Game Summary
The Warriors stormed home with 32 unanswered points beat South Sydney Rabbitohs 38-12 at Redfern Oval in Round 25 of the Knock-On Effect NSW Cup, putting them in the box seat to lock up a spot in the top five.
South Sydney, needing a win to keep their own finals hopes alive, could not have asked for a better start. Fullback Logan Dickson burst through early to score inside the opening five minutes, and Jordi Mazzoni added a try out wide from a Matthew Humphries cut-out ball to give the Rabbitohs a 12-0 lead heading towards half-time.
Warriors, fielding a reshuffled halves pairing with debutant halfback Maui Winitana-Patelesio and Jack Thompson at five-eighth, hit back through a smart Geronimo Doyle chip-and-chase try before the No.7's boot brought the margin to six points at the break, Souths leading 12-6.
The complexion of the match changed entirely after half-time. Morgan Gannon crossed from a Thompson grubber to level the scores, before a second try for the prop edged the Warriors ahead 18-12.
From there the visitors took over as Jye Linnane produced a moment of brilliance to score his first of two tries, while Winitana-Patelesio continued to land goals from all angles, extending the lead to 26-12.
Makaia Tafua was next to score, then Linnane rounded out a remarkable individual performance with his second try of the afternoon to push the margin beyond 30 points, sealing the 38-12 result.
Talking Points
Joe Linnane's second-half double continued an extraordinary run of form, having now scored a double in three consecutive games for the Warriors.
The Warriors' new-look halves combination of Maui Winitana-Patelesio and Jack Thompson stepped up effectively, while the young halfback also landed six from six with the boot.
Key Moment
Morgan Gannon's second try after half-time swung momentum firmly in the Warriors' favour, before the visitors ran away with the win and 32 points for the half.
What's Next?
The Warriors face Newcastle Knights at home in the final round, while the Rabbitohs will aim to finish their season on a high against Western Suburbs Magpies.
