NZ Warriors 2026 Round 17 Review: Warriors Edged by Dolphins in Top-Four Clash

Fresh off an entertaining 38-20 victory over the Cowboys in Round 16, the Warriors returned to Suncorp Stadium to take on an in-form Dolphins side riding a seven-game winning streak. The Dolphins entered the clash full of confidence after a convincing 36-22 win over the Wests Tigers the previous week.

The Warriors pushed the Dolphins all the way in a tense 30-28 contest at Suncorp Stadium, fighting back repeatedly to stay within reach deep into the second half. A late Sam Healey try in the 74th minute looked to have given the Warriors a chance to steal it late. However, Selwyn Cobbo’s 77th-minute finish saw the Dolphins snatch a narrow victory.

What Went Down

The Dolphins opened the scoring in the 4th minute after Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow produced a brilliant defensive play to deny Kurt Capewell at one end. From their first attacking set, the hosts went to the air, and Dallin Watene-Zelezniak couldn't come up with the catch. Quick hands found Selwyn Cobbo, who outpaced the cover defence to score in the corner.

The Warriors responded almost immediately. The Dolphins made a mess of the ensuing kick-off, gifting the visitors excellent field position. Chanel Harris-Tavita produced a perfectly weighted kick to the corner, where Jacob Laban leapt above everyone to score in the 7th minute and level the contest. After Isaiya Katoa left the field with an arm injury, the Dolphins were forced into a reshuffle. They nearly hit back straight away when terrific work from Herbie Farnworth sent Kodi Nikorima bursting through the line, but Tanner Stowers-Smith somehow chased him down with a remarkable try-saving tackle. The missed opportunity proved costly. Following a poor end to a Dolphins set, the Warriors again turned to the boot of Harris-Tavita. Another pinpoint kick found Laban, who brilliantly batted the ball back for Watene-Zelezniak to dive over in the corner in the 17th minute. 

The Dolphins responded in the 23rd minute after earning repeat sets inside the Warriors’ red zone. Nikorima’s short ball put Farnworth through a huge gap, and the centre crashed over to cut the deficit.

The home side then reclaimed the lead just before half-time. A clever steal from Nikorima handed the Dolphins valuable field position, and some slick right-edge play involving Tabuai-Fidow and Jack Bostock sent Jamayne Isaako racing down the touchline to score in the 38th minute, giving the hosts a 16-12 advantage at the break.

The Dolphins extended their lead early in the second half. In the 49th minute, Bostock stepped inside Adam Pompey before putting a grubber through. The ball ricocheted off Taine Tuaupiki and sat up perfectly for Isaako to collect and score his second of the afternoon.

The Warriors refused to go away and struck back in the 60th minute. Off a well-executed scrum play, Harris-Tavita took the line on before Eddie Ieremia-Toeava delivered a sharp final pass to send Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad over untouched for his fifth try in the past two weeks.

With the Warriors chasing the game, the Dolphins’ defence continued to stand tall before finally falling to a decisive blow. After a Cobbo error handed the Warriors good field position, the visitors capitalised. The Warriors marched downfield off the back of strong carries and repeated pressure, and in the 74th minute, Sam Healey darted from dummy-half, powering through several defenders to hand the visitors the lead.

The hosts then all but sealed the result when they successfully regathered the short kick-off. The Dolphins immediately applied pressure inside the Warriors’ 20 metres, and after a bouncing ball sat up perfectly for Selwyn Cobbo, the winger crashed through two defenders to score in the 77th minute. Jamayne Isaako calmly converted from the sideline to secure a hard-fought 30-28 victory for the Dolphins.

My Thoughts

Well, this was another one that got away in what has been a frustrating pattern in the past month. The Warriors were in this one the whole way, but once again, when it came down to execution in the key moments, the Dolphins were just a touch better when it mattered most.

It's not like they didn't have control at times; there were periods where it looked like they could really take the game by the throat, however they just didnt build enough pressure when they got on top, letting the Dolphins off the hook with errors or poor options and against any side let alone a time riding high like them you cant leave the door open as they will make you pay.

Defensively, they had their moments, forcing the Dolphins into errors of their own, but too often the Dolphins found space a bit too easily, especially on the edges, and the Warriors looked just a step behind when the game shifted side to side, which, to be fair, they are not the only team that the Dolphins have done that to.

With the ball in hand, it was a similar story to recent weeks, patches of good footy, but not enough composure or polish to take full control when the game was there for the taking. There were a few moments where they had momentum and good field position, but just didn't pick the right option, and in games this close, it's all about icing those opportunites.

