NZ Warriors 2026 Round 16 Review: Warriors Outgun Cowboys in Christchurch Thriller

After their disappointing 10-8 loss to the Sharks in Round 15, the Warriors remained in New Zealand, heading down to Christchurch to host the Cowboys, who had their first bye of the season last round.

The Warriors produced a strong attacking performance in Christchurch to get the better of the Cowboys in an entertaining contest. Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad led the way with four tries as the Warriors built early momentum and held on through a back-and-forth clash, winning 38-20.

What Went Down

The Warriors made a flying start, rolling downfield with ease and capitalising on the Cowboys' poor discipline. Their early pressure paid off in the 6th minute when Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad sliced through the defence to score close to the posts. Just three minutes later, he had his second, finishing out wide to give the Warriors an early advantage. The mood was dampened shortly after, when Jackson Ford left the field with a suspected pec injury. The Cowboys responded in the 22nd minute, when Scott Drinkwater fired a superb pass to Braidon Burns, who crossed in the corner. North Queensland levelled the scores four minutes later when Drinkwater backed up his earlier involvement by scoring himself in the 26th minute. The Warriors regained the lead in the 33rd minute when Nicoll-Klokstad completed his hat-trick. A slick shift to the left edge created the space he needed. The Warriors thought CNK had a fourth before halftime, but the touch judge ruled a pass forward in a decision that looked harsh on replay. This saw the Warriors go into the sheds with a 14-10 lead at the break.

When the sides returned to the pitch, it didn't take long for Nicoll-Klokstad to finally grab his fourth try, crossing in the 44th minute after another attacking raid down the left edge. The Cowboys suffered another blow in the 52nd minute when Jason Taumalolo was sent to the sin bin for a dangerous lifting tackle. The Warriors quickly made the extra man count, with Dallin Watene-Zelezniak finishing in the corner in the 54th minute. Despite being down to 12 men, the Cowboys remained dangerous and struck back in the 61st minute when Braidon Burns grabbed his second try of the afternoon following another strong attacking movement involving Drinkwater. The Warriors extended their lead in the 69th minute when Adam Pompey crossed after a kick contest. Replays showed Taine Tuaupiki challenging for the ball before Scott Drinkwater spilled it into Pompey's path. There was some uncertainty over whether Tuaupiki had got a touch on the ball, but after a review, the bunker ruled there was no contact and awarded the try. The result was put beyond doubt in the 73rd minute when Taine Tuaupiki sliced through the Cowboys' defence to score. Jeremiah Nanai grabbed a late consolation try in the 76th minute, but it did little to change the outcome as the Warriors secured an impressive victory, cementing their 2nd place spot on the ladder.

My Thoughts

Well, this was a much more satisfying performance to watch compared to last week, and it felt like an important step forward after those narrow back-to-back defeats. It wasn’t perfect by any means, but they did enough in key moments to stay in control and never really let the Cowboys build sustained pressure when it mattered most.

The forwards were a clear positive. After the off-night against the Sharks, Webster saw what the pack looked like without its key leaders and brought Mitch Barnett into the starting lineup, a smart move, especially once Jackson Ford went down early. The pack stood up and laid a strong platform, which made life much easier for the spine and outer backs. Depending on the severity of Ford’s injury, the coming weeks could get interesting, especially with James Fisher-Harris still sidelined, but as we saw here, some of the younger players are starting to find their rhythm.

From that forward platform, the attack had moments where it really clicked, with tries looking almost too easy at times. There were still a few chances left out there, but importantly, they didn’t let those moments derail their performance and just got back to work.

There are still work-ons, of course. The edge defence was stretched at times, and the Cowboys scored a couple of tries a bit too easily. That could be a concern against stronger opposition over the next few weeks, but it’s nothing that can’t be fixed on the training field.

