Milestone man Roger Tuivasa-Sheck ices final goal in Warriors 40-6 win over Canberra Raiders

Friday, 13 March 2026

At Go Media Mt Smart Stadium, Auckland: Warriors 40 (Dallin Watene-Zelezniak 13’ 77’, Ali Leiataua 41’, Leka Halasima 48’ 67’, Jackson Ford 62’, Tanah Boyd 74’ tries; Tanah Boyd 5 goals, Roger Tuivasa-Sheck goal) Raiders 6 (Kaeo Weekes 6’ try; Ethan Sanders goal). HT: 6-6.

Leka Halasima maintained his remarkable home try-scoring record with a devastating double as the unbeaten Warriors marked Roger Tuivasa-Sheck’s 150th NRL game with a crushing 34-point win over the Raiders.

Halasima - a late call-up for an injured Kurt Capewell - has now scored nine tries in his last eight games in Auckland as he starred in the Warriors’ imperious 40-6 victory at Mt Smart Stadium on Friday.

Andrew Webster’s team have now won their opening two games for the first time since 2018 and snapped a three-game losing streak to Canberra’s minor premiers, holding them scoreless for 76 minutes.

The clinical seven-try display had the capacity crowd singing in the rain right through to the end when Tuivasa-Sheck marked his milestone with a conversion.

The Warriors have now scored 82 points and conceded just 24 in their first two games.

This was a more complete victory than the 42-18 opening round effort against the Roosters as they had to overcome early setbacks.

Capewell strained his calf in the warm-up and had to be replaced.

Then the Warriors lost standoff Chanel Harris-Tavita after nine minutes to a match-ending Category 1 head knock after he collided with Raiders ball carrier Noah Martin’s hip.

Harris-Tavita’s exit prompted a backline reshuffle with Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad shifting to standoff, where he has played before for the Warriors and the Kiwis, and Taine Tuaupiki entering at fullback.

It proved an inspired move. The wet, slippery conditions suited a stepper of Tuaupiki’s ilk and his quick feet caught the Canberra defence napping at crucial times.

The Warriors had to weather a storm of marauding Raiders pressure in the first 10 minutes.

Their defence cracked after Jacob Laban conceded a penalty for a high shot.

The Raiders used the ball cleverly to send fullback Kaeo Weekes’ scampering in for a forty minute try. But that was all they would muster.

The Warriors' opening try owed much to Tuaupiki’s impetus, and Dallin Watene-Zelezniak’s determination as the seasoned winger showed real strength to dot the ball down in the right-hand corner.

Tanah Boyd couldn’t convert but he later equalised with a handy penalty after Canberra’s Kiwis centre Sebastian Kris was pinged for an early tackle on Tuaupiki.

By then the Warriors had lost captain James Fisher-Harris to a HIA, but his was only category two, he passed the concussion test and was able to return at the back end of the first half.

The Warriors may look back on a crucial spell before halftime as a foundation for their win.

After Watene-Zelezniak knocked on near his own posts, Canberra won back-to-back tackle sets.

But Nicoll-Klokstad made a vital tackle on Martin and Laban put in a big shot to stop Hudson Young on the line.

The defence would have warmed Webster’s heart as much as the dazzling attack.

The Warriors had a dream start to the second half with centre Ali Leiataua intercepting dummy half Tom Starling’s pass and racing 60m to score a converted try.

Boyd’s deft grubber for Halasima to dot down to extend the Warriors’ lead to 12 points.

If that margin looked unassailable on a wet night, Ford put it beyond doubt when he crashed over off a neat pivot and pass from Erin Clark.

But Halasima again proved the headline act, using his step and power to blast by several hapless defenders for the fifth try.

Boyd bagged a deserved try after putting the Warriors back on attack with a big 40:20 kick and Watene-Zelezniak sealed it with his second score from a Boyd bomb.