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Warriors 26 Broncos 16
Fulltime
Warriors 26 (Maumalo 2, Passi, Egan & Papali'i tries; Harris-Tavita 3 goals) Broncos 16 (Coates 2, Farnworth tries; Isaako 2 goals)
40th minute: Brisbane kick off and Hiku runs over the sideline. Victory is achieved!
38th minute: TRY to Papali'i
Egan dashes towards the posts, Green swallows the ball, Blair takes the last tackle, but instead of taking a drop goal, Green runs right and finds Papali'i on the charge. He won't be stopped!
Harris-Tavita misses the conversion, but it doesn't matter.
37th minute: Brisbane feed the scrum 10m out from their line, but at the back of the pack, Dearden fumbles and knocks on. Warriors ball 10m out.
Brisbane defence is way offside at the scrum, so another chance for Green to control the game.
36th minute: On the last tackle, Green kicks to the corner and touch, putting Brisbane on the back foot.
35th minute: Isaako kicks off short and Coates rises high to grab possession. Flegler dropps the ball cold and the Warriors have a chance to clear their territory.
33rd minute: TRY to Maumalo
Warriors over halfway, big runs from Blair and Papali'i, before Hiku puts Maumalo over in the corner, but he appears to have dragged his foot in touch.
Replays show he is still in the air when he forces the ball, so the try stands. Harris-Tavita slices his conversion from the sideline, so the game is not safe yet.
32nd minute: Pangai wrapped up in midfield on the last. Croft runs, but Blair rips the ball free and knocks on - more possession and position for Brisbane.
Warriors apply the captain's challenge and are successful - ruled a loose carry, so they get the ball.
30th minute: Warriors struggling to clear their own territory. Green kicks deep, but Niu defuses.
29th minute: TRY to Egan
Harris slips a short pass to Papali'i, who is pulled down short of the line, but Egan runs from dummy half and plants the ball in a tackle.
Harris-Tavita is handy to the posts and slots the conversion to take the lead back, 18-16.
27th minute: Blair reaches halfway and offloads.Green kicks behind Isaako, who dives on the ball, but slides over his goal-line for a dropout.
26th minute: Oates is caught on the final tackle and lets the Warriors off the hook. They draw a penalty on the first tackle and clear their line.
25th minute: Luke milks a penalty on Lawton. Isaako kicks to halfway.
23rd minute: Green looks for a short pass to Herbert, but he spills it cold.
22nd minute: Another set restart for the Warriors, but Hiku is wrapped up.
21st minute: Harris heads towards the posts and draws a set restart. Egan passes right and Fusitu'a has the overlap to score.
Hold your tickets, Glenn has challenged. Hiku has slipped and taken down Milford, try wiped out, but penalty stands.
20th minute: Green kicks deep for a 40-20... that puts them back on the front foot.
19th minute: Green kicks to Niu, who is wrapped up by Hiku.
18th minute: Milford chips towards Fusitu'a, but he's much safer under the ball than Hiku.
17th minute: Luke has miraculously passed his HIA and is back on the field for Brisbane. Another set restart for the Broncos - their sixth of the game.
16th minute: TRY to Farnworth
Milford puts up a high kick and Hiku is nowhere near it. The ball bounces over the goal-line, then bounces backwards over Maumalo's head, with Farnworth following up.
That's a shocker! Isaako converts from in front, Broncos 16-12.
15th minute: Warriors deep into Broncos territory, Green is tackle on the last, Harris-Tavita doesn't seem to realise and Hetherington dies with the ball.
13th minute: Dearden is almost through a gap, Croft kicks to the goal-line, but Maumalo knocks the ball dead, before Farnworth's despairing dive. Ref rules Farnworth knocks on and awards the ball to Warriors.
12th minute: Crunching defence from Brisbane, Warriors can't make any ground and Murchie is hobbling, after a heavy tackle.
11th minute: Ball goes right and Coates threatens again, but he loses the ball in the tackle.
10th minute: Herbert has the ball ripped away in Milford's tackle, Brisbane on attack.
Ninth minute: Brisbane can't make their 40 on the last tackle and Hiku is there already with his run-back.
Eighth minute: Passi and Maumalo make metres with big runs - both tryscorers, both want to go home early.
Seventh minute: TRY to Passi
From dummy half, Egan finds Passi charging with a no-look pass and although it's reviewed, there's no doubt he scored beside the posts.
