WARRIORS 22 - 10 EELS
FULLTIME: The Warriors have won back-to-back matches after claiming a 22-10 over the Eels. It was a hard fought win but finally their best win so far in 2017.
78mins: The Warriors nearly come up with a miracle try but they will get the ball back.
76mins: Warriors kick on the last and the Eels have to score here if they are to remain to be within a fighters chance of an unlikely comeback.
74mins: The Warriors are in field-goal range but a poor last tackle option hands the Eels possession again.
73mins: The Eels make a crucial mistake after Brad Takairangi threw an awful pass. Gavet is off the field and Mannering is back on while Solomone Kata is hobbling around the place.
71mins: James Gavet is down after a knock. But he gets back up and the clock will start winding down again.
70mins: Final 10 minutes of the match and Simon Mannering leaves the field. As always, he has had a monster game, running for 131 metres and making 43 tackles.
68mins: Warriors kick early and nearly trap the Eels but Clint Gutherson stays infield somehow. The Warriors then follow it up with great defence.
65mins: Eels have a seven tackle set after a poor last play option by the Warriors.
63mins: Isaac Luke makes a great run through the middle of the field and they win a penalty.
61mins: TRY WARRIORS: Ken Maumalo scores for the Warriors after some Kieran Foran magic. They attack down the blindside and Foran breaks the line and finds the mini beast on the wing.
60mins: Roger Tuivasa-Sheck makes a big break down the middle of the field and the Warriors have great field possession. Ryan Hoffman makes a poor mistake on the last tackle.
57mins: Ken Maumalo looks like he is going to score, but the Eels stop him. Then off the next play, the Eels win a penalty as Simon Mannering was offside after the fifth tackle kick.
55mins: The Warriors win a penalty and then the Eels are marched a further 10 metres for arguing with the referee.
54mins: The Warriors backs are now having a few runs to give the forwards some rest. However, they have not made much ground from this set.
52mins: Semi Radradra runs towards the line but great defence by Roger Tuivasa-Sheck and David Fusitua force the winger into touch.
51mins: The Eels win another penalty!
50mins: Kieran Foran drops the ball, but it was an awful pass thrown by Isaac Luke. After making only one mistake in the first half, they have made three in the second.
49mins: NO TRY: The The Warriors survive as it was confirmed obstruction was involved.
48mins: Corey Norman crosses the line. The bunker is checking the play for shepherding.
47mins: Another penalty to the Eels puts more pressure on the Warriors defence who now trail by a converted try.
44mins: TRY EELS: Warriors looking great defending their line, but ran out of number on the right wing. Kiwi Josh Hoffman scores the Eels second of the match.
43mins: Warriors make another mistake and the Eels have an attacking scrum.
42mins: Poor start from the Warriors who make an error on their first set of the half.
41mins: Eels make a break through the middle. They complete their first set of the second half and now the Warriors have possession.
40mins: The second half is underway in Auckland with the Warriors leading by 10.
HALFTIME: A near perfect half for the Warriors who made one error in the opening 40. Bodene Thompson and Mannering the try scorers for the home side while Nathan Brown scored the Eels lone try. Great physical half.
38mins: Warriors kick on the last and the ball to the wing of Maumalo goes too deep and Josh Hoffman makes a good match. Eels with a seven-tackle set.
36mins: First play, James Gavet is taken high and the Warriors win a penalty. Warriors will start the set just inside their half.
35mins: TRY WARRIORS: Bodene Thompson scores his second of the match. On the last, the Warriors spread the ball right, and RTS finds Ayshford who throws a mini NFL-esk pass to Bodene who scores.
33mins: Warriors with all the momentum right now. After two plays, the Warriors win a penalty as the Eels were offside.
31mins: TRY WARRIORS: Three letters, four points, it's a try to the Warriors as Simon Mannering scores his third try in two games against the Eels.
