NSW Cup grand final: Warriors beat Dragons to secure maiden title

The Warriors celebrate a try in the final. Photo / Photosport

The Warriors’ reserve-grade side have created history by winning the New South Wales Cup title for the first time, beating the St George Illawarra Dragons 30-12 in Sydney.

The result caps off a remarkable season for the Warriors, who were the most dominant team where they won the minor premiership with 21 wins, a draw and just two losses.

The Auckland-based side were beaten by the Dragons in week two of the playoffs but took advantage of their second life to reach the title game.

The Warriors were buoyed by a plethora of NRL experience with 13 of their 17 players having played at least one match, while the likes of Tanah Boyd and Tanner Stowers-Smith returned for the final games of the season.

Captain Kalani Going said there was lots of expectations to deliver in the game, and he was proud of his side for rising to the occasion.

“It was a great season, but with that comes pressure and lots of people expected us to win it,” said Going.

“But the pressure made us play to our best, and I feel like we capitalised on that.”

They will now feature as part of next Sunday’s NRL grand final day, where they will face Queensland Cup winners, the Burleigh Bears in the State Championship final.

Thirteen of the Warriors’ 17 have NRL experience including Bunty Afoa, Tanah Boyd and Taine Tuaupiki.

The Warriors were first to score when Moala Graham-Taufa snuck over from dummy half, but it didn’t take the Dragons long to hit back through Hayden Buchanan.

Two tries in three minutes to Setu Tu and Samuel Healey gave the Warriors a 16-6 lead at the break.

The Dragons opened the scoring in the second half through Haele Finau to get back in the contest, but momentum quickly swung back in the Warriors’ favour after Lachlan Illias was sent to the sin-bin.

The Warriors made them pay with tries to Tu and Eddie Ieremia-Toeava putting the Dragons out of reach.

It was the Warriors’ fourth appearance in the reserves final, having lost to the Sharks in 1996, and to the Bulldogs in 1997 and 2011, the latter when they were known as the Auckland Vulcans.

That year saw the Warriors U20s and men’s side also play in their respective grand finals.

Ben Francis is an Auckland-based reporter for the New Zealand Herald who covers breaking sports news.