NZ Herald
  • Home
  • Latest news
  • Herald NOW
  • Video
  • New Zealand
  • Sport
  • World
  • Business
  • Entertainment
  • Podcasts
  • Quizzes
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Travel
  • Viva
  • Weather

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • New Zealand
    • All New Zealand
    • Crime
    • Politics
    • Education
    • Open Justice
    • Scam Update
  • Herald NOW
  • On The Up
  • World
    • All World
    • Australia
    • Asia
    • UK
    • United States
    • Middle East
    • Europe
    • Pacific
  • Business
    • All Business
    • MarketsSharesCurrencyCommoditiesStock TakesCrypto
    • Markets with Madison
    • Media Insider
    • Business analysis
    • Personal financeKiwiSaverInterest ratesTaxInvestment
    • EconomyInflationGDPOfficial cash rateEmployment
    • Small business
    • Business reportsMood of the BoardroomProject AucklandSustainable business and financeCapital markets reportAgribusiness reportInfrastructure reportDynamic business
    • Deloitte Top 200 Awards
    • Deloitte Fast 50
    • CompaniesAged CareAgribusinessAirlinesBanking and financeConstructionEnergyFreight and logisticsHealthcareManufacturingMedia and MarketingRetailTelecommunicationsTourism
  • Opinion
    • All Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Editorials
    • Business analysis
    • Premium opinion
    • Letters to the editor
  • Politics
  • Sport
    • All Sport
    • OlympicsParalympics
    • RugbySuper RugbyNPCAll BlacksBlack FernsRugby sevensSchool rugby
    • CricketBlack CapsWhite Ferns
    • Racing
    • NetballSilver Ferns
    • LeagueWarriorsNRL
    • FootballWellington PhoenixAuckland FCAll WhitesFootball FernsEnglish Premier League
    • GolfNZ Open
    • MotorsportFormula 1
    • Boxing
    • UFC
    • BasketballNBABreakersTall BlacksTall Ferns
    • Tennis
    • Cycling
    • Athletics
    • SailingAmerica's CupSailGP
    • Rowing
  • Lifestyle
    • All Lifestyle
    • Viva - Food, fashion & beauty
    • Society Insider
    • Royals
    • Sex & relationships
    • Food & drinkRecipesRecipe collectionsRestaurant reviewsRestaurant bookings
    • Health & wellbeing
    • Fashion & beauty
    • Pets & animals
    • The Selection - Shop the trendsShop fashionShop beautyShop entertainmentShop giftsShop home & living
    • Milford's Investing Place
  • Entertainment
    • All Entertainment
    • TV
    • MoviesMovie reviews
    • MusicMusic reviews
    • BooksBook reviews
    • Culture
    • ReviewsBook reviewsMovie reviewsMusic reviewsRestaurant reviews
  • Travel
    • All Travel
    • News
    • New ZealandNorthlandAucklandWellingtonCanterburyOtago / QueenstownNelson-TasmanBest NZ beaches
    • International travelAustraliaPacific IslandsEuropeUKUSAAfricaAsia
    • Rail holidays
    • Cruise holidays
    • Ski holidays
    • Luxury travel
    • Adventure travel
  • Kāhu Māori news
  • Environment
    • All Environment
    • Our Green Future
  • Talanoa Pacific news
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Property Insider
    • Interest rates tracker
    • Residential property listings
    • Commercial property listings
  • Health
  • Technology
    • All Technology
    • AI
    • Social media
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology
    • Opinion
    • Audio & podcasts
  • Weather forecasts
    • All Weather forecasts
    • Kaitaia
    • Whangārei
    • Dargaville
    • Auckland
    • Thames
    • Tauranga
    • Hamilton
    • Whakatāne
    • Rotorua
    • Tokoroa
    • Te Kuiti
    • Taumaranui
    • Taupō
    • Gisborne
    • New Plymouth
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Dannevirke
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Levin
    • Paraparaumu
    • Masterton
    • Wellington
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Blenheim
    • Westport
    • Reefton
    • Kaikōura
    • Greymouth
    • Hokitika
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
    • Wānaka
    • Oamaru
    • Queenstown
    • Dunedin
    • Gore
    • Invercargill
  • Meet the journalists
  • Promotions & competitions
  • OneRoof property listings
  • Driven car news

