LIVE COMMENTARY (Be sure to refresh your browser regularly)
Warriors – 30 Panthers - 10
FULLTIME - Back-to-back go the Warriors, and they now sit just two points outside of the top eight. Check out the video highlights above.
78 mins - TRY PANTHERS - Kikau nabs a consolation four-pointer from clsoe range. The crowd offers some token applause. Conversion wide.
74 mins - TRY WARRIORS - Agnatius Paasi hits the ball at pace and gives four defenders a free ride to the try line without even charging admission. A powerhouse run from the big forward, what an effort. Herbert keeps his perfect 100% record off the boot. (NZ 30-6)
72 mins - Papali'i with a cracking shot to force the mistake from Edwards - who's had a horror night - and his teammates are loving that one. More points on offer for NZ.
71 mins - TRY PANTHERS - The Warriors finally crack. Dean Whare puts Liam Martin into a hefty hole from a shortball and the Panthers are on the board. (NZ 24-6)
70 mins - Penalty Panthers. They launch again from 10m. Can this superb NZ defence maintain their clean tryline? They defend five then give away another penalty, here they come again.
68 mins - Panthers' short kick-off comes up trumps. Penalty and they tap and go from 30m out...
66 mins - Another penalty, fresh start just 10m from the hosts' line. Hold on, they're going to take the shot. Umm, yeah sure. (NZ 24-0)
65 mins - Fusitu'a makes a crucial defenmsive play to kill of the Panthers movement. NZ to the 50m line on the 5th, then score the penalty to put them back on the offensive.
57 mins - TRY WARRIORS - Up steps the man of the moment Kodi Nikorima to produce a moment of individual brilliance that, dare I say it, looked like a prime Shaun Johnson touch of magic. Nothing on, dummy sold on the inside, a lethal step to leave the fullback frozen and and he's over untouched. Herbert converts. (NZ 22-0)
55 mins - Lawton to Tevaga, and Jazz breaks down the middle! Hand on the pass to RTS and it's six more, 20m out...
53 mins - Rough call sees the ball in NZ hands. Another great attacking opportunity squandered however, Green's grubber far too strong.
51 mins - Penalty NZ, right in front and just metres out. But again, they opt to take the two points. Not sure about that decision, put the foot on the throat, I say. (NZ 16-0)
49 mins - Aimless attack from NZ, Green's kick is poor and the Panthers surivive. Merely two tackles later and the ball is back in NZ hands after a mistake.
48 mins - Green clears on the fifth, deep it goes and both DWZ and Edwards collide and hot the deck as they try to take the ball. Comical, but fortunate both are uninjured. NZ will have a crack from 10m now.
46 mins - Afoa with a try-saver on Kikau. Wide they go and Maumalo makes the one-on-one tackle to wrap up the Panthers set.
45 mins - Nikorima threatening on the right edge, throws a hospital ball to Hiku and it goes to ground. Panthers go again from 3om out...
44 mins - And Fisher-Harris drops it ice cold on the 2nd tackle. Wow.
43 mins - Cleary kicks behind the line and Nikorima throws a hand out. Panthers a fresh set 10m out...
42 mins - Strong first set for the hosts, must score first in this second stanza. Enormous bomb hangs in the cluds, RTS under it and somehow takes it cleanly as two defenders hammer him. Brilliant.
41 mins - Maumalo has 114m and four tackle busts at the half. Beastmode.
Second half underway...
HALFTIME
39 mins - Mistake from Maumalo inside Panthers territory, there have been a ton of those so far tonight.
38 mins - Defence holding firm for NZ. Leota with room but he spills it with the line beckoning, great tackle from Tevaga to force the ball loose.
36 mins - The Warriors return the favour, sloppy play of the ball from Tevaga. Another chance for Penrith to steal points before halftime.
35 mins - Fumble from dummy half by Katoa and the errors just keep on coming for the hosts.
34 mins - RTS does well to collect the grubber. Mistake from Hiku, ball spills clear and the overlap is one but DWZ's pass is a shocker and it's into touch. Ref rules no advantage, Penrith scrum 10m out from the NZ line...
32 mins - Maumalo carries strongly again from the restart. The big winger has been a handful.
30 mins - Panthers on the ropes, another penlaty right in front. Tough call, but they opt to take the gift two points. (NZ 14-0).
28 mins - Penrith survive that set but you wouldn't believe it, a knock-on in the secod tackle play of the ball hands it straight back to NZ. 10m out now...
26 mins - NZ return from the clearance, early kick from Luker is a pearler...rolls into the Penrith in-goal. They scramble out but knock-on after a huge hit from Papali'i on the chase. Big chance here for NZ to extend the lead.
25 mins - NZ on attack again, Paasi spills one on the fourth just 10m out.
