NZ Warriors 2026 Round 7 Review: A Game of Two Halves, But Points in the Bank

After an amazing victory over the Storm in Round 6, the Warriors returned to Go Media Stadium to host the Titans, who also impressed in Round 6 with a 52-10 blowout over the Eels.

The Warriors did the damage early, and a dominant first half built a commanding lead, but a second-half lapse invited the Titans back into the contest. What looked comfortable quickly turned tense, yet the Warriors steadied when it mattered to secure a 28–20 win.

What Went Down

The Warriors came out in control and made that early dominance count. Alofiana Khan-Pereira opened the scoring in the 5th minute, finishing a slick left-edge shift in the corner. The Titans struggled to settle and kept handing over possession, allowing the Warriors to build pressure.

That pressure told again in the 22nd minute, with Khan-Pereira grabbing his second, after another sharp attacking movement. Tanah Boyd nailed the sideline conversion to push the lead out to 10-0.

The Warriors continued to dictate terms through the middle, and in the 29th minute, Chanel Harris-Tavita crossed next to the posts after the ball was kept alive. Boyd converted for a 16-0 advantage.

The Titans had a brief window, forcing a dropout through Jayden Campbell and thinking they’d hit back through Kurtis Morrin, only for the bunker to overturn it. Instead, it was the Warriors who struck again, going the length and finishing through Dallin Watene-Zelezniak in the 34th minute to extend the lead.

Boyd then added a penalty goal in the 39th minute to cap off a dominant first half, sending the Warriors into the break with a commanding 22-0 lead.

The Titans came out of the sheds with far more intent and were rewarded in the 50th minute, with Jojo Fifita finishing strongly in the corner. Campbell couldn’t convert in the tough conditions, but momentum had started to shift.

Any hopes of a comeback were quickly checked. From the ensuing set, the Titans made an error, and the Warriors capitalised almost immediately. In the 52nd minute, Erin Clark crashed over beside the posts after a short offload from James Fisher-Harris, with Boyd converting to make it 28-4.

From there, the Titans began to find success on the edges. Sialetili Faeamani crossed in the 68th minute after a lengthy bunker review confirmed the grounding, though the conversion was missed.

The pressure kept building, and in the 72nd minute, Tino Fa'asuamaleaui came up with a big aerial take before offloading to Arama Hau, who dummied his way over under the posts. Campbell converted to close the gap to 28-14.

The late surge continued in the 78th minute, with Kurtis Morrin scoring beside the posts off a short-side play. Campbell added the extras to bring it back to 28-20 with just minutes remaining.

But despite the momentum swinging hard against them, the Warriors held firm. They defended the final set and took the last tackle as the siren sounded, closing out a match they had effectively won with their dominant first-half performance.

My Thoughts

Well, that was a strange one. The first half was just about everything you could ask for. The attack had flow, the timing looked right, and the edges were lethal. Alofiana Khan-Pereira and Dallin Watene-Zelezniak caused constant problems out wide, and it all came off the back of a forward pack that laid a strong, direct platform through the middle. It genuinely felt like they were building towards one of those statement performances.

Then, halftime hit, and it was like a different team came out. The tempo dropped, the polish disappeared, and suddenly everything looked harder than it needed to be. The Titans weren’t doing anything overly special, but they didn’t need to; the Warriors invited them back into the contest with loose carries, softer defensive contact, and a noticeable dip in urgency. Where last week’s performance was built on sustained intensity, this one drifted away from that standard pretty quickly.

What stands out most is how quickly momentum can swing in this competition. The Warriors didn’t just take their foot off the gas; they lost control of the game, and against better sides, that’s the sort of lapse that costs you two points, not just makes things uncomfortable late. There’s a difference between managing a game and letting it drift, and this felt a lot like the latter.

In saying that, good teams still find ways to win when they’re not at their best, and that’s exactly what they did here. The first-half effort gave them enough of a buffer, and they showed just enough composure late to close it out. It’s far from a performance to hang your hat on, but it’s a result you take every day of the week.

If anything, this feels like a timely reminder rather than a warning sign. The standards they hit against the Storm are clearly there, but they’re not automatic. If this side wants to stay near the top of the ladder, it’s going to come down to maintaining that level for the full 80 minutes, not just when everything’s clicking early.

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

Match Positives

The Warriors set the tone from the outset, turning early dominance into points on the board. Rather than letting that control go to waste, they executed well and took their chances, capitalising on the Titans’ slow start. That forced the Titans onto the back foot straight away, chasing the game instead of settling into it. It also allowed the Warriors to control the tempo early and build a platform that ultimately proved decisive. They seem to have found the secret to starting well after being slow starters for the first few rounds; now it’s about turning that mindset into a full 80-minute performance.

The Warriors’ edge attack looked dangerous throughout, with both sides of the field creating genuine opportunities. Their shape and ball movement stretched the Titans’ defence, allowing them to find space out wide and capitalise. When those chances came, the finishing was strong, turning half-opportunities into points. With genuine strike finishers on both wings who need very little room to score in the corners, the Warriors become a real threat whenever they enter the opposition's red zone. It added another dimension to their attack and made them difficult to contain, particularly in the first half when everything was clicking.

