ten points, Boyd booted a valuable penalty-goal to give the Warriors some breathing room on the hour mark.

The two competition points were well and truly secured once Harris-Tavita regathered his own bomb off Tuivasa-Sheck and Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad linked up with Boyd.

GAMESTAR: Tanah Boyd outshone opposition half Daly Cherry-Evans, scoring the opener and setting up two more tries.

GAMEBREAKER: Boyd’s halves partner Chanel Harris-Tavita notched his second try at the death to end any hope of a Roosters comeback.

MATCHFACTS

WARRIORS
1 Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad
2 Dallin Watene-Zelezniak
3 Ali Leiataua
4 Adam Pompey
5 Roger Tuivasa-Sheck
6 Chanel Harris-Tavita
7 Tanah Boyd
8 James Fisher-Harris
9 Wayde Egan
10 Jackson Ford
11 Kurt Capewell
12 Jacob Laban
13 Erin Clark
Subs
14 Sam Healey
15 Demetric Vaimauga
16 Leka Halasima
17 Tanner Stowers-Smith
18 Taine Tuaupiki (not used)
20 Morgan Gannon (not used)

Tries: Boyd (12), Pompey (24), Capewell (28), Harris-Tavita (34, 76), Halasima (47), Nicoll-Klokstad (79)
Goals: Boyd 7/9

ROOSTERS
1 James Tedesco
2 Daniel Tupou
3 Billy Smith
19 Fetalaiga Pauga
5 Mark Nawaqanitawase
6 Daly Cherry-Evans
7 Sam Walker
8 Naufahu Whyte
9 Benaiah Ioelu
10 Lindsay Collins
11 Angus Crichton
12 Nat Butcher
13 Blake Steep
Subs
14 Connor Watson
15 Siua Wong
16 Egan Butcher
18 Cody Ramsey (not used)
20 Salesi Foketi
22 Toby Rodwell (not used)

Tries: Tedesco (16), Smith (51), Crichton (55)
Goals: Walker 3/3

SCORING SEQUENCE: 6-0, 6-6, 10-6, 16-6, 22-6; 28-6, 28-12, 28-18, 30-18, 36-18, 42-18

Rugby Leaguer & League Express Men of the Match
Warriors: Tanah Boyd; Roosters: James Tedesco

Penalty count: 11-4
Half-time: 22-6
Referee: Wyatt Raymond
Attendance: 24,112