NZ Warriors 2025 Round 4 Review: Warriors Dig Deep to Edge Tigers, Extend Streak to Three

After their hard-fought victory over the Roosters, the Warriors travelled to a wet and windy Sydney to face a Wests Tigers side coming off a 30-18 win over the Dolphins.

It was another gritty contest as the Warriors found themselves trailing on the scoreboard several times. However, a standout play from one of their emerging young forwards and a clutch 40-meter penalty goal from their young halfback helped them secure a 26-24 victory, extending their winning streak to three.

The Warriors forced a dropout early but couldn't capitalize. They kept the pressure and were rewarded in the 4th minute, when Adam Pompey broke through, fending off multiple defenders to score, with Luke Metcalf converting for a 6-0 lead. A penalty against Jarome Luai gave the Warriors momentum, but an error from Marata Niukore handed possession back. After sustained pressure, the Tigers earned a penalty and leveled the score in the 11th minute when Fonua Pole crashed over. Api Koroisau converted to make it 6-6.

Both sides traded sets in wet conditions, with handling errors creeping in. The Warriors earned multiple penalties, camping on the Tigers' line. Wayde Egan burrowed over from dummy half but was held up before Marata Niukore powered over a few plays later in the 33rd minute. Metcalf converted, putting the Warriors ahead 12-6.

Just before halftime, the Tigers struck back. Lachlan Galvin sent Alex Seyfarth through a gap, who offloaded to Starford To'a for a runaway try. Tallyn Da Silva's conversion leveled the scores at 12-12 to close the half.

The Warriors struck early in the second half when Wayde Egan spotted a gap, linking with Chanel Harris-Tavita to send Luke Metcalf over in the 41st minute. Metcalf converted to give them an 18-12 lead.

A high shot from Jarome Luai on Ed Kosi gave the Warriors good field position, but Kosi was forced off for an HIA. They built pressure on the Tigers' goal-line, but Bunty Afoa was held up before a loose pass ended their attack.

A penalty against Marata Niukore helped the Tigers push forward, and in the 49th minute, a Lachlan Galvin grubber was pounced on by Solomona Faataape. Api Koroisau converted to level the scores. Minutes later, the Tigers struck again, with Latu Fainu slicing through in the 52nd minute. Another Koroisau conversion made it 24-18.

The Warriors struggled for momentum, with errors and poor last-tackle options keeping them on the back foot. The Tigers almost extended their lead, but Terrell May lost the ball over the line, and moments later, a Jahream Bula try was denied for obstruction.

Momentum shifted when Leka Halasima sprinted down the sideline in the 69th minute, breaking tackles to score. Metcalf converted, tying the game at 24-all. A high shot on Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad minutes later gave Metcalf a 40-metre penalty attempt, which he nailed to put the Warriors ahead 26-24.

The Tigers, feeling the pressure, lost their composure. A late attacking chance ended when they had no dummy half, allowing the Warriors to dive on the loose ball and seal a gritty victory 26-24.

My Thoughts

Well, this was another character-building performance from the Warriors; they definitely made it hard for themselves at times. Around the hour mark, they looked almost certain to remain winless away from Auckland; they looked rattled for a spell, but they found a way to turn the momentum in their favor and get the job done.

The weather was awful, which caused a few more errors than either side would have liked, but both sides put together some nice attacking plays with some second-phase football and threw caution to the wind, making for an exciting yet nerve-racking match to watch. This was another match where the Warriors didn't panic even when behind on the scoreboard; they just kept pushing forward. This side's resilience since Round 2 has been the most pleasing aspect for me of this squad; they have faced adversity and pressure and found a way to still wind up on top. As I said last week, the true mettle of this side will be tested when they face a top-four side, which is just around the corner, so we don't have long to wait to see how much fight this team actually has. 

Back to the match, the forwards did their job well. Six of the pack ran for over 100 metres. For most of the contest, they won the battle up front, giving the backs more time and room to make attacking plays. Unfortunately, a combination of the Tigers' solid defence and the Warriors' attack left wanting at times, there were plenty of missed chances. However, with some fine-tuning, those missed opportunities will become points. The Warriors' defence was good for most of the game. Still, there were moments where there was either missed communication or they just switched off for a spell, which was all the Tigers needed to score some easy points, and if they had been a bit more clinical, they may have wrapped the game up with those two tries that were disallowed. But the NRL is full of what-ifs, and the Warriors found themselves on the right side of things this time. They find themselves 3-1 as they enter the bye and in a pretty sweet spot, but things will get more challenging after that with matches against the Storm, Broncos and Knights so they will need to use the bye week to rest up those niggles and work on improving the facets of thier game that are lacking a bit, if they do that and secure a win or two in those next three rounds, a finals spot is not as crazy as I thought it would be before the season kicked off. However, I want to see this side continue to improve each week without looking too far ahead.

There were a couple of things to smile about, which brings me to my positives.

