Dallin Watene-Zelezniak in his return for the Warriors, a tight win over the Dragons. Photo / Photosport
Dallin Watene-Zelezniak had to make an NRL return the hard way – but is confident he will be better for the experience.
The popular wing was sidelined for 12 weeks with a nasty wrist injury sustained in the first pre-season trial back in February, which saw him miss the opening nine rounds of the season.
After recovering slightly ahead of schedule, Watene-Zelezniak was pitched straight back in for Saturday’s clash with the Dragons.
Not only was it staged at the bogey ground of Wollongong, but the second half became particularly intense, as the visitors were starved of possession and territory.
The Dragons had all the momentum – as they reeled in a 14-4 halftime deficit – and looked favourites to ice their comeback before Luke Metcalf’s 69th-minute field goal followed by some desperate defence saw the Warriors prevail by a point.
The second half was played at a frantic pace and Watene-Zelezniak felt the effects.
“It was real tough,” said Watene-Zelezniak.
“With 20 minutes to go, I started cramping, so I couldn’t really run – which isn’t ideal seeing as my position is all about running.
“In the second half, the game was totally different; it felt like they had all the ball and we were up against the ropes.”
It was the climax of a challenging night for the veteran, as the Dragons directed most of their attack down the left flank.
Watene-Zelezniak couldn’t snaffle a couple of potential intercepts and was caught out defensively for at least one opposition try.
“I was a little bit rusty with my hands and all that,” admitted Watene-Zelezniak.
“There were a few times where I could have gone the length [of the field], if I had taken the ball.
“The speed of the ball they were passing and reading, it was a bit off for me. [But] it was probably a good thing that it happened to me, coming away with the win and getting some learnings out of it as well.
“We took shot after shot to our edge, (I) thought we did quite well given the amount of shots they had.”
Despite a nervy return, Watene-Zelezniak didn’t shy away from work, with some typically tough carries as he ran for 132m from 14 runs.
His ability to create momentum and earn yardage – with his remarkable finishing skills – will be welcomed over the next few weeks, especially with the number of injuries in the outside backs.
Watene-Zelezniak became a cult figure during the season of his life in 2023, when he topped the NRL try scoring charts with 24.
Last year was more difficult for everyone at the club but Watene-Zelezniak still managed 15 tries from 22 games, while he has averaged more than 150 running metres a match during the Andrew Webster tenure.
After a punishing pre-season, the freak injury suffered early in the trial at Cronulla was a nightmare as he fractured and dislocated his left wrist.
“It was a pretty gnarly injury, playing only nine minutes of a game,” said Watene-Zelezniak.
“It’s been hard running every day but I felt good with my fitness [on Saturday]. [It was] just the cramp, I couldn’t really prepare for that.”
But he got through it, making his return at the earlier end of the scale. Now it is about rebuilding rhythm and form, admittedly an easier task with the team on such a hot streak, off four straight wins and a 7-2 record.
“I’m happy to get back to playing in this team because we have been doing well,” said Watene-Zelezniak.
“In that first half [you] got a feeling on why they [had been] doing so well.”
The 29-year-old was also impressed with Metcalf’s deception for the decisive 69th-minute field goal.
“When he is comfortable taking one, he has got the licence to go for it,” said Watene-Zelezniak.
“He felt comfortable and lucky he did it then too. They weren’t expecting it, we weren’t.”
Overall, Watene-Zelezniak mentions resilience as the key word for this Warriors group.
“(It) comes from our system, being confident in it, knowing that it works and we get to turn up for each other if we stay in that system. It’s also our hard work in training, believing in ourselves and the game plan.”