NZ Warriors 2026 Round 2 Review: Warriors’ Second-Half Surge Sinks Raiders

After their strong Round 1 victory over the Roosters, the Warriors stayed at home to host the Raiders, who were coming off a Golden Point win against the Sea Eagles in Round 1.

Played in wet conditions, the Warriors proved far too strong. They ran in 40 unanswered points, including 34 in the second half, to cruise to a 40–6 victory and improve their record to 2–0.

What Went Down

The Raiders struck first in the 4th minute after an early penalty against Jacob Laban handed them excellent field position. Crisp ball-playing from Joe Tapine and Ethan Sanders opened up the defensive line, sending Kaeo Weekes through a yawning gap to score the opening try of the contest.

Despite losing Kurt Capewell in the warm-up and later Chanel Harris-Tavita to a Category 1 HIA after connecting with the hip of Noah Martin, the hosts managed to respond. The Raiders’ discipline began to slip, and the Warriors capitalised in the 13th minute. A smooth shift to the right edge created space for Dallin Watene-Zelezniak, who slid underneath the scrambling defence to score in the corner.

Points remained hard to come by in a grinding first half, but the Warriors managed to draw level in the 33rd minute when Tanah Boyd slotted a penalty goal after a late tackle from Hudson Young on replacement Taine Tuaupiki. The kick brought the scores even and ensured the sides went into the break locked together.

The second half began perfectly for the home side. Just after the restart, in the 41st minute, an ill-timed Raiders pass was picked off by Ali Leiataua, who intercepted the ball and raced away to score, handing the Warriors a lead they would never relinquish.

Momentum continued to build when Boyd produced a clever grubber in the 48th minute. The kick sat up perfectly for the chasing Leka Halasima, who won the race to the ball and grounded it in the in-goal to extend the advantage.

From there, the final twenty minutes belonged entirely to the Warriors. Their defensive pressure paid off just after the hour mark, forcing another Raiders error deep in their own end. In the 62nd minute, some terrific ball-playing from Erin Clark drew in the defence and created space for Jackson Ford, who powered over the line.

The match was effectively sealed in the 67th minute when Halasima grabbed his second. Receiving early ball on the edge, the young back-rower fended away from multiple defenders and stormed his way to the try line.

Boyd capped off an excellent individual performance in the 74th minute with a memorable solo effort. After a 40/20 turned the pressure back onto the Raiders, Boyd put a grubber through, which ricocheted off several legs before Clark kicked the ball back, straight into Boyd’s path for the halfback to slam down. The finishing touch came in the 77th minute. Boyd again targeted the edge with a well-placed cross-field kick toward Savelio Tamale. Watene-Zelezniak timed his leap perfectly, soaring above the contest to grab his second try of the night and cap off a dominant performance from the Warriors.

My Thoughts

Well, that was another unexpected surprise. I had predicted a Warriors victory; however, I was expecting a tight tussle. I came into this match nervous, as it was on my birthday, the Warriors had never won a match on the 13th of March before, and I could not be happier that they broke that hoodoo in such a big way.

For much of the first half, the contest was fairly even; both sides were battling the elements and struggling to build momentum. However, the second half is where the game truly opened up. The Warriors piled on 34 points after the break, turning this into a very one-sided match. The conditions were horrible, but the Warriors handled them better than the Raiders. Thier patience stood out as the match progressed; they resisted the urge to force plays and instead built pressure through solid sets and field position. Once that pressure became too much, the Raiders simply struggled to keep up.

Just like last week, the Warriors pack laid the platform, winning the middle consistently, all the more impressive given that James Fisher-Harris had to leave the field for an HIA test. This saw the spine take control of the match, with Taine Tuaupiki making the most of his opportunity after the early exit of Chanel Harris-Tavita. With Tanah Boyd stepping up once again, the points started to flow.

Defensively, there was also plenty to like. The Raiders are a hard team to keep to a low score. Besides a soft try in the early stages and some issues restricting thier offload game, the Warriors did a great job limiting thier opportunites and driving the Raiders' players back to keep them on the back foot.

It wasn't a flawless performance by any means, with plenty of areas for improvement, and with a few stars nearing a return soon, we should see the Warriors take another level, which is an exciting prospect for what 2026 could deliver.

There was plenty to smile about, which brings me to my positives.

Match Positives

The most impressive aspect of the performance was the Warriors’ second-half dominance. After heading into the break locked at 6–6, they returned with greater control and intent, eventually piling on 34 unanswered points. Their fitness and composure stood out as the game wore on, as they continued to build pressure before striking repeatedly once the momentum shifted in their favour.