22 mins - Panthers starting to show some more urgency, they turn Maumalo - who's a bit ginger after an earlier hit - around and force a repeat set. But Fisher-Harris knocks-on in tackle two. Ouch.
20 mins - NZ complete from the restart and back come Penrith. Great kick from to the corner and Maumalo has to scramble to get out of his in-goal.
18 mins - TRY WARRIORS - Put that one down to the Nikorima break earlier in the movement. RTS ranges wide, draws two then finds Herbert on the outside who - again - has acres of space. Too easy for the breakthrough centre. Up he steps to convert his own try from the sideline. 100m set from the restart for the visitors. (NZ 12-0)
16 mins - Nikorima breaks clear! Finds Maumalo who beats two but brought down at the Panthers 20m...
15 mins - TRY WARRIORS - Issac Luke bursts from dummy half from close range and is almost surprised with how much room he has, obliges by powering over under the black dot. Plenty to prove for Luke tonight and he's made a great start. That one was gift-wrapped. (NZ 6-0)
13 mins - RTS with a superb take of a looping bomb from Maloney. Fusitu'a and Maumal back that up with barnstorming runs, then comes the penalty. NZ takes 1st tackle at the Penrith 40m...
12 mins - Completed sets both ways. Luke making some handy metres out of dummy half.
10 mins - RTS with space, draws two and breaks semi-clear, flick pass to Fusitu'a isn't reeled in and it's a Panthers scrum at their own 10m. Would've been a try if that'd gone to hand.
8 mins - Predictable attack from Penrith, this time the grubber is cleaned up by Fusitu'a who does well to get out of his in-goal. Piggyback penalty helps the NZ cause.
7 mins - Another well-weighted grubber from Blake after some staunch NZ defence. Another drop out and more tackling to come for the Warriors.
6 mins - Back to back Penrith penalties, no consideration given to the shot at goal from right in front. Very early kick to the in-goal, NZ drop out.
4 mins - NZ caught short on the right edge and Hiku is forced to play at the pass. Six more coming up for Penrith, 10m out...
3 mins - Panthers with the one-on-one strip. Third tackle to the NZ 40m...
1 min - The Warriors receive first. Luke involved early, scampers from dummy half and sets Herbert away for a cheeky 20m. Wrapped up on 5th, solid first up set.
8pm - First we'll have a minute silence for former Australian Prime Minister Bob Hawke, who died - aged 89 - on Thursday. The man loved his league, that's for certain.
7:59pm - The team are out on the paddock, Warriors in their white away strip. Let's dance.
7:40pm - In case you missed the late mail, hooker Nathaniel Roache has been scratched from tonight's game with a back injury. That sees Issac Luke called up from reserve grade to start, while Karl Lawton remains on the bench.
Kia ora and welcome to live updates as the Warriors look to make it back-to-back wins for the first time this season when they take on the struggling Panthers in Sydney.
We bring you live streaming written commentary, video highlights (be sure to refresh your browser) and all the action from 8pm.
Commentary will start from around 8pm (NZT). In the meantime check out the video above for a preview of tonight's game.
Betting odds
Warriors - $1.97 Panthers - $1.80
Pre-match banter
Kearney wary of wounded Panthers
Warriors coach Stephen Kearney is all too familiar with the crushing pressure faced by the Panthers, describing Friday's NRL match as akin to walking into a hornets nest.
Penrith's season is on life support after a 30-4 mauling from the Wests Tigers left one of the pre-season competition favourites languishing in equal-last place and staring at potentially a sixth-straight loss when the improving Warriors visit.
Kearney has sampled the strain of disastrous seasons, firstly in a harrowing head coaching stint at Parramatta followed by some lean periods with the Warriors.
He believes a fortress mentality will envelope Ivan Cleary's team and has called on his players to absorb early intensity and then unveil the composure that carried them to a fighting 26-18 win over the Dragons. That result broke their own four-match losing streak.
"It's the challenge for us, we're walking into a bit of a hornets nest this week," Kearney said.
"We have an expectation of what we're going to be confronted with but our focus is on what we need to do.
"I've had enough to worry about here, than worry about some other footy club and their woes."
Kodi Nikorima's solid debut in the halves played a part in the Warriors' improved finish in Brisbane.
Their unanswered 20 points in the second half compared favourably with the late meltdowns of previous weeks and Kearney is hopeful of a repeat.
He expects Nikorima and Blake Green to gel tighter with every outing and concedes that will be critical to the Warriors' finals hopes.
"I think Kodi will improve. I think he challenges the defensive line when he carries the footy," Kearney said.
"What I was most pleased about at the weekend, I thought he defended pretty good."
Nikorima and Green will square up with Nathan Cleary and James Maloney, who have shown only scraps of form all season for Penrith and are under mounting pressure to keep their NSW State of Origin spots.
AAP