This result puts the Warriors in a strong position on the ladder at a key stage of the season. A tough stretch of fixtures is now coming up, and they’ll need to find another level if they want to stay in the mix for a top-two finish. This win snaps the short losing streak and builds confidence, but it also serves as a reminder that the real tests are still ahead.

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

Match Positives

The Warriors came out firing and really set the tone early, getting on the front foot straight away. They built pressure through strong field position and didn’t waste time working out of their own end, consistently starting sets in good field position. The ruck speed was sharp, and that allowed them to play through the middle with confidence, rolling forward and keeping the Cowboys on the back foot. Starting well set the tone for the rest of the game and took a lot of pressure off the side when the Cowboys began converting some of their chances into points. Because of that early cushion, the Warriors never really had to worry about playing catch-up footy, which allowed them to stay composed and stick to their system even when momentum swung.

When the Cowboys started to work their way back into the contest, the Warriors showed real composure and didn’t get dragged into panic football. Even when momentum shifted and the scoreboard tightened, they stuck to their structure instead of chasing the game or forcing low-percentage plays. They trusted their system, worked back into good field position, and kept building pressure through repeat sets rather than rushing things. The “trust the process” line gets thrown around a lot and can feel overused, but it really does seem to fit this team Andrew Webster has built, with a clear belief in what they’re trying to do and a refusal to abandon their plan even when things get messy. That patience and discipline was evident in how they absorbed pressure, steadied the contest, and then found ways to wrestle momentum back at key stages.

The forward pack responded strongly after last week, even with the early setback of losing Jackson Ford early in the game. There was a clear lift in effort and intent through the middle, with Mitch Barnett leading the way, running for 191 metres and setting the tone with his work rate and carries. Tanner Stowers-Smith was excellent as well with 181 metres, consistently providing strong yardage whenever he got the ball, while Erin Clark added 133 metres and helped keep momentum building through the middle of the field. Jacob Laban continued his recent strong run of form, looking composed and effective throughout his minutes. At the same time, Marata Niukore showed more energy and involvement than in recent weeks, bringing a more physical and enthusiastic edge to his performance. Overall, it was a much more connected and improved showing from the pack, which gave the team a solid platform to work off.

Lastly, that crowd in Christchurch deserves some praise, with the new stadium looking incredible on TV and the atmosphere matching it perfectly. The noise and energy from those in attendance came through strongly and really lifted the feel of the match, with a packed house that had sold out months in advance showing just how much appetite there is for rugby league in the south. It was great to see a league-starved region getting a big-game experience like that, and the fans certainly didn’t disappoint with the way they got behind the contest from start to finish. Performances and atmospheres like that will only add to the ongoing conversation around Christchurch as a genuine rugby league destination, and it would have done no harm at all to the push for a permanent team based there.

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

Match Negatives

The Warriors’ edge defence is still an area that needs tightening up, although the reshuffling of the side does make it a bit more understandable. Even so, the Cowboys found too much space when they shifted the ball wide. At times, the defensive line was caught off guard by structured shifts, with the timing and connection not quite holding under pressure. It wasn’t a constant issue, but in key moments, it did allow North Queensland to score too easily through those edge opportunities. There were also a couple of miscommunications on kick defence between Taine Tuaupiki and Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad, with both looking unsure at times over who was taking control at the back. It led to some hesitation under the high ball and in kick returns, and at times it looked like CNK was slipping back into fullback instincts despite not being in that role. It’s not a major issue when the side is winning and playing with momentum, but in a tighter game against stronger opposition, it could cause headaches if it isn’t cleaned up.

The Warriors had a few clunky moments on the last tackle, especially when they had chances to really put the foot on the throat. Instead of going for the killer play, they often chose the safer option, kicking for territory and resetting their defence. In fairness, it’s not necessarily the wrong choice, and there is some smartness in not overplaying your hand. But in a game where they had momentum, there were a few moments where a bit more ruthlessness could have put the Cowboys away earlier. Maybe I’m being a bit selfish, but I just want to see this side really pile on the points when they’ve got teams on the ropes, because I know they’ve got that in them. It’s a small area, but against stronger sides, taking those chances when they’re there could make a big difference.