Another encouraging aspect of the performance was the Warriors’ resilience in the face of early disruption. With late injury concerns heading into the match and an early concussion forcing a reshuffle during the game, the side could easily have lost its structure. Instead, the Warriors adapted well, maintaining their composure and continuing to control the contest. The way they reorganised and stayed disciplined highlighted the group's leadership, belief in each other, and ability to manage the game despite setbacks.

Defensively, the Warriors grew into the match and became increasingly physical as it progressed. Their line speed and contact through the middle made it difficult for the Raiders to build any rhythm in attack. By consistently winning the collision and driving Canberra backwards, the Warriors were able to shut down their momentum and create the platform for their dominant second-half surge.

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

Match Negatives

Despite the convincing result, the Warriors’ edge defence still had a few shaky moments. The Raiders were able to create space out wide on several occasions and looked dangerous when shifting the ball. The wet conditions prevented some of those opportunities from turning into clean breaks or tries, but against stronger attacking teams in better conditions, those defensive gaps could be punished more consistently.

Another area the Warriors will want to tighten up is limiting second-phase play through the middle. At times, the Raiders kept the ball alive with offloads, allowing them to maintain momentum during certain sets. While it didn’t translate into many points, Canberra finished the match with 13 offloads to the Warriors’ 2, highlighting how often they extended their plays. Against stronger attacking teams, allowing that much second-phase football could put far more pressure on the defensive line.

Lastly, the Warriors have a growing injury toll. With Kurt Capewell and Chanel Harris-Tavita both ruled out and added to the casualty ward, the side is starting to feel the strain. The new extended bench has helped, allowing talents like Taine Tuaupiki to step into the contest and make an impact, but the Warriors will need a bit of luck in the injury department if they hope to remain genuine contenders later in the season. Managing the workload and keeping key players available will be crucial as the campaign progresses.

Warrior of the Match

My Warrior of the Match goes to Jackson Ford.

Ford could have easily been our selection last week, but I went with Tanah Boyd, and this week it was a toss-up between the two again. In the end, Ford’s performance was impossible to ignore. He played 76 minutes, leading the forwards with 154 metres from 16 carries, including six powerful tackle-breaks. He also topped the tackle count with 37 and scored a crucial try that helped swing momentum firmly in the Warriors’ favour. Ford has always been reliable to put in the hard yards, but in the past, silly errors and occasional lapses in discipline have held him back a little. It’s clear he has worked hard on eliminating those mistakes from his game, and the Warriors are reaping the rewards. His outstanding output has also helped reduce the hole left by Mitch Barnett’s current injury, giving the side greater stability through the middle.

Warrior to Improve

I don’t have a single Warrior to call out this week because none of the 17 that featured let the team down, or they simply didn't play enough minutes to be judged fairly. They weren’t all perfect, but every player gave it their all, and that’s all you can really ask for.

Next Round Thoughts and Prediction

Round 3 sees the Warriors head across the ditch for the first time in 2026 to face the Knights, who defeated the Sea Eagles 36-16, but it was at a cost, with both Kalyn Ponga and Dylan Brown suffering injuries, which should see them miss this clash against the Warriors.

Regarding the team I would pick, both Kurt Capewell and Chanel Harris-Tavita will miss this match. Halasima keeps that starting second-row spot, and I would move Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad into five-eighth, as I prefer his experience to Luke Hanson's, plus it allows Taine Tuaupiki to play at fullback. The only other change depends on whether Mitch Barnett is available for selection. If he is ready to go, then Tanner Stowers-Smith gets dropped, despite his strong showing.

The Knights have looked good in thier back-to-back wins in the first two rounds, but the losses of Ponga and Brown take a lot of wind out of their sails. That does not make them easy beats, though, with strike weapons like Bradman Best, Dominic Young and Greg Marzhew all ready to break a game apart at will. 

For the Warriors to get the win here, it's not a surprise, it's the same plan we saw against the Raiders, they need their pack to control the middle of the field again, get those quick play the balls, and give thier halves as much time as possible to play thier pressure-based game. On the other side of the ball, they need to have a quick kick chase, communicate when the Knights shift the ball and wrap up the ball carrier to eliminate the offloads. If they can tick all those boxes, they should move to 3-0, which is what I am predicting, with the Warriors winning by 18.

So, that was a dominant Round 2, but as usual, I will leave you with some questions.

Which Warriors player stood out to you the most?

With CHT missing this week, who would be your 6?

How confident are you that this is the Warriors' standard now?

What is your score prediction against the Knights?