Warriors survive crazy finish to snare rare back-to-back NRLW wins

Sunday, 26 July 2026

At Eric Tweedale Stadium, Sydney: Warriors 14 (Payton Takimoana 28’, Patricia Maliepo 51’, Tysha Ikenasio 53’ tries; Maliepo con) Eels 12 (Abbi Church 22’, 41’ tries; Rachael Pearson 2 con). HT: 4-6. Sin bin: Metanoia Fetalaiga (Warriors) 65min

The Warriors have registered back-to-back NRLW wins in a season for just the second time, after holding on for a dramatic 14-12 victory over the Eels in Sydney on Sunday.

On the back of a record-equalling winning margin against the bottom-of-the-table Cowboys last weekend, Ron Griffiths’ side followed that up by ensuring Parramatta, who finished one place above the Warriors last year, in seventh, are now also 0-4.

But only by the skin of their teeth, and the sound of the referee’s whistle, as an Eels try with the very last play of the game was instead chalked off due to what was deemed to be a forward pass.

In what proved a dramatic final few minutes, the Warriors saw themselves see out proceedings down a player, after prop Metanoia Fetalaiga was sin-binned in the 65th minute.

She had just earlier been pulled up for an incorrect play-the-ball, the Warriors unsuccessfully challenged, then Emmanita Paki was pinged for tangling in the tackle and when the Eels tapped, Fetalaiga found herself stopping them and was rightly giving her marching orders for a professional foul.

But just when it looked like the Warriors had held out long enough, the hosts had themselves one last set, and it was again thanks to brilliant fullback Abbi Church ‒ who had produced both her side’s tries with sublime individual efforts, and who registered a game-high 231 run metres ‒ sparking them into a position to attack.

Warriors centre Tysha Ikenasio, whose 53rd minute try would prove to be the match-winner, seemingly saved the day when jumping and getting a leg out to charge down Rachael Pearson’s kick and taking the halfback to ground.

But with one play still left, the Eels shifted right and in seemingly unbelievable scenes for the smattering of home fans at the small suburban venue of Eric Tweedale Stadium, had Zali Fay coast over unmarked on the left touchline.

Amongst the jubilation and comiseration of the teams, though, it was soon clear an earlier pass from Rosemarie Beckett had been called forward, which had indeed seen Gayle Broughton remonstrating with the officials.

It made for one huge sigh of relief for the Warriors, who were second-best for much of the contest, indeed completing at only 70% to the home team’s 88% and on the wrong end of an 8-4 penalty count.

Fielding their fourth different halves combination in as many weeks, with Broughton back from two games out with a quad injury, which saw her start at halfback and have Patricia Maliepo play from the bench and be injected at hooker, the visitors will no doubt need to be sharper for next weekend’s Magic Round in Wagga Wagga, where they will face a Titans side with an identical 3-1 record near the top of the ladder.

After Ocean Tierney dropped a ball when a try beckoned, and Kaiyah Atai ‒ one of the Warriors’ best in her first game back from a broken thumb in the pre-season trial ‒ had her four-pointer ruled out due to obstruction from Mya Hill-Moana standing in the defensive line, the Warriors played from behind following Church’s sensational 80-metre try in the 22nd minute, where she scooted all the way from marker and caught out over-committing marker Jasmin Huriwai.

They hit back quickly, though, when the bunker over-turned what looked like being a goal-line dropout, with Atai making a fine burst up the middle, then Stacey Waaka gave an unselfish, but heart-in-the-mouth loop pass for Payton Takimoana, back from a round-one shoulder injury, to coast in.

Again it was Church’s brilliance which extended the Eels’ margin early in the second half, when the No 1 collected a bouncing ball and produced a magnificent chip-and-chase try.

But the Warriors soon after went back-to-back with their response, with Huriwai making a strong burst and Maliepo scampering from dummy half to wrestle the ball down despite Church’s brilliant effort to hold her up, before a Shakira Baker break laid the foundation for captain Nicholls to then kick for Ikenasio to race through and collect from under the nose of Rosemarie Beckett and fend off Zali Fay to barge over.

Maliepo converted from in front to put the Warriors ahead for the first time. And that was how it remained. Just.

Look back at how the match unfolded via Tribe