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The Warriors have continued their impressive start to the 2023 season by shooting down the Cowboys 22-14 at Mt Smart Stadium.
Andrew Webster’s side is now up to a share of first place, at least momentarily, alongside Brisbane midway through Round 7 with a 5-2 record, after they showed a lot more determination and composure than a North Queensland team which went within a whisker of making last year’s Grand Final.
Back in Auckland on a permanent basis after three years on the road in Australia due to the pandemic, the Warriors have been the biggest surprise packets of the 2023 season ahead of the expansion Dolphins.
Irrespective of other results for the rest of the weekend, the worst the Warriors will be is third place.
The Cowboys are mired near the bottom of the ladder with a 2-5 record and appeared flat and listless throughout the contest as they struggle to recapture last year’s form.
Jason Taumalolo. (Photo by Andy Jackson/Getty Images)
In an often scrappy encounter in challenging conditions, the home side made the most of a lopsided possession percentage, with a completion rate well below what they’ve achieved during their start to the 2023 NRL season.
However, in-form playmaker Shaun Johnson first laid on a try for Dylan Walker in the 61st minute to break a 14-all deadlock, then kicked a goal from in front, made a lot harder than it looked due to a stiff northerly breeze.
The home fans would have been forgiven for being slow to their seats after the Warriors’ poor starts this season, but they flipped the script and scored inside the first five minutes.
An intercept by Adam Pompey gave the Warriors great field position, two tackles later Walker and Tohu Harris combined to send Addin Fonua-Blake through enough of a gap to carry two defenders with him to score under the posts.
The strong wind, which was at the Warriors’ back in the first half, was going to be a key factor in the game.
However, the Cowboys kept things simple to send Murray Taulagi over in the corner with a slick finish.
The Maroons combination of Taulagi and Valentine Holmes was causing real problems down the Warriors’ right edge, with the winger only just denied a second try by the bunker official after his foot grazed the touchline.
Ed Kosi finished off a great run by Marcelo Montoya to put the Warriors up 14-4, before another Origin representative, Reuben Cotter, brushed off a poor tackle by Josh Curran to cut the deficit to six for the visitors.
Curran made up for it after the break, scoring a well-worked try off more Johnson skill, but again the Warriors slipped to let Holmes even it up again almost straight off the kickoff.
While Walker’s try eventually settled the matter, the Warriors did lay on some impressive defence to close the game out.
“He can do everything,” Webster said when asked about Walker’s excellent performance at five-eighth, replacing the injured Te Maire Martin.
“He could be an Origin player because you could literally put him on the bench and he can play hooker, six, lock, carry the ball like a mad man and be a super utility.
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“I loved his defence and he put a couple of good plays on that edge to get our momentum back through the middle. I thought he was smart.”
In particular, one set with six minutes to go only gave the Cowboys 20 metres and the subsequent kick was taken on the full by Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad to set the Warriors up with the passage of play that led to Johnson’s late penalty.
In all, it wasn’t a game of any great standard, but it’s unlikely the bumper crowd of just under 24,000 at Mt Smart will care too much.
The Cowboys did not deserve to win this game despite being favourites and their reputation as finals contenders is starting to fade away quickly.
They’ve had a few players in and out of the line-up due to injuries and suspension but coach Todd Payten could start swinging the selection axe in a bid to shake up his under-performing team.
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