30mins: Possible try to Simon Mannering who caught a magnificent pass from Kieran Foran to run over.
28mins: James Gavet is back on the field after passing a concussion test. Warriors kick on the last and the Eels are forced to play at it and the Warriors will get the ball back.
26mins: Johnson lands the conversion.
24mins: TRY WARRIORS: Bodene Thompson scores for the Warriors. Shaun Johnson put through the grubber kick and the ball bounces towards Thompson who scores.
23mins: Blake Ayshford makes a break and throws an awful ball to David Fusitua, but the pass was knocked down by Michael Jennings. Luckily the Warriors will have an attacking scrum.
21mins: That try has given the Eels some confidence as they are now running the ball more direct and making good gro
19mins: TRY EELS: Nathan Brown scores the first try of the match under the black dot.
18mins: No side has had a real chance to score a try in the opening stages. Eels have a great chance to score right now as they have just won a penalty right in front of the posts.
16mins: Great defensive set by the Warriors as the Eels make little ground. RTS makes a nice return with the ball.
15mins: David Fusitua makes the mistake and the Eels are let off the hook.
13mins: The Warriors are getting some calls going their way. It looks like the Warriors make a mistake, but the Eels knock the ball forward. Warriors have a secure 20 from the try line.
12mins: The Eels fail on their final play and the Warriors gather possession and win a penalty for not releasing.
11mins: Eels win a penalty and the have possession in the Warriors half.
10mins: Warriors attack through the middle of the field. On the last, Johnson kicks towards the posts and the Eels look like they are going to be trapped but somehow they escape.
8mins: Semi Radradra has a massive bandage on his face due to the hit from Fus.
8mins: Eels make the most of the seven-tackle set as they are in great attacking position. Semi Radradra catches a hospital pass and is down on the ground. A massive hit by David Fusitua.
6mins: The new look Solomone Kata makes a break from a Kieran Foran pass and the Warriors are inside the Eels 30. They kick on the following play and the ball goes dead.
4mins: Michael Jennings breaks the line and is tackled 10 metres from the line. He gets back up to run, but the referee calls him back as the tackle was made. Warriors now have possession.
2mins: The Warriors attack down the wing and Fus throws the ball back infield and the ref stops play. It looks like it will be a scrum to the Eels but no! The Warriors have the ball again.
1mins: Warriors win an early penalty and are inside the Eels half after two plays.
KICKOFF: We are underway in Auckland. The Warriors will have first possession.
4:03 pm: The Eels are the first team out onto Mount Smart
4:00 pm: Both sides are looking for their third win of the season. The Eels are without try-scoring machine Bevan French.
Hello and welcome to live updates of the New Zealand Warriors hosting the Parramatta Eels at Mount Smart Stadium in Auckland.
We bring you live streaming written commentary, video highlights (be sure to refresh your browser) and all the action. VIDEO will be available as soon as the final whistle goes.
Commentary will start from around 4:00 pm (NZT). In the meantime check out the video above as Warriors coach Stephen Kearney talks about his connection with the Parramatta Eels.
Lineups
Warriors
1. Roger Tuivasa-Dheck, 2. Blake Ayshford, 3. David Fusitua, 4. Solomone Kata, 5. Ken Maumalo, 6. Kieran Foran, 7. Shaun Johnson, 15. James Gavet, 9. Issac Luke, 10. Jacob Lillyman, 11. Bodene Thompson, 12. Ryan Hoffman, 13. Simon Mannering
Interchange: 14. Nathaniel Roache, 8. Charlie Gubb, 16. Sam Lisone, 17. Ligi Sao
Eels
6. Clint Gutherson, 2. Semi Radradra, 3. Michael Jennings, 4. Kirisome Auva'a, 5. Josh Hoffman, 6. Brad Takairangi, 7. Corey Norman, 8. Suaia Matagi, 9. Kaysa Pritchard, 10. Tim Mannah, 11. Manu Ma’u, 16. Frank Pritchard, 14. Nathan Brown
Interchange: 12. Tepai Meoroa, 13. Beau Scott, 17. Siosaia Vave, 19. Peni Terepo,
Match facts and stats
Referees: Henry Perenara and Matt Noyen
Sideline officials: Anthony Elliot and Ziggy Przeklasa-Adamski
Review officials: Ben Galea and Ashley Klein.
