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
    • 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 / League / Warriors

NRL: New Zealand Warriors trending up after consecutive wins

Michael Burgess
By Michael Burgess
Senior Sports Journalist·NZ Herald·
9 Apr, 2017 08:52 AM3 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

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

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article

Bodene Thompson scores for the Warriors. Photo / Photosport

Bodene Thompson scores for the Warriors. Photo / Photosport

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Warriors 22 Eels 10

Momentum is building at Mt Smart.

No one knows how far this team will progress in 2017, but today's 22-10 victory over Parramatta showed the Warriors are on an upwards trajectory.

After a quarter of the NRL season, there is some evidence of a team that is gaining belief, confidence and cohesion.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

They are by no means the finished product - and still look susceptible defensively - but thankfully there are signs of progress.

Just achieving back to back NRL victories has been a rarity for the Auckland club. It hadn't happened since last August, and they only managed it four times across the entire 2016 season.

Perhaps more significantly, the Warriors hadn't restricted an opposing side to just 10 points since last June, when they outlasted the Roosters at Mt Smart.

They were fortunate today, with the Eels having two tries (correctly) rubbed out by the bunker, and the Sydney team also made some poor decisions in prime attacking positions.

But the Warriors tackled with grit and heart, they defended like it actually meant something, and got their reward.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Coach Stephen Kearney admitted their defence "set up the win", as did an extremely high Warriors completion rate, measured at 95 per cent in the first half.

"When you are handing the ball to the opposition and they have got to go 100m to score, it sets things up," said Kearney. "To do that, you have to defend well and take the opportunities away from a team that have got some real attack in them."

Kearney also, quite correctly, played down the win, indicating that no one at Mt Smart is getting carried away. It's a message that will be reinforced over the next few days, with intimidating road trips to Canberra and Melbourne in the next two weeks.

"It was okay," said Kearney. "The guys set it up in the first half when they made one error. At the start of the second half Parramatta got a bit of momentum there. I was pleased with the way the guys responded and wrestled it back from them. It was okay [but] I know we have so much more improvement in us."

Discover more

Warriors

League: Club must stiffen spine

08 Apr 05:00 PM
Warriors

League: Carousel of 'deals' spinning around Foran

08 Apr 05:00 PM
Warriors

As it happened: Warriors v Eels

09 Apr 03:40 AM
Warriors

Kearney: Best is yet to come for Warriors

09 Apr 08:43 AM

Prop James Gavet was again outstanding. He gave no quarter on attack or defence, and some of his charges from the back fence inspired memories of cult heroes like Hitro Okesene and Iafeta Paleaaesina in their prime.

Kearney has, from somewhere, also found the instruction manual to get the best out of Issac Luke, with the hooker thriving off the back of a committed pack.

The partnership between Kieran Foran and Shaun Johnson continues to build and Foran will take quiet satisfaction from his match turning break in the 62nd minute. With the game in the balance at 16-10 - after the Eels had dominated the third quarter - Foran produced a trademark sniping run down the blindside, before sending Ken Maumalo away for the game sealing try.

The Eels were hurt by the pre-game loss of Bevan French, though their backline functioned admirably with the reshuffle. The game turned in a ten minute spell before halftime, with Bodene Thompson (two) and Simon Mannering crossing for tries. The Warriors attack still looked disjointed at times but the direct approach of Foran and the extra latitude offered to Roger Tuivasa-Sheck and Shaun Johnson as a result again made a difference.

Warriors 22 (B Thompson 2, S Mannering, K Maumalo tries; S Johnson 3 goals)
Eels 10 (N Brown, J Hoffman tries; C Gutherson goal)
Halftime: 16-6

Save

    Share this article

Latest from Warriors

Warriors

Kosi on wing as ankle injury sidelines Watene-Zelezniak

24 Jun 07:04 AM
Warriors

The most concerning aspect of the Warriors' surprise Penrith defeat

23 Jun 09:00 PM
Warriors

Former coach points to Warriors’ contact troubles

23 Jun 06:30 PM

Kaibosh gets a clean-energy boost in the fight against food waste

sponsored
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from Warriors

Kosi on wing as ankle injury sidelines Watene-Zelezniak

Kosi on wing as ankle injury sidelines Watene-Zelezniak

24 Jun 07:04 AM

The Warriors have made three changes to the starting side to face the Broncos in Brisbane.

The most concerning aspect of the Warriors' surprise Penrith defeat

The most concerning aspect of the Warriors' surprise Penrith defeat

23 Jun 09:00 PM
Former coach points to Warriors’ contact troubles

Former coach points to Warriors’ contact troubles

23 Jun 06:30 PM
'We beat ourselves': Webster rues Warriors defeat to depleted Panthers

'We beat ourselves': Webster rues Warriors defeat to depleted Panthers

21 Jun 08:00 PM
Engage and explore one of the most remote places on Earth in comfort and style
sponsored

Engage and explore one of the most remote places on Earth in comfort and style

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