The forced changes in the forward pack can't be ignored either. I was worried about how the pack would fare with both James Fisher-Harris and Jackson Ford out, but there were some solid individual efforts and plenty of work through the middle; they just couldn't get the same consistent go-forward or control that they have built their 2026 game on.

Don't get me wrong, I thought this was a great game to watch, it's just unfortunate that both this game and the loss to the Panthers saw the Warriors on the wrong side of the result in one of the better matches of the season.

In the end, it's another match that falls into the "could have, should have" category; they weren't outplayed but more out-executed in the moments that mattered, and until they start nailing those key moments consistently, these tight results are going to keep slipping away. The ladder is tight, and they are still in a good spot; however, if they don't sharpen up those small details, they do run the risk of slipping out of the top four, so the fine-tuning needs to start now. It's not all doom and gloom, though. This side and the coaching staff have the ability to find another level, and the welcome return of some key players, plus a handy run over the next month, should give them the right opportunity to go up another level.

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

Match Positives

The forward effort in a physical contest was still a positive for the Warriors, especially with the pre-game concerns I had around the absence of James Fisher-Harris and Jackson Ford. They didn’t always get their own way through the middle against a strong Dolphins pack, but they stayed in the fight and held their own in a high-intensity top-four style game. The load was spread across the pack rather than coming from one or two dominant players, which helped them stay in the contest without over-relying on anyone. Mitchell Barnett (154m) led the way, with Eddie Ieremia-Toeava (114m) also getting over the 100-metre mark, but it was more of a shared effort across the group to keep them in the arm wrestle. That spread probably made sense given who they were missing, but it also shows how important Fisher-Harris and Ford are to this side. After the bye, they’ll need Fish to hit the ground running again and re-establish that real front-foot punch through the middle.

The ability to absorb pressure and respond was another positive in the Warriors’ performance, even with the Dolphins enjoying long periods of territorial dominance. There were times they were under sustained pressure in their own half, but they stayed connected and kept turning up rather than letting the game blow out. Plenty of times, the Dolphins looked to build a gap; the Warriors found a way to stay in touch, either through defensive effort or by punishing small errors when they came. It wasn’t perfect, but there was a clear refusal to drop off even when momentum was against them. In a game that swung back and forth, that resilience kept them in it right until the end and gave them a chance to still strike late; they just need to learn to convert that resilience into winning moments.

The young forwards in the pack continue to impress. Jacob Laban, Tanner Stowers-Smith and Eddie Ieremia-Toeava all made strong contributions in a high-pressure top-four contest and didn’t look out of place at this level.

Laban was involved around the ball in key attacking moments and had a couple of defensive plays that helped swing momentum the Warriors’ way. Stowers-Smith produced one of the defensive plays of the match with a crucial try-saving effort, while Ieremia-Toeava showed real composure and maturity in his minutes, even when pushed out to the centres late in the game. All three continue to put their hands up and make a strong case that they belong in this side week to week, highlighting the depth building in the squad and the positive signs for the club moving forward.

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

Match Negatives

After taking the lead late through Sam Healey, the Warriors still couldn’t find a way to close it out. They failed to control the restart and then couldn’t get through the ensuing defensive set, which has been a recurring issue in these tight finishes.

There were a couple of moments in the final 15 minutes where they had good field position and probably didn’t quite go to the right option. A grubber into the in-goal looked like the smarter play on a couple of sets, either to force a repeat set or put real pressure on the Dolphins’ goal line defence, but they instead came away empty-handed and released that pressure far too easily.

It’s now the third two-point loss in their last four games, and it’s starting to become a pattern. In these tight-tussle games, it’s more about game management and composure than anything else, and that’s where they’ll feel this one got away again. If they can learn to turn these narrow defeats into wins, the ability to go all the way this season increases tenfold.

The edge defence was a real issue again, with the Dolphins consistently finding space when they shifted quickly through Kodi Nikorima and Herbie Farnworth. Too often, the reads weren’t quite there, and it left the Warriors exposed out wide at key moments in the game. It’s an area that’s been a long-term concern for the club, particularly in the centres, and the recent injury disruptions haven’t helped matters either. With combinations being reshuffled and players coming in and out, there’s been a lack of cohesion defensively, and that showed here against a quality attacking side. To be fair, the Dolphins are one of the hardest teams in the competition to defend on the edges when they get their rhythm, but if the Warriors are serious about being a genuine premiership contender, this is an area they’ll need to tighten up and get right quickly.