Puzzles & Quizzes

  • Puzzles
    • All Puzzles
    • Sudoku
    • Code Cracker
    • Crosswords
    • Cryptic crossword
    • Wordsearch
  • Quizzes
    • All Quizzes
    • Morning quiz
    • Afternoon quiz
    • Sports quiz

Regions

  • Northland
    • All Northland
    • Far North
    • Kaitaia
    • Kerikeri
    • Kaikohe
    • Bay of Islands
    • Whangarei
    • Dargaville
    • Kaipara
    • Mangawhai
  • Auckland
  • Waikato
    • All Waikato
    • Hamilton
    • Coromandel & Hauraki
    • Matamata & Piako
    • Cambridge
    • Te Awamutu
    • Tokoroa & South Waikato
    • Taupō & Tūrangi
  • Bay of Plenty
    • All Bay of Plenty
    • Katikati
    • Tauranga
    • Mount Maunganui
    • Pāpāmoa
    • Te Puke
    • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua
  • Hawke's Bay
    • All Hawke's Bay
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Havelock North
    • Central Hawke's Bay
    • Wairoa
  • Taranaki
    • All Taranaki
    • Stratford
    • New Plymouth
    • Hāwera
  • Manawatū - Whanganui
    • All Manawatū - Whanganui
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Manawatū
    • Tararua
    • Horowhenua
  • Wellington
    • All Wellington
    • Kapiti
    • Wairarapa
    • Upper Hutt
    • Lower Hutt
  • Nelson & Tasman
    • All Nelson & Tasman
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Tasman
  • Marlborough
  • West Coast
  • Canterbury
    • All Canterbury
    • Kaikōura
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
  • Otago
    • All Otago
    • Oamaru
    • Dunedin
    • Balclutha
    • Alexandra
    • Queenstown
    • Wanaka
  • Southland
    • All Southland
    • Invercargill
    • Gore
    • Stewart Island
  • Gisborne

Media

  • Video
    • All Video
    • NZ news video
    • Herald NOW
    • Business news video
    • Politics news video
    • Sport video
    • World news video
    • Lifestyle video
    • Entertainment video
    • Travel video
    • Markets with Madison
    • Kea Kids news
  • Podcasts
    • All Podcasts
    • The Front Page
    • On the Tiles
    • Ask me Anything
    • The Little Things
  • Cartoons
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-editions
  • Photo sales
  • Classifieds

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / Sport

NZ Warriors fall flat in Las Vegas loss to Canberra Raiders

Michael Burgess
By Michael Burgess
Senior Sports Journalist·NZ Herald·
2 Mar, 2025 02:07 AM5 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save
    Share this article
The Warriors were beaten by the Canberra Raiders in Las Vegas, the United States. Photo / Photosport

The Warriors were beaten by the Canberra Raiders in Las Vegas, the United States. Photo / Photosport

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

By Michael Burgess in Las Vegas

What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas.

That has to be the hope for the Warriors, after a dismal start to their 2025 season in the Nevada city.

After all the build-up, the hype and the hope, everything fell flat on Sunday.

They were outsmarted, outmuscled, and outplayed by the Canberra Raiders, smashed 30-8 in their season opener.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Canberra scored five tries to two – and were close to two or three more – while the Warriors struggled to create many opportunities on attack.

But the main issue was defence, as they missed a mountain of tackles and couldn’t slow the ruck, along with their poor discipline and accuracy.

In contrast, the Australian side defended with grit and courage, simply wanting it more.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

The Raiders led 16-4 at halftime and sprinted away after that.

It’s only one game, but this wasn’t the way to stamp their mark, in the post Shaun Johnson era.

Luke Metcalf had a mixed debut at halfback – including a costly intercept pass late in the first half – but both halves were often on the back foot, with the forward pack struggling to assert themselves, well beaten in the yardage battle. In fairness, hardly anyone emerged with credit.

It was a night when just about everything that could go wrong did for the Warriors, with uncharacteristic mistakes, poor options and general hesitation, against the hungry Raiders.

It also felt like the Warriors struggled with the occasion in the United States; they were nowhere near their best on the big stage.

