The New Zealand Warriors produced a dominant display in Round 19 of The Knock-On Effect NSW Cup, running over the Western Suburbs Magpies 44-20 at Lidcombe Oval to announce themselves as genuine finals contenders.
The Warriors were first to strike, with a sharp cut-out pass from Luke Metcalf putting winger Haizyn Mellars over in the opening stages of the clash. Metcalf converted to give his side an early 6-0 advantage, and the tone was set for what was to follow.
The Magpies hit back through Fiohiva Siale Fainga'a, who put boot to ball on the last tackle and grounded his own grubber in the corner to reduce the deficit to 6-4. But their joy was short-lived, as the Warriors quickly regained the upper hand.
Prop forward Rodney Tuipulotu Vaea, promoted to the starting side just an hour before kick-off, crossed after a neat short ball from Luke Hanson, extending the lead to 12-4. Moments later, Jye Linnane found a burst of speed down the left edge to make it 16-4 in favour of the visitors.
Solomone Saukuru – the competition's leading try scorer – burrowed over off a slick Javon Andrews assist to give the Magpies a boost, but on the verge of half-time the Warriors struck back when Kayliss Fatialofa claimed a Metcalf bomb to extend their lead to 22-8 at the break.
The second half was more of the same. Mellars completed a hat-trick, scoring two tries to begin the final 40 minutes. A superb leap at the back of a well-placed Metcalf kick pushed the margin out to 26-8, before a quick play out to the right wing saw Mellars in open space to score once again.
The Magpies' never-give-up attitude saw them produce another try through Saukuru, but the Warriors retaliated strongly. Metcalf himself then joined the party, receiving an offload before taking a running line through a gap to score and extend the lead to 36-14.
Kayliss Fatialofa doubled his season tally, finding another try in the second half to put the cherry on top of an already impressive performance from the defending premiers. The Magpies did show some fight late, with Ethan Roberts crossing to bring the score to 44-20 at full-time.
Talking Points
- Luke Metcalf's return to NSW Cup has been a revelation. In his few games this season he has set up tries, scored himself, and been almost perfect with the boot. If he continues to appear at this level, he will be a significant factor in the competition over the remaining rounds.
- Haizyn Mellars was electric on the wing, finishing with a hat-trick and 11 tries from 10 and a half games. He started the season with three consecutive doubles and, while the scoring rate had dipped, today showed he is back near his best.
- Solomone Saukuru is now the clear leader of the competition's try-scoring chart with 17 tries from 15 games.
- Javon Andrews was outstanding in creating opportunities for his teammates. The 19-year-old has his side's top count of try assists for the year and is staking a serious claim for higher honours.
Key Moment
With the score at 6-4 and the Magpies threatening to establish a foothold in the match, the Warriors worked the ball through the hands from deep inside their own half and Jye Linnane slipped his marker before Tuipulotu-Vea finished off a flowing move from close range. Within minutes the Warriors had scored again through Linnane to lead 16-4, and the contest was effectively over as a contest before half-time.
What's Next?
The Warriors return to Auckland next week for a home clash against the St. George Illawarra Dragons on Saturday, while the Magpies face a tough trip to Belmore to take on the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs on Sunday.
