NRL: Warriors trample on hapless Bunnies

Kevin Locke of the Warriors is tackled. Photo / Getty Images

NZ Warriors 48
South Sydney Rabbitohs 16

The NZ Warriors steamrolled the South Sydney Rabbitohs 48-16 at ANZ Stadium to cement sixth postion on the NRL ladder after 20 rounds.

The visitors scored nine tries to three with four tries scored in the opening twenty minutes and five coming in the final 30 minutes of match.

Winger Manu Vatuvei scored a hattrick of tries with the Bunnies failing to nullify his aerial threat with two tries from kicks to his corner.

His left-flank partner Joel Moon, who is off contract at the end of the season, gave his paymasters plenty to think about after scoring two tries and a try assist in his best performance in a Warriors jersey this season.

The Bunnies went into the match in desperate need of a win to begin a late-season fight for a top eight spot but any hopes of a season-boosting victory quickly dissolved after the opening quarter.

Leading 24-0 after 24 minutes the visitors were at their electrifying best as they cut the Bunnies to shreds with the ball in-hand as wingers Vatuvei, Bill Tupou, halfback Shaun Johnson, and five-eighth James Maloney all crossed the chalk for four-pointers.

Tupou started the celebrations in the 3rd minute of play after Maloney chipped the ball towards the back of the in-goal for his winger to ground the ball inches inside the dead ball. Maloney converted from the right sideline.

Johnson was the next to go over, and the young number seven showed plenty of toe to outstrip the chasing pack over 85 metres after picking off Isaac Luke's delayed pass to Chris Sandow.

Maloney's conversion took the score to 12-0 after ten minutes.

Vatuvei, the 2010 Warriors Player of the Year, added his side's third try after a brilliant in-an-out move by Moon on Sandow allowed the 'beast' to sneak in the corner for a try.

Maloney made it four tries in a pulsating opening by the New Zealand side after a Feleti Mateo break put the five-eighth clear to run 20 metres to dot down under the uprights.

His fourth conversion made it 12 points for his half's work and more importantly a 24-0 lead for the NZ Warriors.

The Bunnies showed some life just before halftime with a much-needed try to centre Dylan Farrel in the 35th minute to trail 4-24 at the break.

Off the back of a Warriors mistake, John Sutton's kick had considerable hang-time enabling winger Chris McQueen to get above Tupou to touch down for the first try of the second half in the 44th minute.

The Warriors replied in kind turning attack into defence going 100m in three tackles, as Mateo and Maloney carved huge metres up the middle of the park before cutting right to Moon who threw the dummy to Vatuvei before going over.

Moon hadn't scored a try all season and he made it two in six minutes, with Locke batting back Johnson's bomb for Moon to regather and run 20m unopposed to score.

Farrell struck back for the homeside to give them a whisker of a chance at 34-16.

However the Warriors hammered the Bunnies in the final quarter with Vatuvei scoring twice and Pita Godinet scrambling across the tryline.

Samoan international Godinet, marked his NRL debut with a try in the 79th minute, throwing a dummy before stepping inside the tiring defence to put the icing on the cake for the club's tenth victory.

New Zealand Warriors 48 (Manu Vatuvei 3, Joel Moon 2, Bill Tupou, Shaun Johnson, James Maloney, Pita Godinet tries; Maloney 6 goals) South Sydney 16 (Dylan Farrell 2, Chris McQueen tries; Chris Sandow 2 goals). Halftime: 24-4.

- Herald online