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Warriors 22 Tigers 2
Warriors - Harris, Arthars & Harris-Tavita tries; Johnson 2 penalties & 3 conversions
Tigers - Doueihi penalty
Second half
40th minute - Johnson's dropout goes out on the full, so Tigers have a penalty on the 10.
Brown kicks to the goal-line and Musgrove goes close to scoring on the final siren, but it's all over. A comprehensive - you could say clinical - performance by the Warriors to break their losing streak.
38th minute - From a Warriors goal-line dropout, Tigers mount another attack - they're running out of chances. Garner is wrapped up and Pompey makes a big takle out left.
Volkman is forced to concede another line dropout.
35th minute - TRY to Arthars
Aitken stumbles 10 metres post tackle and Tevaga is over halfway. Johnson chips towards Maumalo's wing, and the ball comes loose for Arthars to gather and score.
That surely seals the win... and Johnson converts from the sideline, WAR 22-2
34th minute - Brooks kicks high from halfway, but Harris-Tavita is tidy again.
33rd minute - Lussick's pass from dummy half is allowed to bounce and Arthars wears a tackle, as he gathers the ball.
Big don't-argue from Fonua-Blake. Laurie can't take the kick cleanly, but allowed to play on.
32nd minute - Garner charges towards the line and is brought down short, then held up, as he skids over. Sironen bore the brunt of that, but takes his place back in the line.
Tigers shift right, but Roberts is tackled over the touchline.
31st minute - Doueihi stabs a kick and Harris-Tavita can't cover the bounce, knocking on near the goal-line. Big defensive set for the Warriors...
30th minute - Doueihi runs to the Warriors 30. Brown darts from dummy half...
29th minute - Volkman loses the ball in a tackle, so Tigers will have good position.
28th minute - Arthars runs strongly and Johnson runs, then kicks behind Laurie. Tigers shift left and Doueihi kicks high, eventually taken by Harris-Tavita.
27th minute - Tigers shift left, but Johnson has Garner in a tackle. Brooks kicks to the corner, but DWZ rises high to claim the ball.
26th minute - Another intruder on the field, fully clothed though. Tigers kick off short and Toa'a wins the ball.
25th minute - Johnson slots the goal, WAR 16-2
24th minute - Curran barely drags Hastings down and Warriors have a penalty for obstruction. Tigers use their captain's challenge, but ruled unsuccessful.
Johnson points towards the posts, hoping to stretch the lead beyond two converted tries.
23rd minute - Fonua-Blake spins and offloads to Afoa. The ball goes loose out right and Maumalo falls on it.
22nd minute - Johnson stabs a kick and Maumalo bobbles, but regathers. Warriors have Tigers tripped in their 20 deep in the count and Doueihi has to kick long.
DWZ is over halfway on the first tackle...
21st minute - Doueihi kicks high and Montoya takes it on the run. DWZ carries over halfway and Curran takes the next hitup.
20th minute - Johnson dashes over halfway, Curran carries the move on and Johnson bombs to Nofoaluma, but he's safe.
19th minute - Doueihi kicks high towards DWZ, but Maumalo knocks on.
18th minute - Tigers are quickly into Warriors territory, but the game stops, while security chases a streaker off the field.
17th minute - Montoya charges forward, Pompey follows and Warriors shift right, where DWZ cuts infield. They stay right, but Curran's pass to Arthars is behind.
16th minute - Hastings throws a dummy, but keeps the ball. Tigers can't make halfway and Doueihi kicks high, but Harris-Tavita is safe again.
15th minute - Maumalo carries strongly to the Tigers 40. Doueihi finds Harris-Tavita with a long high kick and Arthars breaks out of the red zone.
Sironen crosses halfway and Fonua-Blake follows up with a charge. Maumalo takes Johnson's high kick.
14th minute - Harris finds Aitken on his shoulder, but Egan has the ball stripped on the last tackle.
13th minute - Doueihi kicks long and Montoya runs the ball back towards the Warriors 40. Pompey bounces Brooks off in the tackle.
12th minute - Warriors shift left and Volkman threatens, but loses the ball in the tackle.
11th minute - Warriors win a penalty and Johnson kicks into Tigers half.