Match Positives

This side just keeps finding a way to win the tight ones this season, which is the polar opposite of the Warriors team we saw in 2024. They don't seem to panic as much when they are chasing games. A more composed mindset is keeping them in the fight, and that needs to continue as you cannot expect to always be in front when you are playing in the NRL. In my end-of-year review last year, I said that if the Warriors had won a handful of the games they lost by a try, they would have been playing finals, so fingers crossed they continue to be on the winning side of these tight tussles.

The call-ups did their job. Rocco Berry was named, like I predicted, but he injured his hamstring, which saw Edward Kosi enter the lineup. As I said last week, I did not have a lot of faith in him being able to get the job done. He proved me wrong, running for 200 metres and only making two errors. He was safe under the high ball and did enough to keep his spot after the bye. Kosi is a confidence player, so I hope this performance allows him to find another level if he is named in Round 6. With the shock news of Dylan Walker leaving midweek to join the Eels, Bunty Afoa got the call-up to join the bench, had an active 25 minutes running for 114 meters and making 15 tackles. I had him in my Round One predicted team. While I was wrong there, I am happy to see him get his chance and not let anyone down, and I expect him to feature in the gameday 17 for the rest of 2025.

Lastly, Leka Halasima, man, this kid just continues to impress. He got another 30 minutes in this match but will be remembered for his 70-meter try, streaking down the sideline before bumping off two defenders to score in a great display of his speed and power. His power was also displayed in the rest of his performance, constantly being a handful for defenders to try and get to the ground. He is still very young and raw, but he is brimming with potential, and as exciting as his first NRL try was, we will surely see many more from the young forward. It's a matter of when, not if, that Halasima becomes a star in the NRL, and ensuring he remains a Warrior for a long time must be at the top of the front office's to-do list.

However, I did have concerns, which brings me to my negatives from the game.

Match Negatives

As I mentioned above, there were moments in this game when it looked like the Warriors switched off. These were brief lapses, but they became scoring opportunities for the Tigers. The Warriors will need to work on being present for 80 minutes, as teams like the Storm, Broncos, and Panthers will run away with games if you give them a sniff. This side has heart and has shown they will not quit on each other, so if those lapses disappear, it will make them much tougher to defeat.

Some of the Warriors' fifth-tackle options were subpar, and some wayward passes and kicks saw them waste some scoring opportunities. The halves are still working on developing their partnership, and cohesion will come in time; they just need to keep fine-tuning. The forwards will continue to play their part and try to win the middle battle to give them enough time to create attacking plays; they will just need to make the most of it, and I'm confident they can do it.

Warrior of the Match

My Warrior of the Match goes to Wayde Egan.

Another outstanding performance from Egan here, was electric running out of dummy half, never missing an opportunity to dart out of the ruck when the Tigers' markers were not paying attention. Also made 45 tackles with 5 misses and continues to remain healthy, which has always been his most significant issue. I'm unsure if he can continue playing for 80 every week. I don't know what the Warriors' plan is if he gets hurt during a match, but the Warriors' attack looks more threatening with him on the pitch, so long may his injury-free run continue. 

Warrior to Improve

I have no Warrior to improve this week, as I couldn't find any player in the 17 who let the side down.

Not everyone was perfect, but they all gave it 100%, which is all we can ask for.

Bye Round and Round 6 Thoughts and Prediction

In Round 5, the Warriors get their first bye of the season. It's a bit earlier than last season, but it's a good time to get some extra time for R&R and work on the issues I highlighted above as they prepare for the tough run of matches coming up. They are sitting in a good spot right now, but they can't get ahead of themselves and need to remain grounded as it's still very early days.

After the bye, the Warriors head to Melbourne to face the Storm, who play the Sea Eagles in Round 5.

As for the team I'd select, Roger Tuivasa-Sheck and Dallin Watene-Zelezniak will still be unavailable, so I am sticking with the same 17 that played in Sydney. None of the players in this game did anything to warrant a demotion, so I would reward them with another shot.

The Storm have been good this season, with strong efforts against the Eels and Panthers, but they did suffer a shocking defeat to the Dragons this Round. The match against the Sea Eagles hasn't happened yet. Still, it will be another tough one, but they will likely welcome the return of Jahrome Hughes when they face the Warriors in Round 6, which will make them very tough to beat. For the Warriors to end their Storm losing streak, which has seen them not record a victory over Melbourne since 2015, they need to not take a back step and make every scoring opportunity count; they cannot have any defensive lapses and give the Storm spine no time or room to play. I believe they have the ability to secure the victory, but unfortunately, I think the Storm are just too strong, so I am going with a Storm win by 12, but I hope I'm wrong.

So, that was a nerve-racking but positive Round 4, but as usual, I will leave you with some questions.

Do you have a player to improve?

Would you make any changes to the gameday 17 for Round 6?

How confident are you that the Warriors could be a finals team this season?

What is your score prediction against the Storm?