Rugby league: Warriors succumb to late Dragons surge in first NRLW home game

Onjeurlina Leiataua scored the Warriors only try against the Dragons. Photo / Getty Images

The Warriors have been stunned by a late surge by the St George Illawarra Dragons, putting a dampener on their first ever NRLW home game.

In the competition's first standalone fixture, the Dragons claimed a 26-6 win over their hosts – scoring all of their points inside the final 18 minutes of the 60-minute clash.

"We did have a pretty good start. We got into the grind," Warriors captain Georgia Hale said.

"We came into the second half not in the right mindset which was a massive shame."

The Warriors looked to be in control for the first 40 minutes of the match, running in the only try of the first half through second rower Onjeurlina Leiataua a quarter of an hour into the contest.

The Dragons' attack looked testing throughout the opening half, but a combination of strong Warriors defence and errors kept them off the scoresheet. Hale again led the Warriors side defensively, making all 40 tackles she attempted.

Coming out of the break, the Dragons continued to ask plenty of questions of the Warriors' defensive line, which eventually cracked in the 42nd minute when Shaylee Bent crashed over the stripe.

Bent's was the first of five tries scored by the Dragons, with their win having big implications on the grand final picture.

The Brisbane Broncos have already claimed one spot in the main event, winning their first two games of the season, while the Dragons and Warriors' hopes remain alive – each with a win and a loss to their credit.

However, the Warriors will now need to beat Brisbane next weekend to earn their place in the grand final, while the Dragons meet the winless Sydney Roosters.

"Before the physical comes our mindset," Hale said of what the team needed to improve on before the Broncos clash. "(We have) to go away and look at ourselves as individuals, come back together as a team strong to come out next week and put our best effort forward."

Warriors 6 (Onjeurlina Leiataua try; Apii Nicholls con)
Dragons 26 (Shaylee Bent, Tiana Penitani, Maitua Feterika, Jessica Sergis, Botille Vette-Welsh tries; Maddie Studdon 3 cons)
HT: 6-0