10th minute - Hastings crosses halfway and Hastings chips ahead, but Aitken is there.
Ninth minute - Afoa crosses halfway and Volkman kicks. The bounce comes back towards the Warriors, but Garner is on the spot.
Eighth minute - Garner finds space to stretch his legs and Harris-Tavita tracks him down, then forces the mistake in the tackle. Nice play from the maskeshift fullback.
Seventh minute - Doueihi kicks high and the ball bounces, but Harris-Tavita tidies up. Johnson kicks towards Nofoaluma again and Montoya is on him quickly.
Sixth minute - Johnson kicks long and ginds grass. The ball evades Laurie, but he eventually controls the bounce.
Fifth minute - Hastings carries into Warriors territory and Doueihi kicks high. Harris-Tavita takes the ball and a hit at the same time, but fair contest in the air.
Fourth minute - Fonua-Blake crosses halfway and Johnson kicks high towards Nofoaluma, who sets Laurie loose with a long pass.
Third minute - Maumalo carries strongly to the Tigersc 40 and Doueihi kicks high to Harris-Tavita.
Second minute - Johnson crosses halfway and has the defence in two minds. Volkman kicks high and Nofoaluma is safe underneath.
First minute - Warriors kick off and Pole charges off the Tigers line. Hastings threatens to break free and Doueihi kicks high to Montoya, who is safe under pressure.
Halftime
40th minute - Nofoaluma takes the kick near halfway and is stunned in a tackle. Tigers shift left and win a penalty for a late tackle in midfield.
Referee Sutton reviews the tackle, but takes no further action against Tevaga. As the siren sounds, Doueihi lines up a shot at goal... and slots it, WAR 14-2
39th minute - Tuilagai threatens to bust the defence, but is dragged down. Laurie kicks to the goal-line and DWZ knocks it dead for a dropout.
38th minute - Officials overrule the decision, claiming Montoya knocked on. Maumalo brings the ball to the Tigers 30.
37th minute - Garner reaches halfway and Hastings kicks high to Montoya, who is safe. Pompey and DWZ carry, and Fonua-Blake rumbles over halfway.
Johnson kicks to the goal area and Laurie is forced to knock it dead for a dropout.
36th minute - Fonua-Blake offloads to Harris-Tavita. Johnson's high kick goes loose, Volkman recovers, but can't find a teammate on the last tackle.
35th minute - Tigers kick off and Harris brings the ball back upfield. Tevaga trundles over halfway.
33rd minute - TRY to Harris-Tavita
Johnson kicks for DWZ's corner, the ball goes loose and Harris-Tavita pounces to score. Johnson bends his conversion through the uprights from near touch, WAR 14-0
32nd minute - Harris reaches halfway and Volkman kicks high under pressure... too much pressure, as it transpires, as Warriors win a penalty.
Johnson taps and Fonua-Blake charges towards the posts. Tevaga wrestles close, Johnson steps...
31st minute - Tigers kick off and Fonua-Blake carries past the 10.
29th minute - TRY to Harris
Johnson kicks and gathers a deflection for six more tackles about 10m out. Fonua-Blake runs a decoy towards the posts and Harris runs a punishing line off him to score.
Johnson converts, WAR 8-0
28th minute - Hastings tries to run on the last, then his tackled by Arthars, as he tries to kick. Warriors recover the loose ball on halfway.
27th minute - Johnson kicks high, Nofoaluma does will underneath, but Laurie is smashed by Tevaga.
26th minute - Tigers kick off and Afoa runs the ball from his goal-line. Curran wrestles his way to halfway, as Fonua-Blake joins the game.
25th minute - Johnson sets the ball up just right of the uprights and slots the penalty for a lead, WAR 2-0
23rd minute - Musgrove loses the ball in a tackle in Tigers half and Warriors roar back onto attack. Curran is monstered in a late tackle from Ofahengaue, Warriors have a penalty in midfield and will kick for goal.
22nd minute - Tevaga crosses halfway, but Johnson's pass is deflected for another six tackles. Warriors shift left and Pompey tries a hero pass that finds spectators in Row 10.