Harris-Tavita converts and the Warriors lead.
Sixth minute: Lawton zigs and zags and zigs again. Brisbane are offside on the last tackle in front of their own posts, but Egan takes the tap.
Fifth minute: Hetherington gets over halfway and offloads. Set restart, so they're on a roll.
Fourth minute: Set restart for Brisbane. Luke charges up field, but clashes heads with Harris-Tavita and then the ground as he falls.
He leaves and probably won't be back. Broncos restart, but throw a loose pass and Isaako knocks on.
Third minute: This time, Niu is safe under Green's kick.
Second minute: Hiku gathers the long kick and clears his line.
First minute: Brisbane kick off and Heatherington takes the hit-up. They're quickly deep into Broncos territory, Green kicks high, but Isaako rises high to take it.
Halftime
Broncos 10 (Coates 2 tries; Isaako goal) Warriors 6 (Maumalo try; Harris-Tavita goal)
The Warriors have had ample chances to be ahead in this contest, so if they can just take some confidence from that last try, they could still take this one.
39th minute: TRY to Maumalo
Warriors go left, Harris-Tavita passes to Beale, who flicks the ball on to Maumalo, who sprints 20m and rolls over in a tackle. Harris-Tavita slots the sideline conversion, as halftime arrives.
38th minute: Hiku catches a high ball from Croft.
36th minute: Warriors attack right, but Hiku swallows the ball. Green and Harris-Tavita create space out left, but the final pass is looping and spilling by Maumalo.
Butchered!
35th minute: Oates spills the ball inside the 30 and the Warriors have another attacking opportunity.
34th minute: Set restart for Warriors in midfield. Harris drive up the middle, Harris-Tavita chips, but Niu gathers safely on his line.
33rd minute: Luke almost puts Croft through the gamp, Milford kicks high, but Fusitu'a is equal to the task.
32nd minute: Actually, somehow the Warriors are awarded the scrum and they clear their line. Set restart on the first tackle for Brisbane.
30th minute: Broncos on attack, Pangai tries to find his winer, but Maumalo cuts the pass off. He can't catch it cleanly, so another midfield scrum for Brisbane.
29th minute: Milford kicks high and Hiku puts it down in front of the posts.
26th minute: TRY to Coates
Warriors just crabbing back and forth across the field on the tryline, and eventually Lawton tries to offload to Maumalo, but Coates picks it off and sprints the length of the field. That's a coach-killer... oh, that's right, they already did that.
Isaako finds the posts with the conversion, Brisbane 10-0.
25th minute: Green spots a wee gap and sprints towards the posts. He draws a penalty by the posts, but the Warriors take the tap.
24th minute: Egan runs from dummy half and sucks a penalty against the markers. Loan player Hetherington makes his debut for the Warriors.
23rd minute: Brisbane have the defence on the ropes, but Milford tries a late offload and the Warriors pounce on it.
22nd minute: Warriors attacking again, but don't seem to have many ideas. Harris-Tavita kicks to the goal-line, but Coates gathers and sprints to halfway.
21st minute: Warriors defence forces Isaako into another error and have the scrum feed in midfield.
19th minute: Croft tackled on the last, Milford kicks to the line, but Hiku covers it again.
18th minute: Warriors on attack, but Beale throws a pass behind Maumalo, who can't gather it. News that Nikorima has failed his HIA, so he won't return.
17th minute: Set restart for Warriors, as Harris takes them over halfway.
16th minute: Brisbane run the ball on the last tackle and Isaako almost puts Niu over in the corner, but Blair and Herbert bring him down short.
15th minute: Set restart for Brisbane on their own 40.
14th minute: Warriors switch the direction of their attack, but Beale shells the pass and lets the Broncos off the hook.
13th minute: Herbert and Fusitu'a wrap up Isaako, and bundle him over the sideline inside Broncos territory - their best attacking opportunity so far.
12th minute: Fusitu'a and Hiku get the ball over halfway, but Niu tidies up Harris-Tavita's kick.
11th minute: Glenn takes the ball over halfway, Milford kicks high and Maumalo takes it to ground.
10th minute: Milford finds space with an angled kick and Hiku tidies.
Ninth minute: Warriors kick off, Haas has his seventh run.
