Warriors hold out Raiders 18-10 for first win of the NRL season
Friday, 22 March 2024
Warriors score three tries to two win for first victory of the season.
Addin Fonua-Blake left the field with what appeared to be a rib complaint but returned in the second half.
Roger Tuivasa-Sheck played most of the second half at fullback after Taine Tuaupiki failed an HIA.
At Apollo Projects Stadium, Christchurch: Warriors 18 (Addin Fonua-Blake 8min, Luke Metcalf 61mins, Roger Tuivasa-Sheck 64mins, tries; Luke Metcalf 3 goals) Raiders 10 (Matt Timoko 31mins, Nick Cotric 54mins, tries; 1 Jamal Fogarty goals ) HT: 6-4.
Andrew Webster’s Warriors are a long way from where they want to be but that doesn’t matter right now. They finally have two competition points.
In the club’s first home game in Christchurch, the Warriors scored their opening win of the season with an 18-10 victory over the Canberra Raiders on Friday night, capped off by Roger Tuivasa-Sheck breaking through three Raiders tackles to score a try that had the crowd on their feet.
However, even in the final four minutes, the Warriors found a way to come up with two errors to gift the Raiders a shot but their strongest point for the night, their defence, held yet again to secure a victory that was, at times, entertaining and at others, a frustrating watch for fans of both teams.
There was a stack of missed opportunities from the Warriors but when you’re 0-2 to start the season, the buck stops with winning and losing and they came out on top there.
Too often the Warriors attack crabbed sideways rather than penetrating through the middle. Hooker Wayde Egan, who was a late scratching for the second week running due to his niggly elbow injury, and Dylan Walker, missing with an ankle issue, are clearly huge losses in that department.
Addin Fonua-Blake’s involvement was limited due to a knock to the ribs in the first half but it was no coincidence the Warriors fortunes picked up in the second when he returned.
Raider Nick Cotric scored first in the second half - after his side trailed 6-4 at the break - as Warriors winger Marcelo Montoya’s hero or zero play to jam in came up empty-handed.
The Warriors had a lucky escape a few minutes later when Joseph Tapine knocked on after Tuivasa-Sheck - who was at fullback for most of the second half with Taine Tuaupiki failing his HIA - couldn’t contain a high ball.
With Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad no certainty to be back for the Knights next week, Tuaupiki’s fitness could be a cause for concern.
Two tries in three minutes midway through the second half set the Warriors on the path to the much-needed victory.
On the back of a penalty, Dallin Watene-Zelezniak went on a cross-field run that found Luke Metcalf who sprinted into a gap from the winger’s short pass. Then, following Cotric not being able to defuse a bomb, Tuivasa-Sheck crashed over for his popular try.
Much like the round one loss to the Sharks, the Warriors should have come up with more points to show for their early dominance but the Raiders, who were equally guilty of blowing chances, couldn’t punish them.
The Warriors blew a try eight minutes in when Jackson Ford choose not to pass to an unmarked Metcalf but from a resulting penalty, Addin Fonua-Blake strolled over untouched from a well worked play and an inch perfect pass from Shaun Johnson - the same man who placed Ford into space.
Fonua-Blake went close to a second 10 minutes later when Rocco Berry latched onto a kick but the big prop was pulled down just two metres short and more came up clutching his ribs.
Tuaupiki produced a critical try-saver, knocking the ball free from Ethan Strange’s grasp on the try line after the Raiders made earlier errors when attacking the Warriors line.
But a Freddy Lussick forward pass invited the Raiders into another chance and Kiwis centre Matt Timoko finally made the Warriors pay to close the gap to two points at the break.
It was a long way from perfect for the Warriors but it was the kind of gutsy win they needed to kick-start their season.