Source : the age
Leka Halasima is keeping the Warriors in this all on his own. Belts Ponga when he’s on the run. Next play turns around and fields the kick. Ponga is with the trainer and has to go off for a HIA after the Halasima hit. All happening.
Warriors get a penalty and go on the attack. Mitch Barnett is caught on the last with the footy, not for the first time.
Warriors 10 Knights 12
Big call this one. Crusher tackle penalty against Dylan Lucas. James Fisher-Harris used his captain’s challenge to get it. Officially crowd is 48,000-plus, so that’s the biggest crowd for a rugby league game in NZ. But we roll on.
Warriors throwing so much clunky attack at them. And Leka Halasima is diving over in the corner. I think he got there. I think he’s hurt himself. I think a lot of things. But yep, try time. Great effort young man.
Warriors fullback Taine Tuaupiki taken off for a HIA after his sideline conversion swung wide as well. That’s massive too, he’s been such a big part of their attack in recent weeks, especially with Charnz Nicoll-Klokstad already out of the game.
Warriors 10 Knights 12
Big call there against Dane Gagai. Knock on is the ruling, Te Maire Martin knocked that out of his hands. But Newcastle don’t challenge with 15 minutes to play. Warriors on the attack, starting with a scrum 40 metres out.
Erin Clark take a tackle with Barnett poring into a hole on his right shoulder. They’re pressing the line now. Last tackle, Barnett offloading. Phoenix Crossland diving on a loose ball for the second time in five minutes and snuffs out the attacking play. Big stuff from the workhorse. Dylan Lucas onto the field now.
Warriors 6 Knights 12
And here comes the home side. Look out. We’re going to the Bunker to check a try to Ali Leataua but it’s denied due to obstruction. Clear-cut, that one. But that’ll keep the Knights nervous. We’re inside the last 20 minutes, someone’s season is going to end here.
Warriors 6 Knights 12
There are still almost 30 minutes to go, but the Warriors don’t look any less ruffled than they did in the first half.
When composure is needed, we are seeing panic. That’s not the recipe for booking a spot in a preliminary final. It’s almost at the stage where you’d think that if Newcastle score the next try and the lead becomes 10-plus points, it just might be enough to get them home.
Another Warriors error, this time from Warriors winger Dallin Watene-Zelezniak, results in Dom Young scoring out wide and the visitors having a 12-6 lead. Dare to dream, Warriors fans.
The chance to book a clash with Nathan Cleary, Isaah Yeo and co. is just 40 good minutes away for one of these teams.
The heaving crowd at Eden Park aren’t getting any quieter, but they seem to be getting a little edgy. Nobody wants to see their team finish second and then lose two straight home finals to end their season.
We’ve reached half-time; the score is 6-6, and the Warriors have probably never needed a half-time break more.
Everything they do is at 100km/h. That’s good when it needs to be, but there have been plenty of times in that first 40 minutes where a little composure would have worked a treat.
The Knights have also made their share of errors, but the Warriors seem the team most in need of a reset.
If the reset that coach Andrew Webster attempts to give them at the break works, they still look the more likely of the two sides to win this match.