Eighth minute: TRY to Coates
Broncos hot on attack, Croft moves the ball right to Isaako, who provides the final pass for his wing with the overlap. Maumalo tries to slap the pass away, but misses, and Coates is in the corner.
Isaako's conversion from the sideline hits the post and bounces out.
Seventh minute: Haas runs hard and dents the line.
Sixth minute: Carrigan throws a wild pass, Brisbane lose 20m, but the grubber from Croft forces the Warriors to concede a goal-line dropout.
Fifth minute: Set restart for Brisbane about 12m out - great position.
Fourth minute: Blake kicks high, Isaako bobbles, but secures it. Pangi runs over Nikorima, who looks groggy, after hitting his head on the ground.
They're taking him off for a head assessment - he's got that far-away look in his eyes. Harris-Tavita comes off the bench.
Second minute: Back-up hooker Karl Lawton seems to be out there in the second row. He's been good when he gets the chance, so deserves a shot from wherever they can find a spot.
First minute: Warriors kick off, Haas with the first hit-up. Croft puts up a bomb, but Hikua defuses it.
Raw-looking Brisbane side tonight, with so many front-liners missing. Kiwi Alex Glenn is the captain entrusted with turning this ship around, with veteran hooker Issac Luke and Jamayne Isaako the other NZ players in the Broncos side.
Warriors half Kodi NIkorima holds the key for his team - he was with the Broncos until midway through last season and has starred in the Warriors' two wins this season.
*****
Kia ora, good evening and welcome to Newshub's live coverage of the NRL clash between NZ Warriors and Brisbane Broncos from Central Coast Stadium.
While neither of these teams occupy the bottom of the competition table - Canterbury Bulldogs save them from that ignominy - both desperately need a win tonight to keep the wolves from their doors.
The Warriors have already lost their coach, after Stephen Kearney was unceremoniously dumped two weeks ago, but Broncos mentor Anthony Seibold's job is also on the line, after five straight losses since the NRL returned from COVID-19 shutdown.
Both sides have been wracked by injury and the Warriors are now grappling with homesickness, as some of their players threaten to return home, unless their families receive border exemptions to join them at their Gosford base.
This week, the Warriors will also have to front up without talismanic captain Roger Tuivasa-Sheck - consistently their best player in a dire season - who copped a one-game suspension for a dangerous tackle against Melbourne Storm last week.
But hooker Wayde Egan returns from his one-week stand-down and Penrith loan player Jack Hetherington seems set to make his Warriors debut off the bench. Winger David Fusitu'a also returns from injury, while Peta Hiku drops to fullback and Gerard Beale takes his place in the centres.
Brisbane are $1.56 favourites at the NZ TAB, with the Warriors paying $2.35 to win. Kick-off is 7:30pm (NZ time).
Warriors' Leivaha Pulu returns to NZ after pregnant wife's car crash
NZ Warriors player Leivaha Pulu is returning to New Zealand immediately, after his pregnant wife was involved in a car crash.
The club has confirmed that Pulu's wife hasn't suffered any serious injury and is understood to be recovering well.
Pulu received the news on Wednesday night and was understandably eager to return home as soon as possible.
The 30-year-old is yet to feature for the Warriors this season and was not named in the 21-man squad to play Brisbane Broncos at Central Coast Stadium on Saturday.
Warriors chief executive Cam George tells Newshub that Pulu is willing to rejoin the squad in Australia, if he's able to get an exemption from Australian border authorities.
But the club is already looking for his replacement, talking with other teams to add another loan player.
With his Warriors contract set to expire at the end of the season, Pulu may have played his last game for the Auckland-based side.
Pulu is understood to be part of a group of Warriors players - which also includes Ken Maumalo, David Fusitu'a and Agnatius Paasi - who want to return to New Zealand, if the NRL is unable to secure Federal Government exemptions for their families to join them by July 19.
Paasi has four young children, along with his partner, back in Auckland, while Maumalo is also a young father and Fusitu'a's partner is expecting the couple's first child.
Coach Todd Payten has already drawn up a list of targets for potential loan players should those players leave after the round 10 clash with Cronulla Sharks.
The recent COVID-19 spike in Victoria has made the border situation more difficult, although Australia Rugby League Commission chairman Peter V'Landys still hopes a trans-Tasman bubble will be established soon to ease the strain of the Warriors' two-month stint away from home.
