Warriors fall to Bulldogs, slip to third on NRL ladder
The NZ Warriors have moved to third on the NRL ladder following an 18-6 defeat against the Canterbury Bulldogs in Sydney. The loss saw the Warriors drop from second position after the Bulldogs secured an early lead.
The Bulldogs established their advantage early in the match, with back-to-back tries from skipper Stephen Crichton and second-rower Jacob Preston within the initial 11 minutes. This put the Warriors in a challenging position, as they were unable to respond in the first half.
Trailing 12-0 at halftime, the Warriors needed to score first in the second half to close the gap. However, errors hampered their efforts, and they struggled to threaten the tryline effectively. The Bulldogs further extended their lead when winger Jacob Kiraz scored.
Warriors winger Dallin Watene-Zelezniak had an opportunity to score but his try was disallowed due to a forward pass. With only six minutes remaining in the game, the Warriors finally registered points when front-rower Mitch Barnett kicked on the last tackle, allowing five-eighth Chanel Harris-Tavita to gather the bounce and score a try.
The match also saw Warriors fullback Taine Tuaupiki leave the field in the first half with a foot injury, adding to concerns for the team. The result means the Warriors now occupy the third spot on the competition ladder.
Pre-match expectations and team changes
Before the match, the Warriors were aiming to reclaim second spot on the ladder, having slipped to third after the Roosters edged Newcastle 23-22. The game was anticipated as a significant showdown at Accor Stadium, featuring two clubs with substantial supporter bases, both entering round 21 in winning form.
The Bulldogs had won four of their last five games and were positioned just outside the top eight. They had defeated the Wests Tigers 32-0 in their previous outing. The Warriors, meanwhile, had secured a close win against the Dragons in Auckland, bringing them within one game of ladder leader Penrith as they pursued their first minor premiership since 2002.
The Bulldogs had defeated the Warriors in their last encounter in round 23 of the previous year. Their team news for this match included no changes to the 1-19 lineup in the 24-hour update. Skipper Stephen Crichton returned after being rested in the previous week following an injury scare in round 19 where he experienced a loss of feeling in one arm. Sean O’Sullivan moved to the bench after his performance during Crichton’s absence against the Wests Tigers. Star back-rower Viliame Kikau also returned to the starting side after recovering from injury, with Josh Curran moving to the interchange. Jed Reardon was a new addition to the bench.
For the One New Zealand Warriors, a switch was made to the bench in the 24-hour update, with Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad coming in for Marata Niukore. Prior to this, there were no changes to the starting side after their win over the Dragons. Marata Niukore had initially been added to the six-man bench in place of Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad, who was not used in the previous week’s match. Centre Rocco Berry was also omitted at the 24-hour mark.
Statistical context
Statistical insights leading into the match highlighted several trends. The Bulldogs had won their last three games against the Warriors. Warriors winger Alofiana Khan-Pereira had scored 12 tries in 10 games this season. The Bulldogs had also won four of their last five games played at Accor Stadium.
Conversely, the Warriors had a strong record against teams outside the top eight, winning eight out of nine such encounters. Bulldogs winger Jethro Rinakama had scored six tries in his last six games. These statistics, provided by David Middleton of League Information Services, offered context to the teams’ form leading into the round 21 fixture.
The match was part of a double-header at Accor Stadium, with the Bulldogs actively fighting to maintain their hopes of reaching the top eight.
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Source: rnz.co.nz
