NZ Warriors 2026 Round 25 Review: Warriors Survive Souths Scare to Storm Into Top Spot

After another strong win over the Broncos in Round 24, the Warriors remained in Australia, heading to Sydney to face the Rabbitohs, who looked impressive in their 22-6  win over the Bulldogs last round.

The Warriors made a blistering start against South Sydney, racing to a 12-0 lead before taking a 26-8 advantage into halftime. The Rabbitohs fought their way back into the contest in the second half, but the Warriors regained control late to secure a 45-26 victory.

What Went Down

The Warriors exploded out of the blocks against the Rabbitohs, scoring twice inside the opening seven minutes to take an early 12-0 lead.

James Fisher-Harris opened the scoring in the 5th minute, with the Warriors applying pressure early before their forward pack eventually created the opening for the veteran prop to cross.

Just two minutes later, Leka Halasima doubled the advantage in the 7th minute, with the Warriors again making the most of their early attacking pressure. Taine Tuaupiki converted both tries to put the visitors in complete control of the opening exchanges.

South Sydney responded in the 13th minute, with Jack Wighton getting the Rabbitohs on the scoreboard and giving the home side some momentum after the Warriors' fast start.

The Warriors quickly answered back, with Mitch Barnett crossing to restore their 12-point advantage. The Rabbitohs refused to go away, however, and Alex Johnston added another try in the 24th minute to reduce the deficit.

The Warriors continued to apply pressure and extended their lead with a penalty goal before producing another attacking play in the 32nd minute.

Eddie Ieremia-Toeava broke through the South Sydney defensive line, creating space for the Warriors to attack. Chanel Harris-Tavita was on hand to finish the movement, crossing for the Warriors' fourth try of the night. Tuaupiki added the conversion, taking his tally to 5/5 with the boot.

The Warriors headed into halftime with a 26-8 lead.

The visitors continued their strong start after the break, with Dallin Watene-Zelezniak crossing in the 44th minute to extend the lead.

However, DWZ suffered a shoulder injury during the scoring play and was forced from the field, leaving the Warriors without one of their key attacking options.

The Rabbitohs immediately began to find opportunities on that side of the field. Tallis Duncan crossed in the 48th minute, cutting into the Warriors' advantage.

Alex Johnston then grabbed his second try of the night in the 53rd minute, keeping the Rabbitohs' comeback alive.

South Sydney continued to build pressure, and Cody Walker crossed in the 60th minute, completing a run of three tries in 12 minutes.

With Jayden Sullivan adding the conversions, the Rabbitohs had turned a 32-8 deficit into a 32-26 contest with almost 20 minutes still to play.

The Warriors finally stopped the South Sydney surge in the 68th minute when Jacob Laban crossed on the right edge. The try gave the visitors some much-needed breathing room and shifted the momentum back in their favour.

Five minutes later, Alofiana Khan-Pereira finished another Warriors attacking movement in the corner, crossing in the 73rd minute. Tuaupiki continued his perfect night with the boot, adding the conversion.

With the result effectively secured, Luke Hanson added the finishing touch in the 79th minute, slotting a field goal to complete the scoring.

My Thoughts

Well, that was a much more interesting game than it probably needed to be. The Warriors looked like they were going to run away with it early, racing to a 12-0 lead before taking a 26-8 advantage into halftime. South Sydney had other ideas, though, and suddenly what looked like a comfortable win became a real contest. Thankfully, the Warriors settled things down and finished the job.

I liked the variety we saw in attack. The Warriors weren't relying on one particular way of scoring, with tries coming through the forwards, out wide, from broken play and some really good individual skill. That makes them much harder to defend because they can hurt you in so many different ways.

The Warriors' pack continues to control the middle and provide the platform for the rest of the team. Even when Souths started throwing everything at them, the forwards kept taking the ball forward and kept the team moving in the right direction. When the middle is winning that battle, it makes life so much easier for everyone outside them.

That flows into how impressed I was with the way Chanel Harris-Tavita handled the move to halfback. This was the sixth different halves combination the Warriors have used this season, so there were plenty of questions about how the reshuffled spine would work. CHT slotted into the No.7 role really well, got involved in attack and didn't try to overplay his hand.

