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Warriors 22 Cowboys 14
Warriors - Fonua-Blake, Curran, Walker & Kosi tries; Johnson 2 conversions & penalty
Cowboys - Taulagi, Holmes & Cotter tries; Holmes conversion
Fulltime
40th minute - DWZ takes the tap and wraps up the ball in the tackle. Afoa charges over halfway and Warriors go back on attack.
Tevaga takes the tackle and CNK has the ball to finish the game. Gritty win from the Warriors.
39th minute - Warriors have the Cowboys pinned in their own half, but a long pass puts Feldt in the clear. He kicks ahead, but too deep and over the deadball line.
38th minute - Warriors just trying to finish off this game now, but Johnson's pass to Pompey is put down metres out.
37th minute - Johnson slots this one to put the Warriors beyond the converted try, WAR 22-14
HOlmes kicks off short, but DWZ rises high to claim the ball and he races over halfway.
36th minute - Johnson pulls his kick left...
Drinkwater drops out from his 20, but out on the full. Warriors will have another shot at goal from in front this time.
35th minute - Kosi charges towards the line and Montoya is taken out off the ball by Drinwater. Johnson will kick for goal.
34th minute - Drinkwater kicks from his 20 and CNK claims it, crossing halfway.
33rd minute - Montoya crosses halfway and Johnson kicks low towards the goal-line. Good chase from Johosn and Tevaga, who also make the next tackle.
Cowboys struggling to get clear of their 20.
32nd minute - Robson dashes from dummy half and Drinkwater runs on the last tackle. Taulagi kicks ahead, but CNK is there to snap up the bounce.
31st minute - Johnson takes a quick tap and Ford surges to halfway. Sironen dashes from dummy half and Curran cuts inside Johnson again.
Warriors shift quickly to DWZ, who dies in the tackle.
30th minute - Warriors are called for a knockon, but they've challenged. Bunker rules Nanai stripped it, so they survive again.
29th minute - CNK reaches halfway and JOhnson kicks long. Drinkwater takes in on his goal-line.
Cowboys don't make halfway, Drinkwater puts up a bomb and it bounces. Taulagi puts in another kick, but Warriors have a restart for a knockon.
28th minute - From the scrum, a pass goes behind Kosi, who spills it, so Cowboys will have more ball in the redzone. Warriors challenge and replays show Kosi managed to retain control of the ball against his leg - amazing.
27th minute - Nanai is wrapped up metres from the line and fumbles the ball. Cowboys challenge the call and replays show a strip from CNK.
Warriors must survive another raid, but Dearden's pass to Drinkwater goes astray.
26th minute - Townsend kicks, it bounces, Warriors play at it and Cowboys are back on attack.
25th minute - Johnson's high kick goes to Taulagi. Nanai reaches halfway.
24th minute - HOlmes kicks off and Fonua-Blake charges from his line. Harris is still on the field and reaches halfway...
22nd minute - Johnson traps the dropout and finds Ale. Curran runs an angle off Johnson.
TRY to Walker
Johnson stabs a hard kick towards the goal-line, but Nanai blocks it straight back into Johnson's hands. He finds Walker, who dummies and cuts back for the try.
Johnson slots the conversion, WAR 20-14
21st minute - Johnson finds touch, Montoya takes the tap and charges himself. Warriors enter Cowboys half and quick hands give DWZ some space.
Johnson kicks to the goal area and Drinkwater goes dead for a dropout.
20th minute - Townsend kicks high, but he ball comes off Pompey. Dearden recovers the ball and feeds Feldt, who seems to force against the corner flag.
Replays show Hiku was offside on the kick, so Warriors escape. Feldt may also have had a hand on the sideline.
19th minute - Pompey kicks off and Taumalolo charges back. He makes a second carry and Dunn reaches halfway.
17th minute - TRY to Holmes
Robson lunges at the line, but the pass back to Drinkwater goes loose. He spots a gap behind the defence and kicks for Holmes to dive onto.
Meanwhile, Harris is down injured...
16th minute - Townsend kicks to goal area and Walker scrambles it dead again.
Johnson drops out short, but Feldt has it for the Cowboys.
15th minute - Johnson kicks from deep in his own half and Taulagi brings it back to halfway.
14th minute - Cowboys go left, but Townsend's pass goes behind Dearden.
Townsend kicks for the corner, but it goes straight to Feldt, who kicks ahead, but Walker makes the field of play.
13th minute - From the kickoff, Ale carries powerfully, but Tevaga has dropped the ball and Cowboys are back on attack.
From the scrum, Cowboys go left, but Curran smashes Dearden.
11th minute - TRY to Curran
Warriors have the Cowboys backpedalling and metres from the tryline, Johnson puts Curran through some space to score. Johnson misses his conversion from a handy position, WAR 14-8
10th minute - DWZ sprints to the 20 for the tap and Warriors are quickly to halfway through Kosi.