21st minute - Tigers clear their red zone, Brooks kicks from his own half and Harris-Tavita is safe under the ball.
20th minute - Egan darts across halfway again, Johnson kicks behind Maumalo and finds touch inside the 10.
19th minute - Harris-Tavita dashes towards halfway and Johnson finds grass with his kick. Nofoaluma runs the ball back, but Tigers can't clear their half, as Brookes kicks to Harris-Tavita.
18th minute - Tigers look to clear their red zone, but they're driven back in the tackle. Brooks kicks from his own half and DWZ runs the ball back.
17th minute - Harris reaches halfway for the Warriors, Volkman is wrapped up, but offloads and Aitken threatens.
Johnson kicks high to the corner, Montoya leaps high and Volkman forces the ball, but referee Sutton rules no try - knock on by Montoya - and replays confirm that.
16th minute - Johnson kicks long and Nofoaluma is safe underneath. Warriors are penalised, when Arthars is late into a tackle.
Tevaga has passed his HIA and is awaiting re-entry. Tigers put a kick in and Curran squeezes Maumalo off the ball.
15th minute - Warriors wrap up Brown on the last tackle and take the ball back near their own line. Arthars takes a heavy tackle.
14th minute - Pene is penalised and Tigers clear halfway, after withstanding that period of defence. Danger time for the Warriors.
13th minute - Warriors still have the ball and DWZ tries to kick around his marker, but it deflects into touch.
11th minute - Warriors shift left and Tigers are offside. From the tap, Pene charges at the line and Egan snipes from dummy half to score... but hold all tickets.
The bunker rules Egan hasn't forced over the line, so no try.
10th minute - Plenty of ball so far for the Warriors, they need to score. Off the scrum, Johnson is dragged down short, then Egan.
Ninth minute - Volkman dazzles with his footwork, Pene is just short of the line, but the Tigers deflect a pass again for another set of six.
Eighth minute - Aitken makes halfway and Warriors shift right. They come left and Pompey makes ground.
Harris-Tavita kicks and gathers the deflection, six more tackles.
Seventh minute - Roberts reaches halfway for Tigers and Hastings chips on the last, but they're penalised for taking out a kick-chaser.
Sixth minute - Johnson puts a stab kick through on the last, it deflects, but still fifth tackle. Johnson recovers, but throws a dusty pass to Montoya, who can't handle the ball.
Fifth minute - Pene is over the tryline, but held up.
Fourth minute - From the scrum, Warriors go left, but Tigers bat the pass down again and are penalised.
Third minute - Afoa charges forward, Curran offloads to Harris-Tavita and the Tigers knock the ball down. Six more tackles, but Watene-Zelezniak is bundled into touch at the corner flag.
Second minute - Maumalo makes halfway for the Tigers, return home for him today too. Play stops, as Tevaga is led off for an HIA and Afoa comes on for his 100th.
Hastings puts up a high kick on the last, Montoya rises high to claim the ball and is taken out in the air by Nofoaluma.
First minute - Tigers kick off and Pene takes the first hitup with a big crowd at his back. Egan makes halfway and takes a gap deep into Tigers half, but Tevaga loses the ball in a tackle.
3:52pm - Another late change to the Warriors line-up, with Aaron Pene brought into the front row to start and Addin Fonua-Blake coming off the bench, after his week of COVID-19 isolation.
Freddy Lussick will replace Eliesa Katoa on the interchange.
*****
Kia ora, good afternon and welcome to Newshub's live coverage of the NZ Warriors v Wests Tigers at Auckland's Mt Smart Stadium.
Boy, does it feel good to finally say that.
Normally, a fixture between two of the bottom three teams on the NRL ladder would not generate too much excitement, but given the Warriors are returning to their spiritual home after a 1000-day road trip, their fans are ecstatic.
Forget the fact they are riding a seven-game losing streak, the home side are just happy to be back at Mt Smart and the Tigers present a great chance to end the slump.
Both teams are currently without coaches, with Nathan Brown and Michael Maguire both sacked within hours of each other last month.
Of course, Maguire was a visitor to Auckland last week, guiding NZ Kiwis to victory over Tonga, so perhaps he will become a long-term resident across this side of the ditch.