As the game tightened late, execution slipped, and a few errors crept in at the worst possible time. It wasn’t just one big moment; it was more a build-up of small mistakes that broke their rhythm when they needed to be composed. They were trying to hold on and stay in control, but under sustained pressure from the Dolphins, the handling just wasn’t clean enough. A couple of sets where they just needed to complete and build pressure instead ended in turnovers or rushed decisions, handing momentum straight back. It’s also been a bit of a trend over the past few rounds, with errors slowly creeping back into their game after earlier in the season, when they were one of the better sides in the competition at eliminating the silly errors. They’ll feel like that’s drifted away a little in recent weeks, and it’s something they need to tighten up again.

Warrior of the Match

My Warrior of the Match goes to Jacob Laban.

Laban had another strong performance and continues to really make a name for himself in this side. He scored a try and set one up, but just as importantly, he stayed heavily involved throughout the match with 10 runs for 69 metres and 49 tackles, which shows the work rate he’s bringing every week. He’s not always going to be the flashiest player on the field, especially compared to someone like Leka Halasima, but his consistency and reliability more than make up for that. He just keeps showing up in the right moments, both defensively and around the ball, and his involvement doesn’t drop off. Andrew Webster also singled him out in the post-match interview, saying he’s been one of their best performers over the past few weeks, and it’s hard to disagree with that based on what he’s producing right now. At this point, he’s doing more than enough to lock down that starting edge forward spot and should be the first name there moving forward based on what he’s bringing week to week.

Warrior to Improve

My Warriors to Improve goes to Adam Pompey.

Pompey had a tough night overall. He finished with 150 metres and was 100% at the kicking tee, but that doesn’t really tell the full story of how shaky things were in general play. He came up with four errors and was also exposed defensively at different stages, with the Dolphins finding space down his edge more than once. For a long time, Pompey has held his spot largely through reliability and doing the simple things consistently well, but that level is starting to dip a bit. When that base goes, the rest of his game becomes harder to justify at NRL level. In saying that, injuries across the squad and his goal-kicking value probably keep him in the side for now, but it’s getting to the point where you’d start asking the question. The issue is that, with the current injury situation, it’s hard to see an obvious replacement waiting in the wings, which makes it one of the bigger selection headaches moving forward.

Bye Round and Round 19 Thoughts and Prediction

In Round 18, the Warriors take their final bye of the season before heading back to Australia to face the Wests Tigers in Round 19. 

It might feel like they’ve only just come off a bye, but this one comes at a perfect time, given how the squad is tracking. Injuries are starting to pile up, so the week off gives them a chance to get a few key players back on deck heading into the run home. It also provides a bit of space to reset and clean up some of the smaller issues in their game, turning a few of those “what if” moments from recent weeks into wins down the stretch.

As for the team I’d pick for the Tigers clash, James Fisher-Harris and Leka Halasima are expected to be available again, while there’s still no clear word on whether Dallin Watene-Zelezniak or Alofiana Khan-Pereira will be fit to return, so I’m working on the assumption that both are unavailable. 

Fisher-Harris comes straight back into the starting pack, with Tanner Stowers-Smith moving to the bench and Marata Niukore dropping off the bench to accommodate his return. In the backs, reports are linking the Warriors with a possible immediate move for Luke Laulilii from the Tigers. If that deal goes through, he would slot straight onto the wing. If not, I’d shift Adam Pompey out wide, bring Eddie Ieremia-Toeava into the centres, and move Halasima onto the bench.

The Wests Tigers have shown some improvement this season, but they’re still a side that can be up and down from week to week. They’ve had a few strong wins and look more competitive than in recent years, particularly through their middle defence and effort areas, but they’re still struggling to put together 80-minute performances. Their attack has been the main issue at times, with execution and last-tackle options breaking down in key moments, especially against the stronger sides. That’s kept them sitting around the middle-to-lower part of the ladder, even when the effort has been there. They’re not easy beats, though, and at home they do tend to lift, so the Warriors will still need to be sharp if they want to bank a much-needed win in Round 19.

For the Warriors to get the win here, they will need to get back to doing the simple things well if they want to get the job done against the Tigers. That starts with cleaning up the errors that have crept into their game over the past few rounds and ensuring they complete sets and build pressure rather than releasing it cheaply. Through the middle, they should look to re-establish dominance with Fisher-Harris back in the side, which will allow their edges to play off a stronger platform and limit the amount of scrambling they’ve been forced into defensively. If they can control field position and stay disciplined in their own end, they should have enough strike out wide to trouble a Tigers side that can leak points when under sustained pressure. On paper, it’s a game they should be targeting, and if they bring their best version of themselves, they’ll be hard to hold out. So if everything goes to plan, I am picking a Warriors win by 12.

So, that was a disappointing Round 17, but as usual, I will leave you with some questions.

Are the narrow game losses becoming a worrying trend?

Would you drop Pompey, and if so, who replaces him?

Do the young forwards give you confidence about the club’s future?

What is your score prediction against the Tigers?