NZ Warriors 2026 Round 4 Review: Tigers Hand Warriors Reality Check

After a dominant display in Round 2 against the Raiders, the Warriors made their first trip across the ditch to face the Knights, who also looked impressive with a 36-16 victory over the Sea Eagles in Round 2, but lost Kalyn Ponga and Dylan Brown in the process.

The Knights started strong, but the Warriors took control around the 10th minute and never looked back, outscoring the Knights six tries to two and extending their record to 3-0, moving to the top of the ladder with a 38-12 victory.

What Went Down

The Warriors capitalised on some early ill-discipline from the visitors to open the scoring in the 9th minute. The switch of Taine Tuaupiki to fullback immediately paid dividends, with his speed causing confusion in the Tigers’ defensive line. Taking advantage of his move to right centre, Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad backed up the play and crossed for the first try of the contest.

The hosts struck again just six minutes later. In the 15th minute, a clever short pass from Tanah Boyd sent Jacob Laban crashing through Jock Madden and Heamasi Makasini to give the Warriors their second try and early control of the match.

The Tigers struggled to capitalise while Adam Pompey was in the sin bin for a professional foul, but they eventually found success down the right edge after the Warriors were back to 13 men. In the 32nd minute, Adam Doueihi sliced through some shaky defence from Pompey, fended away from Luke Metcalf and found debutant Faaletino Tavana, who crossed for a try in his maiden NRL appearance.

Momentum continued to swing the Tigers’ way soon after. After a terrific scramble to regain possession following a Warriors break, Kai Pearce-Paul looked to have levelled the scores in the 35th minute. A towering Jock Madden bomb was contested well by Tavana, who appeared to bat the ball back before quick hands sent the English international over. Following a lengthy bunker review, referee Chris Butler eventually awarded the try.

With the Warriors beginning to make errors, the Tigers finally made their field position count just before the break. In the 39th minute, Royce Hunt powered over beside the posts to give the visitors the lead, their first half-time advantage in New Zealand since 2005.

The second half began tightly, with both sides guilty of squandering attacking opportunities. Eventually, Doueihi again troubled the Warriors’ right edge defence with a sharp show-and-go. Breaking clear in the 59th minute, he linked up with Jahream Bula in support, who crossed next to the posts to extend the Tigers’ lead.

The Warriors were then held scoreless for nearly 50 minutes, a stark contrast to their strong start to the season. However, after spending long periods camped inside the Tigers’ 20-metre zone, they finally broke through. In the 68th minute, Nicoll-Klokstad powered across for his second try of the night, setting up a tense final ten minutes.

The Tigers responded quickly to shut the door on any comeback hopes. In the 73rd minute, Doueihi again sparked the play, sending Luke Laulilii racing down the sideline before the ball was worked inside for Jock Madden to score the decisive try.

There was still time for one more blow, with Sunia Turuva crossing in the 79th minute to add the finishing touch to an emphatic 32-14 Tigers victory.

My Thoughts

Well, that was a humbling thump back to Earth. I came into the match brimming with confidence, believing that while the Wests Tigers had shown improvement this season, the absence of Jarome Luai would make it difficult for them to create enough attacking opportunities to stay in the contest. Unfortunately, it's possible the Warriors arrived with the same mindset. After racing out to a 10-0 lead in the first 15 minutes, they appeared to ease off the gas pedal. After three weeks of comfortably playing from in front, they didn't look ready to chase the game once momentum swung the other way. 

For me, what made the Warriors' performance frustrating was that the game felt like it was there to be controlled early. The Warriors started well, looked sharp with the ball, and built good pressure. Once the Tigers found their rhythm, the momentum shifted quickly. Errors crept in, the defensive line lost its shape, and suddenly the Warriors looked a step slow. Against a team that loves to attack, giving them that confidence and field position was always going to hurt them.

As the Tigers built pressure, the Warriors struggled to wrestle back control. Instead of steadying the ship, the game seemed to speed up around them. Good sides recognise those moments, slowing things down, completing their sets and forcing the opposition to earn their way back into the contest.

That said, putting my positivity hat on, this loss might not be the worst thing this early in the season. After three strong wins to start the year, expectations were beginning to rise quickly. Sometimes a defeat like this is the reminder a side needs that the competition is too tough to take any opponent lightly. If the Warriors learn the right lessons, it could be a valuable wake-up call rather than a defining setback.

There wasn't much to smile about, which brings me to my positives.

Match Positives

The Warriors made their best start to a match this season and looked sharp with the ball in the early stages. They took advantage of a few Tigers errors and quickly turned that pressure into points, with tries from Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad and Jacob Laban giving them an early lead. It showed how dangerous their attack can be when they build pressure and finish their chances. While the Warriors have often produced their best football after slow starts this year, this game proved they can begin strongly as well. The key now is to ensure they maintain the same intensity and execution throughout the full 80 minutes.

I had been keen to see Tuaupiki at fullback with Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad moving to centre, and I thought this ploy largely worked. Tuaupiki added speed and unpredictability to the Warriors’ attack early in the match, helping create the opening try and showing he can inject himself effectively into attacking plays. While he did have a few shaky moments defensively, it’s clear he still has some work to do to round out his game if he wants to hold the fullback role long-term.

