Warriors survive Tigers scare to keep finals hope alive

[Pelican Press 0]

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Warriors survive Tigers scare to keep finals hope alive

They almost made a meal of it but the Warriors have kept their nerve and their NRL finals hopes alive with a 28-16 win over Wests Tigers in Auckland.

The Warriors dominated the first half and flattered their bottom-placed opponents by only leading 14-0 at the break on Friday night.

The Tigers, having been completely out of the game, scored back to back tries to get back into the contest, before prop Addin Fonua-Blake and Dallin Watene-Zelezniak sealed the deal for the hosts with late four-pointers.

The Warriors jumped into 12th, two wins outside the eight, but looked on track to ****** themselves in the foot again, after a hot-and-cold season in which they’ve been equal parts brilliant and dreadful.

The hosts got out to a fast start, their experienced forwards making light work of the young Tigers pack.

But despite dominating territory and possession, the Warriors were wasteful in ******* and were only ahead by four points half an hour into the match.

Mitchell Barnett and Fonua-Blake were among the best on field for the Warriors.

Fonua-Blake, who finished the game with 7 tackle busts and 207 running metres, gave the Warriors an early platform after breaking through the Tigers’ line in the opening minutes.

After a series of repeat attacking sets, Kurt Capewell skipped past a diving Starford To’a to open the scoring before winger Edward Kosi claimed his side’s second.

Warriors five-eighth Chanel Harris-Tevita continued his horror run with the boot, missing both conversion attempts from the sideline after missing the easiest of levellers against Canberra last weekend.

But after Ali Leiataua dotted next to the posts, a smiling Harris-Tavita duly converted to get the monkey off his back.

The 25-year-old went on to sink another two conversions and a penalty goal, with each successful attempt greeted with raucous cheers from the Go Media Stadium faithful.

Tigers’ captain Api Koirosau again put in a monumental performance in a losing team, busting a lung to get in position to score a consolation try in the final minute.

Their first season under coach Benji Marshall effectively over, the Tigers have little left to play for but to gain experience for their promising young spine of Jahream Bula, Lachlan Galvin and Tallyn Da Silva.

Marshall will miss teenage winger Luke Laulilli who was withdrawn early after sustaining a grade one HIA after a head clash.

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