Ninth minute - Cowboys just metres out... Nanai is dragged down. Drinkwater's kick is left and rolls dead.
Eighth minute - Cowboys kick towards the tryline and CNK falls on it, but ruled a knockon, so more Cowboys possession.
Seventh minute - Cowboys into the redzone again and Drinkwater is dangerous. Another set restart for the Cowboys and Curran deflects a pass to give away another set.
Sixth minute - Johnson kicks from his own 40 and Feldt slips over under his posts.
Nanai tries to offload, Ford pounces on the ball, but Tevaga is penalised for offside.
Fifth minute - Townsend's grubber is blocked by a Warriors foot and DWZ falls on it.
Fourth minute - Cowboys surge onto attack, they come right, but Nanai is tackled by Walker.
Third minute - Cowboys are inside Warriors half, but Kosi is safe under the kick again and Warriors have a clearing penalty.
Johnson kicks upfield, but Ford can't take the pass from the tap and Cowboys are back on attack. This really killed the Warriors in the first half...
Second minute - DWZ smashes into the defence, but plays the ball quickly and Tevaga reaches halfway. Walker kicks high, but Feldt is good underneath.
First minute - Pompey kicks off for the Warriors, it bounces, but Feldt controls the bounce. Granville reaches halfway and Townsend kicks to Kosi.
Halftime
40th minute - Pompey's kick is allowed to bounce, but the Cowboys control it. Drnkwater spills the ball in the backline, but played on and Hiku is tackled to end the half.
38th minute - TRY to Cotter
Cowboys go left and someone races out of the defensive line - it's Johnson - leaving a big gap for Cotter to race through and score.
Weird-looking kick from HOlmes seems to bend back between the posts, but ends up short, WAR 10-8
37th minute - Townsend drops the ball in the backline and the Warriors have survivied for now.
Spoke too soon, DWZ makes a hash playing the ball, so Cowboys scrum in midfield, 20 metres out. That's a killer.
36th minute - Johnson's dropout goes 40 metres, deflecting off a Cowboys player. Cowboys go left again, but DWZ races in to cut out the pass to Taulagi.
Another set of six to the Cowboys...
35th minute - More tackles on their own line for the Warriors. Ford nails Nanai in a tackle.
Robson runs from dummy half, but is wrapped up. Cowboys go left and Drinkwater kicks for Taulagi, but DWZ knocks it dead.
33rd minute - Cowboys back in Warriors half. They go left and Taulagi powers through cover tackles in the corner, but replays show the Warriors did enough to shunt him into touch, before he can force.
Replays also show a shoulder charge from CNK, so no try, but a penalty to the Cowboys.
32nd minute - Warriors don't reach halfway and Johnson kicks high. Drinkwater has to fall over with the catch and Warriors are penalised at the play-the-ball.
31st minute - HOlmes kicks off and CNK takes the ball again.
29th minute - TRY to Kosi
Warriors cross halfway through Pompey. The ball bobbles free, but ends up in Montoya's hands and he surges through a couple of tackles, before finding his winger in support.
Johnson's conversion is wide, WAR 10-4
28th minute - Cowboys go right and Kosi nails HIku in a tackle, with Hiku losing the ball.
27th minute - Cowboys on attack, but HIku is tackled around the ankles. They go left and HOlmes is brought down.
26th minute - Tevaga tries to run onto the ball, but the pass is spilled. Cowboys scrum on the Warriors 40.
25th minute - Hiku carries towards halfway and Robson crosses from dummy half. Townsend kicks towards the posts, but Pompey rises to claim the catch.
24th minute - CNK slices through the defence, Johnson puts Ford through a gap. Warriors run on the last, Pompey kicks to the tryline, but it runs dead.
23rd minute - Afoa is on the field for the Warriors and he wins a penalty in the tackle. Johnson finds touch near the Cowboys 30.
22nd minute - Cowboys are deep in Warriors half with a set restart. Holmes tests the defence and Cowboys go left, but Taulagi loses the ball over the line.
21st minute - Pompey kicks off and Hess charges off his line. Pompey hits Drinkwater hard in a tackle, but Cowboys have a clearing penalty.
Townsend taps and Taumalolo gets some easy metres,
19th minute - TRY to Taulagi
Nanai goes close to scoring near the posts, but the ball goes left and Taulagi has the pace to get outside DWZ to score in the corner. Just too much possession for the Cowboys and Warriors couldn't hold them out.
Holmes' conversion from the sideline drifts left of the posts, WAR 6-4
18th minute - Cowboys shift right, but Hiku lose the ball in a tackle. Cowboys retain the ball in midfield.
From the scrum, Cowboys go left, but Drinkwater is tackled.
17th minute - Cowboys shift right and Walker makes a big tackle on Taumalolo. DWZ covers another kick to the goal-line, so another set coming...
Johnson grubbers his dropout along the ground this time.
