The New Zealand Warriors have defeated the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs 24-12 in a strong showing at Accor Stadium on Friday night.
Result
New Zealand Warriors 24
Tries: Josh Curran (8), Addin Fonua-Blake (26), Dallin Watene-Zelezniak (35), Ronald Volkman (68)
Goals: Shaun Johnson (9, 27, 36, 69)
Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs 12
Tries: Harrison Edwards (46), Jayden Okunbor (73)
Goals: Matt Burton (48, 74)
Report
With both sides coming off losses at Magic Round, there was plenty of anticipation around which team could bounce back with a win. In the opening 10 minutes, the Warriors gained the ascendancy through the boot of Shaun Johnson. First he forced a line drop-out, then in the next set he grubbered through the line for Josh Curran to score untouched.
The pressure remained on the Bulldogs as they struggled with execution and ball control. A seven tackle set saw the Warriors march the length of the field and score again. Dylan Walker threw a flat pass to Addin Fonua-Blake, who charged through a gap to score his fifth try of the year. The bounce of the ball was against the Bulldogs too, when Adam Pompey intercepted an attempted flick pass.
Pompey was eventually run down by the Bulldogs cover defence, but Shaun Johnson’s skill was on show again when he chipped a kick out to Dallin Watene-Zelezniak, who caught the ball and scored in one motion. The Warriors cruising into halftime with a comfortable 18-0 lead.
Following the break, the Bulldogs came out showing plenty of energy. An early line drop-out forced the pressure back on the Warriors, and as a result the Bulldogs broke through. Harrison Edwards put on some footwork close to the line to score next to the posts. With a renewed sense of confidence, the Bulldogs found their momentum as the intensity of the game lifted.
However, the Warriors were up for the challenge and found their first points of the second half. Off a sloppy pass from dummy-half, Ronald Volkman kicked for himself and regathered after a ricochet. He stepped around Hayze Perham to score a solo try, extending the lead back to 18 points. A consolation try to Jayden Okunbor gave the Bulldogs fans something to cheer about late, but the lead was unassailable. The Warriors ultimately proved too good as they outlasted the Bulldogs 24-12.
PLAYER OF THE YEAR POINTS
Embed from Getty Images3 – Shaun Johnson (New Zealand Warriors)
2 – Addin Fonua-Blake (New Zealand Warriors)
1 – Tohu Harris (New Zealand Warriors)