At Mount Smart Stadium Parra have won only six times, and achieved it only once since 2007.
The Warriors have won three of the last four matches against the Parramatta Eels.
The usually all-powerful Warriors have made the least tackle breaks in the NRL this year.
The Eels are aiming to win back-to-back games at Mt Smart Stadium for the first time since 2005-06.
Semi Radradra will aim to avoid going a fourth-straight match without scoring a try. He has never gone so long in his career without a try.
Head-to-head: Warriors - $1.70 Eels - $2.05
Past meetings
*Head to head: Played 36, Warriors 16, Eels 20, drawn 0
At Mount Smart: Played 16, Warriors 10, Eels 6, drawn 0
Last time played: Eels 40 def Warriors 18, September 4, 2016
*Stats from NRL.com
Pre-match banter - Shaun Johnson mulling over NRL offers from Australian clubs
Warriors halfback Shaun Johnson has admitted he's been in talks with other NRL clubs as the race to sign the in-demand Kiwi heats up.
The off-contract 26-year-old would like to have his future locked down within the next few weeks,and although he loves his current club, he would be stupid to ignore interest from outside of Auckland.
"I've had chats with a club or two and so I know exactly what's there," Johnson told Newstalk ZB.
"I won't say what clubs, but I'm in a position where you're going to have to see what's out there, aren't you?
"There's pros and cons to everything you do and this just seems to be where I'm at, at the moment."
Johnson however is excited about what the Warriors are doing in regards of future planning, with the 2018 signing of Melbourne Storm forward Tohu Harris and the club's pursuit to lock new standoff Kieran Foran into a long-term contract.
Johnson said balancing that out, with his desire to be a one-club man against potentially winning a premiership in a short turnaround with a big club in Australia is weighing on his mind.
"They're putting the pieces of the puzzle in the right spots to create something, not just for one year but for multiple years, and I want to be a part of all that.
"But the other side of that is, if that success doesn't happen, am I happy going my career without winning a comp?
"So moving clubs, winning a comp with other clubs, does that mean as much to me as winning one at the Warriors? That's something I really have to think about."
The arrival of Foran has created excitement both within the club and its fan base. Johnson said the acquisition of his Kiwi teammate is what the club has been missing since the loss of James Maloney in 2011.
"It's opened my eyes to we've really missed - another established halfback and another established voice that has that will to win, has that competitive nature, that can really drive and lift a side.
"And that's no disrespect to the halves that are coming through. But if you look at the sides that win comps, they've got a spine with halves that are really established."
The uncertainty around Foran's playing future is a separate conundrum that the club is currently dealing with. The former Kiwi captain has two young children living in Sydney and wants to be close to them - this has all of the big Australian clubs circling around the 26-year-old.
Johnson was glowing in his admiration for his teammate and said his own contract decision would be an easy one if Foran committed to the Warriors beyond 2017.
"Just having both of us out there echoing the same thing, you want to be a part of that.
"I want to play with the best players, you want to play with your mates, and Foz (Foran) ticks those boxes.
"I'm not saying that if Foz leaves that I'm definitely gone. It's not about that at all. But certainly, Foz, we'd be very happy to keep him.
"Foz and I have had plenty of chats about what we want to do next year and whether we're going to be able to do it or not.
"That will all pan out over the next couple of weeks."
The Warriors host Foran's former club, Parramatta on Sunday at Mt Smart Stadium in Auckland, with both clubs chasing a third 2017 NRL season win.
Newshub.