Luke Hanson also deserves plenty of credit. There were some defensive issues, but I thought he and CHT worked well together in the halves. Hanson showed plenty of promise and can certainly go home with his head held high. He also showed some composure late in the game by slotting the field goal to put the result beyond doubt and give the Warriors a one-point advantage over the Panthers on differential.

The Warriors also showed they can adapt when things don't go according to plan. DWZ's injury forced changes to the backline, Souths had all the momentum, and suddenly the game was in the balance, but the Warriors found a way to regain control. That experience will be valuable heading into the finals, where games can change very quickly.

There is still work to do. The defence was a concern at times, particularly during Souths' second-half comeback, and there were a few attacking opportunities the Warriors probably should have taken. But the important thing is that this team knows it isn't the finished product and continues to grow.

The Warriors now find themselves sitting in first place with two home games left in the regular season, and the opportunity to claim the minor premiership is right there in front of them. It's a fantastic position to be in, but this is where they need to stay focused and not get ahead of themselves. As cliché as it sounds, it's about taking it one game at a time. Win both of those home games, and they give themselves every chance of finishing the regular season on top, but there is no point looking beyond the next challenge.

We've now seen the Warriors dominate games, grind out tight wins and respond when momentum swings against them. If they can keep improving and clean up those little areas, I genuinely think the sky is the limit for what this team can achieve.

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

Match Positives

The Warriors' forward pack once again laid the platform, with Mitchell Barnett leading the way with 183 metres, followed by Eddie Ieremia-Toeava (154m), James Fisher-Harris (131m), Tanner Stowers-Smith (118m) and Kurt Capewell (101m). The impact didn't drop when the bench forwards came on either, with Ieremia-Toeava in particular making a huge contribution and providing the line break that led to Chanel Harris-Tavita's try. That go-forward allowed the Warriors to play on the front foot and gave the halves and outside backs plenty of room to attack. This has become one of the keys to the Warriors' success this season, and if they can maintain this level of dominance through the middle, the sky really is the limit for what they can achieve this campaign.

Taine Tuaupiki was perfect with the boot, converting all of his opportunities in a game where every point mattered, particularly when South Sydney mounted their second-half comeback. After the goal-kicking concerns I've raised throughout the season, seeing Tuaupiki go 100% is a real positive and gives the Warriors another reliable option when they need it. His performance also gives Andrew Webster another selection headache to ponder when Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad returns, with Tuaupiki showing he can offer plenty both with the ball in hand and from the kicking tee. If Tuaupiki can maintain this level of accuracy, it could well and truly be the final piece of the puzzle the Warriors need as they push for a premiership.

After leading 32-8, the Rabbitohs scored three tries in 12 minutes to reduce the deficit to just six points, but rather than panic, the Warriors regrouped and eventually regained control. Jacob Laban crossed in the 68th minute before Alofiana Khan-Pereira finished the job five minutes later, with Luke Hanson adding a field goal late to complete the scoring. The ability to stop the bleeding, absorb the pressure and re-establish control is another important string to the bow as the Warriors prepare for the finals. Having a side swing momentum against them and still finding the determination and composure not to collapse will be vital in the sudden-death arena, where every moment matters, and there is no room for a bad spell to end your season.

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

Match Negatives

My biggest concern was the number of defensive lapses, particularly once South Sydney found momentum in the second half. Conceding 26 points isn't a disaster when you score 45 yourself, but the way some of those tries came will be a concern. After Dallin Watene-Zelezniak left with his shoulder injury, Souths repeatedly targeted the Warriors' edge and scored three tries in 12 minutes, turning a 24-point deficit into a six-point game. There were too many occasions where the communication wasn't there, players were getting caught turning in, and the trust between defenders seemed to break down. The attack was good enough to cover those lapses on this occasion, but the Warriors won't be able to give sides that many opportunities in the finals and expect to get away with it.

At 32-8, the Warriors had the game firmly in their hands, but just 15 minutes later South Sydney had cut the lead to 32-26. The Rabbitohs deserve credit for the way they fought their way back, but the Warriors made life far more difficult for themselves than it needed to be. When you have a 24-point lead, you need to be able to control the game, manage the momentum and make the opposition work for every point. Against a stronger finals opponent, allowing a game to swing that dramatically could prove much more costly. The Warriors showed they could recover, but ideally this is a lesson they won't need to learn again when the stakes are even higher.