The forwards impressed again, laying a strong platform through the middle and consistently winning the yardage battle. Their work rate and go-forward allowed the Warriors to play on the front foot, particularly in the opening stages. That effort is reflected in the numbers, with five members of the pack hitting triple digits, Jackson Ford leading the way with a massive 239 metres, followed by Mitchell Barnett (165m), James Fisher-Harris (131m), Erin Clark (119m), and Leka Halasima (104m). It’s that kind of output from the middle that gives the backs space and time to do their job, and when this pack delivers like that, it makes winning that much easier.

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

Match Negatives

The second-half drop-off is the biggest concern to come out of this performance. After controlling the game early, the Warriors lost their grip after halftime and let the momentum swing. There was a clear drop in energy and urgency compared to the first half, with intensity slipping on both sides of the ball. What had been a dominant performance quickly turned into a nervy finish, and while they held on this time, good teams put those games away long before it gets to that point. It’s hard to tell whether they simply put the cue in the rack after such a one-sided first half or whether the Titans genuinely hit the ground running after the break, but either way, the shift in momentum was too significant to ignore.

The Warriors’ ill-discipline started to creep in at key moments, with small errors and six-agains giving the Titans extra opportunities and field position. Instead of easing pressure when they needed to settle, those moments only added to it, keeping the game alive longer than it should have been. While none of it was catastrophic on its own, the accumulation allowed the Titans back into the contest and contributed to the nervy finish. When things start to slip away like that, they need to refocus and keep doing the little things right to stop momentum shifting so quickly.

The Warriors struggled to deal with the Titans’ offloads and short passing game, with 19 offloads helping the visitors keep the ball alive. The Titans also mixed up their angles well, shifting the point of attack and forcing the Warriors into slow lateral defensive movements. Once that rhythm was established, it allowed the Titans to exploit the edges and use their pace more effectively, particularly in the second half, when momentum was already swinging. Defending second-phase football has been a weakness for the Warriors this season, and they’ll need to get better at wrapping up the ball carrier to stop teams from generating that extra momentum.

Warrior of the Match

My Warrior of the Match goes to Jackson Ford.

Ford was outstanding once again, leading the side with a massive 239 running metres and backing it up with 49 tackles in another full 80-minute performance. He added real impact with 5 tackle breaks, while keeping his defensive work largely solid with just 3 missed tackles. Importantly, he stayed controlled throughout, finishing the match with no errors and only one ruck infringement. While there’s an argument for managing his minutes so he can consistently produce this level of output each week, he’s currently showing no signs of slowing down in what has been a genuine breakout season to date. Performances like this also ease some of my concerns around Mitchell Barnett’s departure at the end of the year, with Ford clearly making his mark in the middle and stepping into a bigger role with confidence.

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, and a few did fade a bit in the second half, but by that stage they had already done enough damage in the first to build a healthy buffer. Every player still gave it everything in their own way, and ultimately, that’s all you can really ask for in a performance like this.

Next Round Thoughts and Prediction

Round 8 sees the Warriors remain in New Zealand, heading down to Wellington to host the Dolphins, who went down 23-22 in Golden Point against the Panthers in Round 7.

Regarding the team I’d pick, just like I said last week (although Andrew Webster didn't listen), I would stick with the same squad. I know Adam Pompey will be back from suspension, but I'm liking the Chanel Harris-Tavita, Roger Tuivasa-Sheck and Alofiana Khan-Pereira combination on the left edge. The pack is pretty solid, too, so just leave it as is.

The Dolphins haven't really lived up to their potential yet this season, sitting at 2-4, but aside from their heavy loss to the Sea Eagles, they’ve been in the fight every week. What makes them dangerous, though, is their ability to create scoring opportunities from anywhere on the field. With strike weapons across the park, they can shift the ball, play with speed, and generate chances left, right and centre, meaning even the smallest lapse in defence can quickly turn into points. However, they have struggled to defend this season, so there is potential to punish their edges.

For the Warriors to get the win here, it starts through the middle. Their forwards need to lay a strong platform, win the ruck, and build momentum early to get the team on the front foot. If they can do that, it gives their spine the chance to shift the ball and create opportunities out wide, where they can really test the Dolphins on the edges. Defensively, it’s all about control and discipline, wrapping up the ball carrier, limiting second-phase play, and, most importantly, denying Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow and Herbie Farnworth any time or space. Give those two even a half chance, and they can turn a game in an instant. Playing in Wellington has been kind to the Warriors in recent years, and I’m not making the trip down there expecting a loss, so I’m backing the Warriors to get it done by 12.

So, that was a nerve-racking Round 7, but as usual, I will leave you with some questions.

What did you think of Alofiana Khan-Pereira's performance?

Did you have a Warrior to improve?

Was the second-half drop-off a concern for you, or was the game already done?

What is your score prediction against the Dolphins?