Even after being held scoreless for a long period, the Warriors didn’t completely drop their heads. Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad’s second try gave them a brief lifeline and showed there was still some fight in the side. They just need to keep that resilience and make sure they capitalise on any opportunities they create in the future. The Warriors showed last year that they can pull off fightbacks, and they need to bring that back whenever the situation calls for it.

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

Match Negatives

The Warriors’ pack didn’t control the middle of the field as they had in previous rounds, limiting their attacking opportunities. Four forwards still reached my triple-digit metre target: James Fisher-Harris (139m), Jacob Laban (112m), Jackson Ford (110m), and Tanner Stowers-Smith (101m),  but these totals were at the lower end compared to earlier weeks. They weren’t overpowered, but in the middle, they struggled all night to gain the upper hand. If the Warriors want to be consistently successful, their forwards need to become bullies in the middle again, and sooner rather than later, because so much of the team’s success depends on their go-forward.

The Warriors struggled at times to find cohesion with the changes made to the gameday squad, especially with the first-time halves pairing of Luke Metcalf and Tanah Boyd. Their combinations didn’t always click, and some attacking plays looked disjointed as they adjusted to each other’s timing. All the changes were the ones I suggested last week, and in the long run, I think they will make this team successful. A few teething problems are to be expected, but with time to gel, this squad has the potential to click and reach its best form.

Several of the Tigers’ tries came from defensive misreads, especially on the edges. Players often seemed unsure whether to jam in or slide across, leaving gaps that the Tigers’ playmakers could exploit. One moment stood out when Leka Halasima and Dallin Watene-Zelezniak were completely out of position and were made to look foolish by Adam Doueihi. I know there are new combinations in the side, but the players need to trust the man on either side to do their job. With time and experience together, the defensive line will improve, and these kinds of lapses should become less frequent.

Warrior of the Match

My Warrior of the Match goes to Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad.

CNK stepped up in a nig way after a late switch to the centres and delivered a strong performance. Despite playing out of his usual position, he was one of the Warriors' most dangerous attacking threats, scoring two tries and leading the side with two linebreaks and four tackle breaks. His ability to find space and inject himself into the attack gave the Warriors some much-needed spark. The move to centre limited some of the high-effort areas he usually excels in at fullback, and his defensive reads were a bit patchy, but he still did a very serviceable job in the centres when the team needed him. Performances like this show just how valuable CNK is to the side and his willingness to step up wherever he's required. I still like the idea of keeping both him and Tuaupiki on the field at the same time, but I have a feeling Andrew Webster will change back to the status quo after this defeat and move CNK back to fullback.

Warrior to Improve

My Warrior to improve was Dallin Watene-Zelezniak.

DWZ worked hard coming out of yardage, finishing with 114 running metres, but his night was hurt by a team-high three errors. Those mistakes halted momentum at key moments and put extra pressure back on the Warriors. There were also a few shaky defensive reads on his edge. While some of that came from poor efforts and communication from the players inside him, he still needs to make better decisions in those situations. Watene-Zelzniak has been solid through the first three weeks of the season, but if he can't get those handling errors under control, he risks becoming more of a liability than the attacking weapon we know he can be. I have been on team Alofiana Khan-Pereira since preseason, but I think DWZ deserves the right to a redemption match in Round 5.

Next Round Thoughts and Prediction

Round 5 sees the Warriors head back across the ditch for an Easter Sunday clash vs the Sharks, who defeated the Raiders 34-22 in Round 4.

Regarding the team I would pick, I would stick with the same side. While the loss was disappointing, I don’t think wholesale changes are the answer. The best way for this group to build cohesion and improve their combinations is to continue getting reps together, especially with some new partnerships in the backline. Some areas need tightening up, particularly defensive communication and handling errors, but those can be addressed without changing the lineup. Giving this group another week together should help them respond after a tough performance.

The Sharks have been a difficult team to predict this season. They’ve produced impressive wins over the Titans and Raiders, but also turned in disappointing performances against the Panthers and Dolphins. On their day, they’re a dangerous side to face. If Nicho Hynes and Braydon Trindall are clicking in the halves, they can cause plenty of headaches for the opposition by unleashing their dangerous backline. Up front, Addin Fonua-Blake will no doubt be highly motivated and eager to get one over his former club.

For the Warriors to get the win here, the formula is simple: stick with what has worked over the opening rounds. Control the middle, build pressure, and take their chances when the opportunities come. The Sharks have plenty of attacking weapons, so the Warriors must stay disciplined, communicate well in defence, and limit offloads to stop second-phase play from building momentum. If they can win the ruck, complete their sets, and maintain their defensive structure, they’ll give themselves every chance of securing the two points. I’m backing them to bounce back from this week’s effort, so I’m tipping the Warriors to win by 8.

So, that was a disappointing Round 4, but as usual, I will leave you with some questions.

Would you make any changes to the lineup?

What were your thoughts on Metcalf's return?

Who was your player of the match?

What is your score prediction against the Sharks?