Warriors’ late rally comes up just short

NAPIER: This was a reality check for the Warriors.

They were expected to prevail over an understrength Brisbane outfit — missing five State of Origin players, including Reece Walsh and Payne Haas Z— but were outplayed and outenthused by the visiting side.

Ultimately, the Broncos’ defence was the difference against a Warriors attack that misfired for most of the match, as they prevailed 2622.

The Warriors almost managed a great escape, but a 79thminute Marcelo Montoya try, which would have levelled the scores, was ruled out after Adam Pompey pulled back a defender.

Their late revival, from seemingly nowhere, was impressive, as they had trailed 2610 with six minutes to play.

It was meant to be a great occasion in Napier, in front of a large 16,195 crowd, but the party did not really get going until the last 10 minutes.

The loss of Freddy Lussick and Charnze NicollKlokstad to HIA checks (Nicoll-Klokstad ultimately returned) did not help the Warriors’ cause, but the Broncos were dominant before the departures.

Brisbane halfback Adam Reynolds was superb, especially with his kicking game, and the unheralded Broncos pack upstaged their opposites. Luke Metcalf had a difficult debut in a beaten side and the Warriors lacked punch off the bench.

The result means the Warriors slip to a 66 record, before the Mount Smart clash with the Redcliffe Dolphins on Saturday.

Although it was a depleted Brisbane outfit, it still had plenty of quality in key positions, along with belief garnered from eight wins in 2023.

The first half was about defence, especially from the visiting side.

The Warriors then had three golden opportunities-but Brisbane winger Deine Mariner opened the scoring with an opportunist 85m effort, after Montoya fumbled an errant Metcalf pass. It was a hammer blow, but reflective of an attack that looked slightly out of sync.

Frustration was building, before WateneZelezniak finally got across, after a slick backline move. It was just reward for the Kiwis winger, who created the momentum, winning a penalty with a busting run.

But a sloppy first half was summed up by what happened next, Tom Ale spilling moments after the kickoff, before Jordan Riki slipped through some weak defence from close range, though the final pass looked forward.

An Ezra Mann try, created brilliantly by Reynolds, extended the Broncos’ advantage, followed quickly by a Reynolds penalty. A Watene-Zelezniak try gave some hope, after Johnson and Marata Niukore combined well on the right edge.

But the door appeared to be slammed shut by Mariner’s second try, engineered by Reynolds, which gave the Broncos a 2610 advantage.

However, the Warriors found something late, tries to NicollKlokstad and Montoya setting up the crazy finish.

The Warriors thought they had at least forced golden point, with another try to Montoya, before the bunker intervened to correctly rule on Pompey’s rash move. —