New Zealand Warriors shocked their hosts, the Brisbane Broncos, at Suncorp Stadium today, winning 6-26 to consolidate their position in the top eight of the NRL ladder and banish fears that they could suffer a mid-season collapse.
The Warriors, playing a fine offloading game, took a 16-point lead at the interval with tries by Solomone Kata, Gerard Beale and Issac Luke, with Shaun Johnson adding two conversions.
The Broncos looked as though they had replied early in the second half, but Darius Boyd’s try was ruled out by the Bunker for obstruction.
The Warriors replied with a wonderful try by Kata on 48 minutes, with the ball going through numerous hands over the length of the field, and when Agnatius Paasi added their fifth try six minutes later they were 26 points ahead and in an unassailable position.
The Broncos replied with a late try by Andrew McCullough, but by then it was too little, too late.
Broncos: 1 Darius Boyd (c), 2 Corey Oates, 12 Jayden S’uA, 4 Jordan Kahu, 5 Jamayne Isaako, 6 Anthony Milford, 7 Kodi Nikorima, 8 Matthew Lodge, 9 Andrew McCullough, 10 Sam Thaiday, 11 Alex Glenn, 20 David Fifita, 13 Josh McGuire; Interchange: 14 Kotoni Staggs, 15 Joe Ofahengaue, 16 Korbin Sims, 19 Patrick Mago,
Try: McCullough; Goal: Isaako
Warriors: 1 Roger Tuivasa-Sheck, 2 David Fusitu’a, 3 Peta Hiku, 4 Solomone Kata, 5 Gerard Beale, 6 Blake Green, 7 Shaun Johnson, 8 James Gavet, 9 Issac Luke, 10 Agnatius Paasi, 11 Isaiah Papali’i, 12 Simon Mannering, 13 Adam Blair; Interchange: 14 Jazz Tevaga, 15 Tevita Satae, 16 Joseph Vuna, 17 Anthony Gelling
Tries: Kata 2, Beale, Luke, Paasi; Goals: Johnson 3
Full coverage of all the weekend’s NRL games will feature in Monday’s issue of League Express