Jackson Ford's early injury was one of the more concerning moments of the match, as he left the field with a suspected pec complaint. Any kind of chest or pec injury is never ideal for a middle forward, given how much their game relies on strength and contact through the ruck. He went off early and is now set to go for scans to determine the extent of the damage. There was at least a small positive in the fact that he wasn’t seen in a sling on the sideline, which may suggest it isn’t too serious, but it’s still very much a wait-and-see situation. For Ford personally, it’s a frustrating time given what has been a breakout season for him. He’s really grown into a key part of the forward rotation and taken his game to another level, so hopefully it turns out to be minor and doesn’t halt that momentum he’s built.

Warrior of the Match

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

CNK was outstanding in his first full game back since injury, and he really stole the show with a four-try performance that could have easily been five on another day. He ran for 187 metres, broke the line four times, missed just one tackle, and didn’t record a single error, which sums up how complete his performance was. Those couple of small miscommunications with Taine Tuaupiki when defusing kicks were really the only blemish on an otherwise near-perfect night.

He doesn’t have the raw speed of someone like Alofiana Khan-Pereira, and really, not many do, but he more than makes up for it with sheer effort, determination, and the ability to keep turning up in the right places. He just keeps working for everything he gets and makes the most of every opportunity. It’s also going to make things really interesting for Andrew Webster when AKP returns, because if CNK keeps producing like this, you can't drop him, and it’s hard to see a situation where Taine Tuaupiki loses that fullback spot. It’s a great problem to have, and one I’m glad I’m not the one trying to solve.

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.

Round 17 Thoughts and Predictions

In Round 17, the Warriors head back across the ditch to Suncorp Stadium to face the Dolphins, who defeated the Wests Tigers 36-22 in Round 16.

As for the team I’d pick, there isn't much to change, except for Jackson Ford, who will be out with that pec injury. Mitch Barnett and Tanner Stowers-Smith would become my starting front rowers, and I would move Marata Niukore into the prop rotation and bring Kurt Capewell back into the second row.

The Dolphins have been one of the form teams of the competition in recent weeks. Since their loss to the Warriors in Wellington, the Dolphins have won seven straight games and currently sit third on the ladder with a 9-5 record, just two competition points behind the Warriors. More impressively, they've done it while missing several Origin players throughout that stretch. Rather than using those absences as an excuse, they've continued to find ways to win and have shown they have genuine depth across their squad. Their attack has been one of the biggest reasons for that success. The Dolphins have consistently put points on the board against opponents, playing with plenty of confidence and punishing teams that give them opportunities. They aren't a perfect side, and there are still areas opponents can target, but they are playing with a lot of belief right now. If the Warriors aren't at their best this week, the Dolphins are more than capable of making them pay.

For the Warriors to get the win here, it all starts up front. The Dolphins have threats right across the park, so the Warriors need their forward pack to stand strong and lay a platform through the middle. If they can win the battle for field position and control possession, it will go a long way towards limiting the opportunities the Dolphins' dangerous backs get with the ball.

Defensively, the Warriors simply can't afford to give the Dolphins time or space. This side is full of confidence and has shown throughout its seven-game winning streak that it can make teams pay for even the smallest mistakes. The Warriors will need to be disciplined, connected in defence, and ready to match the Dolphins' intensity from the opening whistle.

It won't be an easy challenge against one of the competition's form teams, but I think the Warriors are up to it. I'm expecting a tough, hard-fought contest, but I'll give the Warriors a slight edge and back them to get the job done by 8 points.

So, that was an entertaining Round 16, but as usual, I will leave you with some questions.

Did you have a player to improve?

Who would be your backline when AKP returns?

Would you like to see a 20th NRL team come from Christchurch?

What is your score prediction against the Dolphins?