The Warriors have made it two wins in a row to start their 2018 season, beating the Titans 20-8 at home at Mt Smart Stadium in Auckland.
It’s only the third time in the Warriors 24-year history that they’ve started a season off with two wins. The last time was way back in 2009.
Winger David Fusitua scored two tries to follow up the double he scored in the Warriors’ win over Souths last week in Perth.
The Warriors scored two first half tries to head into the sheds leading 12-0, but it was the Titans who earlier had two first half tries disallowed.
The first was when the Warriors defence was ruled to have been obstructed when Kane Elgey crossed, and winger Phillip Sami lost the ball over the line in the second missed opportunity.
The Warriors made the Titans pay for Sami’s error, scoring in the next set. Tohu Harris threw a great ball to put centre Peta Hiku through a gap, and he drew Titans’ fullback Michael Gordon to put Fusitua over for the Warriors’ first try.
The Warriors were in again six minutes later when halves Shaun Johnson and Blake Green ran a switch play, before Green turned the ball inside for captain and fullback Roger Tuivasa-Sheck to score.
The Warriors were keen to throw the ball around in the first half, playing some ad lib football and their defence was solid. Their attack became a bit too loose early in the second half, before they recovered again.
The Titans almost hit back in the 61st minute, but winger Phillip Sami again had a try disallowed. The Warriors’ defence was ruled to have been obstructed again.
In the 63rd minute, Tuivasa-Sheck chimed in on the left edge and offloaded to centre Solomone Kata, who used his size to barge over for a try out wide.
Fusitua grabbed his second try eight minutes later to put the game out of the reach of the Titans. He leapt spectacularly to take a Shaun Johnson cross-field bomb and plant the ball down.
The Titans finally cracked the Warriors’ defence with four minutes to go, when winger Anthony Don grounded a Konrad Hurrell grubber.
The Warriors will be happy with the win and their defence, though the Titans no doubt missed halfback Ash Taylor who was sidelined earlier in the week with a hamstring injury.
New Zealand Warriors 20
Gold Coast Titans 8
Reckon you can pick the winning team? Build your own dream team with Draftstars daily fantasy and compete on any match. For great odds on the NRL head on over to PlayUp. Imagine what you could be buying instead. Set a deposit limit.
Who are the hardest working big men in the NRL?
Graham Annesley has admitted the match officials got it wrong and the Titans should've been given a set restart after a Raiders player was…
Cranky old coaches Des Hasler and Ricky Stuart reportedly engaged in a post-match argument outside Canberra's dressing room following the Titans' controversial golden-point loss…
Ricky Stuart says Gold Coast coach Des Hasler is "on another planet" after the Titans boss blasted the refereeing in his side's golden point…
1. Sea Eagles see no evil The Manly Sea Eagles are a loveable bunch, which is why they famously don’t have to carry banners…
Cowboys coach Todd Payten recently said he thinks Scott Drinkwater is knocking on the door for State of Origin but his star fullback is…