Lastly, it feels like it wouldn't be a Warriors game without another injury, and this time it was Dallin Watene-Zelezniak who came off second best, breaking his collarbone. To his credit, DWZ tried to fight through the pain and was making his way off the field when he saw the play was still on. He turned around, got himself back into position and finished the movement by crossing for the try. Andrew Webster has confirmed DWZ will require surgery, although there is still a chance he could return during the finals. The Warriors have truly lived by the "next one up" mentality this season, and I'm sure that will continue here, with whoever gets the opportunity expected to step up and do the job. But it still sucks to see DWZ potentially miss out on what could be a great end to the season. Hopefully the surgery goes well, and he can make his way back in time for the finals, because he has certainly earned the chance to be part of it.

Warrior of the Match

My Warrior of the Match goes to Eddie Ieremia-Toeava.

EIT certainly made a statement here with another impressive performance off the bench. EIT ran for 154 metres from 14 carries, made 24 tackles without missing one, and was heavily involved in attack, breaking the line and producing a superb offload for Chanel Harris-Tavita's try. He was asked to move around after DWZ's injury and looked a little less comfortable at right centre, but once he shifted back to the left, he again showed his attacking threat by setting up Alofiana Khan-Pereira's try late in the game. Performances like this are also making the selection battle even more interesting when Jackson Ford is fit and ready to return, with the Warriors' bench forwards doing everything they can to make that decision a difficult one for Webster.

Warrior to Improve

My Warrior to improve goes to Adam Pompey.

Pompey had a night he'd probably rather forget. Coming into the side late for Ali Leiataua, there were some bright moments in attack, including two line-break assists for Dallin Watene-Zelezniak, but things became much more difficult once he moved to the wing following DWZ's injury. Pompey finished with 12 carries for 119 metres, but his defensive work was a major concern, with poor reads and positioning that helped South Sydney find plenty of success down that side during their second-half comeback. You can't pile all of the defensive blame on Pompey, as the Warriors' issues were a team problem, but he looked a step behind the rest of the side at times and struggled to adjust to the change in position. It's an area he'll need to tidy up, because against the better sides, those lapses can quickly turn into points.

Round 26 Thoughts and Prediction

In Round 26, the Warriors return home to host the Newcastle Knights, who went down 44-24 to the Sea Eagles this round.

As for the team I'd pick, the only changes I'd make would be bringing Te Maire Martin back into the halves if he is cleared to play, with CHT moving back to No. 6. I'd also bring Luke Laulili onto the wing to replace DWZ, while Ali Leiataua would come back in for Adam Pompey.

The Knights have been in some really good form over the past month, putting together three straight wins before suffering a heavy loss to Manly this week. Newcastle picked up some impressive results during that run, beating the Broncos 30-6, the Raiders 30-24 and the Titans 36-26, while their attack has continued to look dangerous. The 44-24 loss to Manly was certainly a setback, particularly defensively, but it doesn't erase what had been a strong run of form. The Knights will now be looking to bounce back against the Warriors, and after the way they've been playing in recent weeks, they are certainly a side that can't be taken lightly heading into the final rounds.

For the Warriors to get the win here, they need to start this one with the same intensity we've seen from them in recent weeks and make the Knights work for everything through the middle. The forward pack will be crucial again, but the biggest focus has to be on their defence, particularly around the edges where they can't afford to give Newcastle easy opportunities. If they can win the battle through the middle, limit Kalyn Ponga's influence and keep their discipline, I think the Warriors have enough attacking firepower to put plenty of points on the board. The Knights will be desperate to bounce back from their loss to Manly, so this won't be an easy game, but I think the Warriors will be too strong, and I'm tipping them to win by 18 points.

So, that was a tense Round 25, but as usual, I will leave you with some questions.

Who would you bring in for DWZ?

Are you concerned with that defensive effort?

Does Taine Tuaupiki's perfect night with the boot change your thoughts on the goal-kicking situation?

What is your score prediction against the Knights?