The performance will leave coach Andrew Webster with plenty of questions to ponder, ahead of their round two match against Manly in a fortnight.

The Raiders had the better of the opening exchanges. The Warriors tried to impose themselves – with some driving defence - but Canberra scored after their first repeat set, with Sebastian Kris squeezing through on a short side play.

It was a strong effort by the centre, though it was an ominous sign as he found his way past three opponents before grazing the ball on the line.

The Auckland team didn’t get any change out of their first two attacking sets, as the Raiders compressed any space. When they did get free, there was an error or a fumble, while Canberra’s speed men were causing havoc through the middle.

Taine Tuaupiki tried to inspire his team with a big hit but Canberra’s second try came from a searing Tom Starling break to go 50 metres. He was stopped but Xavier Savage crossed in the corner on the next play, after the defensive line misread the numbers.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Even when things went right, they soon went wrong.

A penalty – after Chanel Harris-Tavita was taken out – offered some rare territory. But Savage came up with an 85m intercept try, a massive swing in momentum. Metcalf was rolling the dice with the pass - with the Warriors close to the defensive line - and paid a big price, head bowed as he ran back to halfway.

After 32 minutes the Warriors were running on fumes, having already missed 21 tackles.

Just before the interval, Kurt Capewell’s try – set up by Adam Pompey after sustained pressure - offered a ray of hope.

A stirring halftime performance by hip hop artist Savage got the Warriors’ fanbase going – as it was broadcast on the big screens around the stadium – but those good vibrations were short lived, after Kris’ second try just after halftime.

It summed up the day, as Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad fumbled a towering bomb – under pressure from chasers – and Kris mopped up.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

In the 51st minute Roger Tuivasa-Sheck was centimetres away from forcing a Harris-Tavita grubber, after a promising attack but that was the Warriors’ last chance.

Any likelihood of an improbable comeback was extinguished by the Raiders’ fifth try to Matthew Timoko, which came from another long range break, with the Warriors’ outstripped on the edge.

There were still 25 minutes to play but no sense of a miracle.

The Raiders went close to two more – with a miraculous save by Nicoll-Klokstad at one point.

After Joseph Tapine was sinbinned for a shoulder charge on Mitch Barnett, Tuivasa-Sheck got a deserved try, after nice work from Harris-Tavita but there was nothing more to celebrate.

NZ Warriors 8 (Kurt Capewell, Roger Tuivasa-Sheck try)

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Canberra Raiders 30 (Xavier Savage 2, Sebastian Kris 2, Matthew Timoko tries; Jamal Fogarty 4 cons, pen)

HT: 4-16

Michael Burgess travelled to Las Vegas courtesy of Air New Zealand

Michael Burgess has been a sports journalist since 2005, winning several national awards and covering Olympics, Fifa World Cups and America’s Cup campaigns. A football aficionado, Burgess will never forget the noise that greeted Rory Fallon’s goal against Bahrain in Wellington in 2009.


Save
    Share this article

Latest from Sport

Formula 1

Lawson starts inside top 10 again, qualifies ninth for Hungarian Grand Prix

Live
Rugby

Wallabies v Lions: Australia out to avoid sweep

Racing

Punters bet big on Jesko as new stars of jumps racing light up Riccarton


Sponsored

Kiss cams and passion cohorts: how brands get famous in culture

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from Sport

Lawson starts inside top 10 again, qualifies ninth for Hungarian Grand Prix
Formula 1

Lawson starts inside top 10 again, qualifies ninth for Hungarian Grand Prix

The Kiwi has scored points every time he’s started in the top 10 this season.

02 Aug 03:07 PM
Wallabies v Lions: Australia out to avoid sweep
Live
Rugby

Wallabies v Lions: Australia out to avoid sweep

02 Aug 09:45 AM
Punters bet big on Jesko as new stars of jumps racing light up Riccarton
Racing

Punters bet big on Jesko as new stars of jumps racing light up Riccarton

02 Aug 03:09 AM


Kiss cams and passion cohorts: how brands get famous in culture
Sponsored

Kiss cams and passion cohorts: how brands get famous in culture

01 Aug 12:26 AM
NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • NZ Herald e-editions
  • Daily puzzles & quizzes
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Subscribe to the NZ Herald newspaper
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • NZME Events
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP