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Warriors - 24 Bulldogs - 10
FULLTIME
Three in a row for the Warriors, who refuse to let their finals hopes die.
Check out highlights and a full wrap here.
78 mins
Okunbor drops the ball with an open tryline begging. Just about sums up the afternoon for the Bulldogs.
71 mins
You wouldn't read about it - another Bulldogs illegal strip pinged by the referee. NZ 10m out. Poor O'Sullivan pass lets the Bulldogs off.
70 mins
Comical moment as a Bulldogs bomb sails back at least 15 metres from the point of contact. Reverse 40/20 was in play.
67 mins
Sione Katoa again with a high shot, and he finds himself on report for the second time. Great touchfinder from Walsh, and they tap from 20m out.
Bulldogs hold on, fifth tackle turnover.
65 mins
NZ earn a penalty for a strip in the tackle. How about this, a shot at goal from 40-odd metres out. Walsh lines it up... bangs it over. (NZ 24-10)
64 mins
Kosi takes the offload at the line and looks to be falling over the Dogs' line to score, until the ball spills free in a desperation tackle. Ouch.
63 mins
Kosi knocks on first tackle and the Bulldogs quickly spread the ball wide and score under the corssbar. The Warriors blow up, as Kosi was clearly hit in a no-arms shoulder charge after the fumble. Video referee agrees, and they'll go back for an NZ penalty, but somehow Sione Katoa escapes without a sinbinning. High, and a shoulder charge. Wow.
Huge swing play there in this contest.
61 mins
More poor discipline results in repeat set restarts on the Warriors' own line, but they manage to hold on.
58 mins
Repeat sets on attack for the Warriors, early grubber doesn't come off for Walsh. Back at the other end, Kosi is pinned in his own in-goal for a drop out.
51 mins - TRY WARRIORS
Curran does well to force a loose pass and pounce on the ball to secure possession in great attacking position. CHT opts to kick on the first tackle and Walsh comes to the party, streaking through to reel in a bouncing ball and place it just inside the deal ball line. Great skills. Follows that up with a sideline conversion. (NZ 22-10)
50 mins
Warriors hold off repeat sets on their own try line, poor passing letting them off the hook.
48 mins
Warriors direct in attack, quick plays and some strong forwrad carries providing momentum. Bulldogs grab a penalty deep in their own half to relieve some pressure.
45 mins
Kosi soars to reel in a hefty bomb. The big man has been prominent today. Meaney up to the task with the CHT high ball.
41 mins
Steady start to the half for the Warriors. Early attacking raid ends in a misguided offload with the line in sight.
Second half underway...
HALFTIME
39 mins - TRY BULLDOGS
Jayden Okunbor finds himself with plenty of room on the right edge, finishing in the corner as the halftime hooter sounds.
37 mins
Curran breaks again, finds O'Sullivan in support, who can't quite link with Aitken, who was clearly held back by a Bulldogs player. Appeals fall on deaf ears, and the Bulldogs will run it out.
31 mins
Curran can't hold on to a short ball, but the Warriors soon have the ball in back in great attacking position courtesy of a knock on.
Grubber from Walsh almost sits up for Euan Aitken, but is eventually reeled in by Nick Meaney just inches shy of the line.
29 mins
Walsh hit late after his fifth-tackle bomb, penalty NZ just 20m from the Dogs line.
23 mins - TRY WARRIORS
Trademark long skip pass from Walsh to Edward Kosi, and the big wing finishes one-handed in the corner. Walsh slides his conversion past the right-hand post.
13 mins - TRY WARRIORS
Another short ball from O'Sullivan to Curran works to perfection, with Jazz Tevaga running the inside line in support to nab NZ's second try. Walsh converts. (NZ 12-6)
6 mins - TRY BULLDOGS
Moments after a great try assist, Sean O'Sullivan hands Aaron Schoupp a gift intercept try. Conversion sails over from the sideline.
3 mins - TRY WARRIORS
After starting the moovement with a break from deep in his own half, Josh Curran hits a short ball at pace to open the Warriors' account. Easy conversion for Walsh and an ideal start for NZ. (NZ 6-0)
2 mins
Warriors break down the right edge, into the red zone they move.
1 min
The Bulldogs receive to start us off on a sunny afternoon in Redcliffe.
We're underway...
***
Kia ora and welcome to Newshub's live coverage of the NRL clash between NZ Warriors and Canterbury Bulldogs at Redcliffe.
Bit of late line-up news for the Warriors, with Wayde Egan declared fit to start at hooker, pushing Jazz Tevaga to the back of the scrum and Bayley Sironen out of the game day squad.
Can the Warriors make it three-straight and keep those forever faint playoff hopes alive?
Join us from 3:45pm to find out.
TAB betting odds:
NZ Warriors - $1.39 Canterbury Bulldogs - $2.90
Team line-ups:
Warriors: 1-Reece Walsh, 18-Edward Kosi, 3-Peta Hiku, 4-Adam Pompey, 5-Marcelo Montoya, 6-Chanel Harris-Tavita, 7-Sean O'Sullivan, 8-Addin Fonua-Blake (c), 9-Wayde Egan, 10-Jackson Frei, 11-Euan Aitken, 12-Josh Curran, 13-Jazz Tevaga
Interchange: 14-Kodi Nikorima, 15-Bunty Afoa, 16-Jamayne Taunoa-Brown, 17-Eliesa Katoa
Bulldogs: 1-Nick Meaney, 2-Corey Allan, 3-Will Hopoate, 4-Aaron Schoupp, 5-Falakiko Manu, 6-Bailey Biondi-Odo, 7-Jake Averilo, 8-Ava Seumanufagai, 9-Jeremy Marshall-King, 10-Ryan James, 11-Adam Elliott, 12-Matt Doorey, 13-Josh Jackson
Interchange: 14-Sione Katoa, 15-Chris Patolo, 16-Corey Horsburgh, 17-Joe Stimson
Pre-match banter:
Optimistic dive into how NZ Warriors can make 2021 NRL playoffs
By Brad Lewis
OPINION: It's time to get the calculator out as the NRL season comes to an end with the NZ Warriors an outside shot at playing September footy.
But even the most optimistic of Warriors faithful would admit the pathway to the 2021 playoffs is ridden with roadblocks.
With just four games to go, the Kiwi club sits 12th on the ladder, four points outside the top eight with poor for-and-against-points differentials.
But dive a little deeper and you'll discover their outlook is much brighter than it appears.
With only one top-eight club left to play, and two of their fixtures against wooden spoon candidates - Bulldogs and Broncos - the Mount Smart drums are starting to quietly beat again.
As it stands, the Warriors are in an eight-team battle for the final two playoff spots - that could shrink to six, possibly five by the end of the upcoming round.
And a few of the clubs above them have quite the daunting final stretch home in the last month of the regular season.
Here is a glance at how the final month plays out for the teams on the bubble of playoff contention.
Gold Coast Titans - 20 points
Round 22: Rabbitohs (A)
Round 23: Storm (H)
Round 24: Knights (A)
Round 25: Warriors (H)
Canberra Raiders - 20 points
Round 22: Storm (A)
Round 23: Sea Eagles (H)
Round 24: Warriors (A)
Round 25: Roosters (H)
Newcastle Knights - 20 points
Round 22: Sharks (A)
Round 23: Bulldogs (A)
Round 24: Titans (H)
Round 25: Broncos (A)
Cronulla Sharks - 18 points
Round 22: Knights (H)
Round 23: Tigers (A)
Round 24: Broncos (H)
Round 25: Storm (H)
St George Dragons - 18 points
Round 22: Panthers (H)
Round 23: Roosters (H)
Round 24: Cowboys (H)
Round 25: Rabbitohs (A)
NZ Warriors - 16 points
Round 22: Bulldogs (H)
Round 23: Broncos (A)
Round 24: Raiders (H)
Round 25: Titans (A)
Wests Tigers - 16 points
Round 22: Cowboys (A)
Round 23: Sharks (H)
Round 24: Panthers (A)
Round 25: Bulldogs (H)
North Queensland Cowboys - 14 points
Round 22: Tigers (H)
Round 23: Eels (A)
Round 24: Dragons (A)
Round 25: Sea Eagles (H)
The simple equation
Put simply, if the Warriors win their final four games, they have an excellent chance of making the finals for the first time in three years.
They could end up on as many as 24 points, which should be enough to squeeze them in - if the top six clubs continue to win.
However as is often the case, you never know with the Warriors and it could all be over by Sunday night if they fail to beat the Bulldogs.
But with the Broncos, Raiders and Titans to come, the 24-point mark isn't out of reach.
NRL.com's ladder predictor is a fascinating tool to waste several hours of your life away on each week and thanks to that - here is a look at Newshub's final season standings.
Melbourne Storm - 46
Penrith Panthers - 44
South Sydney Rabbitohs - 42
Manly Sea Eagles - 34
Sydney Roosters - 34
Parramatta Eels - 30
Newcastle Knights - 28
NZ Warriors - 24
Cronulla Sharks - 22
Gold Coast Titans - 20
St George Dragons - 20
Canberra Raiders - 20
Wests Tigers - 18
North Queensland Cowboys - 16
Brisbane Broncos - 12
Canterbury Bulldogs - 6
What needs to happen?
So how do the Warriors possibly sneak into the eight you ask?
Simple.
Part one: Win all four of their remaining games.
Outside of the Newcastle Knights, the Warriors have the "easiest" finish to the season of any of the clubs around them.
Part two: The top six clubs keep winning.
The Titans play both the Rabbitohs and Storm in their final four games.
The Raiders play the Storm, Manly and Roosters.
The Sharks play Melbourne, while the Dragons play the Panthers, Roosters and Souths.
Wests have a decent run home, but have been in horrible form and play the Panthers in round 24, while the Cowboys still have to play the Eels and Manly.
So as long as those elite six sides can do the job, the Warriors task becomes simpler.
Part three: The Knights must beat the Sharks (Round 22) and the Titans (Round 24).
That's it - a simple (yeah right!) breakdown of how Nathan Brown and his New Zealand Warriors side achieve finals footy in his first year as coach.
It's really just a matter of faith.