Meanwhile, club legend Stacey Jones will try to secure his first win as interim coach, without COVID-stricken star Reece Walsh and with star forward Addin Fonua-Blake likely a late addition, after a spell in isolation through the week.
In another late change, Euan Aitken moves from centre to the forwards for Jack Murchie, with Adam Pompey taking his place in the backline, while Bunty Afoa will bring up his 100th appearance on this momentous occasion.
TAB Odds: NZ Warriors $1.72, Wests Tigers $2.08
NZ Warriors: 14-Chanel Harris-Tavita, 2-Dallin Watene-Zelezniak, 3-Jesse Arthars, 18-Adam Pompey, 5-Marcelo Montoya, 6-Ronald Volkman, 7-Shaun Johnson, 8-Addin Fonua-Blake, 9-Wayde Egan, 10-Jazz Tevaga, 4-Euan Aitken, 12-Tohu Harris (c), 13-Josh Curran
Interchange: 15-Bunty Afoa, 16-Eliesa Katoa, 17-Bayley Sironen, 20-Aaron Pene, 21-Rocco Berry, 22-Freddy Lussick
Wests Tigers: 1-Daine Laurie, 2-Davied Nofoaluma, 3-Starford To'a, 4-James Roberts, 5-Ken Maumalo, 6-Luke Brooks, 7-Jackson Hastings, 10-Zane Musgrove, 9-Fa'amanu Brown, 16-Alex Seyfarth, 11-Luke Garner, 12-Kelma Tuilagi, 13-Joe Ofahengaue
Interchange: 14-Stefano Utoikamanu, 15-Adam Doueihi, 17-Fonua Pole, 20-Austin Dias, 21-Jacob Liddle, 18-Asu Kepaoa
'Looking forward to what's next': Harris-Tavita reflects on leaving Warriors, NRL
As one of the few NZ Warriors players to have actually run out for the club at Mt Smart Stadium, Chanel Harris-Tavita knows more than most just how special Sunday's homecoming will be.
The five games at their spiritual home this season will carry extra meaning for the 23-year-old, as he prepares to walk away from the game to start the next chapter of his life.
"Now that there's an end date, I'm appreciating the little moments a bit more," he told Newshub.
Chanel Harris-Tavita. Photo credit: Image - Photosport
"I know that you can't play footy forever and I've actually decided to cut my career short.
"It's time for me to try something new, I'm willing to put my best foot forward for the club and the team.
"I'm going to keep doing that until the end of this season and hopefully finish off on a high."
The talented halfback, who came through the club's junior system, rejected a contract extension to pursue writing and traveling next year.
He admits the decision to leave the NRL is one that weighed on him heavily.
"I guess I was sitting on that decision for about a year. It went pretty fast, but still felt like it was taking a toll on me," he added.
"I finally opened up to one of our leaders, took him out for dinner and told him how I was feeling. I wasn't sure if I would sign for one more year, two years or re-sign at all."
The support of his Warriors teammates made the life-changing choice easier. They all backed him, told him to follow his gut and do what was best for him.
"I'm grateful to have a lot of people around me that are supportive. I feel [there was] a lot of expectations on myself to live a certain way or be a certain person but telling them how I really felt and them being there for me made it a lot easier."
So what's next?
Although he's not sure where he'll end up, Harris-Tavita has a passion for writing, after starting a journal and blog, while the NRL was on hold in 2020, but now he's had time to digest his decision, he can't wait.
"It's definitely sunk in how much money I'm going to have to save," he laughed. "Nah, I'm excited.
"I said it before, it feels like a weight's been lifted off my shoulders. I'm looking forward to what's next."
He was also concerned about the public response. It's not every day a young NRL star gives up a lucrative contract to chase something new, but the news was met with overwhelming positivity.
"I thought there would be a lot more people saying 'what are you doing, you're taking it for granted'.
"There's so many other people that want to do what you're doing, but at the end of the day, I've got expectations I need to meet of myself and that's just to be happy.
"Deep down, I knew signing another contract wouldn't be the right decision for me.
"It opens up another opportunity for young fellas like Ronald [Volkman] and other young halves that are coming through.
"I feel much better about that."
