Taine Tuaupiki scores one of his two tries for the Warriors as they stormed to a comprehensive win over the Burleigh Bears in the NRL State Championship final. Photo / Photosport
Taine Tuaupiki scores one of his two tries for the Warriors as they stormed to a comprehensive win over the Burleigh Bears in the NRL State Championship final. Photo / Photosport
A week after claiming their maiden New South Wales Cup title, the Warriors’ reserve-grade side have created more history, winning the NRL State Championship final in convincing fashion.
Opening the NRL and NRLW’s grand final day under perfect conditions at Accor Stadium in Sydney, theWarriors ran in ninetries and stormed to a comprehensive 50-20win over Queensland’s Burleigh Bears.
With 13 of the 17 Warriors players named to play having played at least one NRL game, they leant on experience and class all afternoon – despite it being the club’s first ever trip to the State Championships and Burleigh’s third.
From kickoff the Warriors looked in full control, using the Sydney heat to their advantage and playing fast, running rugby league. Halfback Tanah Boyd – who was a standout for the Warriors throughout – got the scoring underway in the 10th minute after delivering a miracle pass to centre Ali Leiataua, who spun his way around the last line of defence and crossed over for the opening try.
Boyd played a hand in the next three Warriors tries as they stormed ahead. The first-grade player put up a high-ranging bomb in the 15th minute which was chased by wing Setu Tu, who tried to tap the ball back for the Warriors only for it to deflect and fall perfectly in his hands as he sprinted to the line with no defenders in sight.
Hooker Sam Healey sparked the next piece of brilliance after spotting a gap out of dummy half and breezing through the Burleigh defence. He was able to link up with Boyd who had a clear run to the line from 20m out.
Warriors halfback Tanah Boyd scores during the State Championship final at Accor Stadium. Photo / Photosport
Up by 18 points, the Warriors piled it on with two more tries to Taine Tuaupiki and Freddy Lussick as Burleigh’s defence struggled to contain any attack from the NSW Cup champions.
A late mistake from Tu for the Warriors, who touched the ball before it went over their own dead ball line, gave the Bears some life as Cole Geyer took on three defenders and scored to get Burleigh on the board.
With one final set in the opening half, the Warriors were clinical and spread the ball wide right with some deft passing, culminating in Tu crossing over for his second of the afternoon. Boyd couldn’t add the extras and the Warriors took a 32-6 lead into the sheds.
Camping deep inside Burleighs half for long periods of time to open the second half, the Warriors finally crossed over for their seventh try through five-eighth Luke Hanson in the 53rd minute.
There was another sign of life for the Bears when Ewan Moore dove over for a four-pointer on the back of a good kick chase, but that was buried pretty quickly after Tuapiki ran in his second try of the afternoon untouched.
Hanson was the third Warriors player to cross over for a brace of tries in the 67th minute, which was converted from the sideline to bring up the half century for the Warriors.
Two late tries to Burleigh saved them from the biggest ever State Championship loss, but the damage was well and truly done by the Warriors.
The win caps off a historic season for the reserve side, in which they achieved one of the NSW Cup’s most dominant campaigns – recording 23 wins, one draw and three defeats.
Warriors 50 (Ali Leiataua, Setu Tu 2, Tanah Boyd, Taine Tuaupiki 2, Freddy Lussick, Luke Hanson 2 tries; Boyd 7 cons)