16th minute - Taumalolo sets saile for the posts and Cowboys have a set restart.
15th minute - Johnson's dropout goes out on the full, so Cowboys have a tap on the 10.
14th minute - Cowboys charge towards the red zone. Taumalolo rumbles, they go left, but Deardon is brought down.
DWZ is forced to smother a ball behind his goal-line - he loses the ball, but Curran forces it.
13th minute - Taumalolo can't reach halfway and Townsend kicks from his own territory. CNK can't handle a short pass from Johnson, so Cowboys ball in Warriors half.
12th minute - Johnson kicks high towards the posts and Walker leaps high, but he's wrapped up on the last.
Taulagi offloads and the Cowboys try to reach halfway.
11th minute - Fonua-Blake reaches halfway and Warriors shift left from another AFB offload.
10th minute - Hess charges over halfway and Townsend kicks high to Kosi, who's safe under it. Robson is penalised in a tackle on Lussick and Johnson kicks to the Warriors 40.
Ninth minute - Johnson puts Curran through a halfgap metres from the line, but he dies with the ball on the last tackle.
Eighth minute - Johnson finds touch near the Cowboys 30 and then takes on the line. CNK slices towards the posts, but the ball goes loose out left.
Seventh minute - Cowboys have been pinned and Drinkwater kicks from his 30. CNK claims it and Kosi is tackled high.
Sixth minute - Fonua-Blake carries over halfway. Johnson kicks to Taulagi - there's a tricky crosswind today.
Fifth minute - Holmes kicks off again and CNK takes the first runup.
Fourth minute - TRY to Fonua-Blake
Montoya charges towards the line and Fonua-Blake twists in a tackle to force between the posts. First time this season the Warriors have scored first...
Johnson converts from in front, WAR 6-0
Third minute - Cowboys shift left, but Pompey intercepts and dashes upfield. DWZ carries it on and then Pompey again - Warriors get a set restart.
Second minute - Walker loses the ball in a tackle by Hiku and Warriors are penalised. Taumalolo bursts into the Warriors half.
First minute - Holmes kicks off short and Curran claims the ball. Cowboys are immediately penalised for offside and Johnson kicks into the Cowboys half.
4:57pm - Some big changes to starting line-ups today, with Dallin Watene-Zelezniak onto the wing and Marcelo Montoya into the centres for the Warriors. Jazz Tevaga and Josh Curran are elevated to the starting pack, and Tohu Harris will return from his knee injury.
Cowboys also have some changes, with Coen Hess and Jake Granville inseted into the front row, and Jack Gosiewski into the second row.
*****
Kia ora, good evening and welcome to Newshub's live coverage of the NRL clash between NZ Warriors and North Queensland Cowboys at Auckland's Mt Smart Stadium.
Currently 4-2 and sitting in an early playoff spot, the Warriors will want to make a better start against North Queensland, after conceding the first tries in each of their games this season.
After a bright start, injuries and suspensions are starting to hit hard, with half Te Maire Martin the latest casualty, sidelined with weeks with a broken leg. He will be replaced by veteran Dylan Walker, which - in turn - will affect the impact off the Warriors bench.
The home side have already beaten the Cowboys this season - at Townsville - but as they saw against Newcastle Knights, past results count for nothing and their opponents will have plenty to review and analyse in their bid to turn that result around in the return fixture.
Join us at 5pm for kickoff.
TAB Odds: Warriors $1.87, Cowboys $1.87
Warriors: 1-Charnze-Nicoll-Klokstad, 2-Ed Kosi, 3-Viliami Vailea, 4-Adam Pompey, 5-Marcelo Montoya, 6-Dylan Walker, 7-Shaun Johnson, 8-Addin Fonua-Blake, 9-Freddy Lussick, 10-Bunty Afoa, 11-Jackson Ford, 12-Bayley Sironen, 13-Tohu Harris
Interchange: 14-Taine Tuaupiki, 15-Josh Curran, 16-Jazz Tevaga, 17-Tom Ale
Cowboys: 1-Scott Drinkwater, 2-Kyle Feldt, 3-Valentine Holmes, 4-Peta Hiku, 5-Murray Tuilagai, 6-Tom Dearden, 7-Chad Townsend, 8-Mitchell Dunn, 9-Reece Robson, 10-Reuben Cotter, 11-Coen Hess, 12-Jeremiah Nanai, 13-Jason Taumalolo
Interchange: 14-Jake Granville, 15-Tom Chester, 16-Jamayme Taunoa-Brown, 17-Reily Price
'We have not played well': Determined Warriors far from finished product
NZ Warriors are being brutally honest with themselves, after what they insist has been an "average start" to the NRL season.
Despite a four-win, two-loss record, coach Andrew Webster and his players are far from content with their performances, and know they have plenty more improvement in them.
"A bit average from us, I reckon," aid fullback Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad. "We're happy with the wins obviously, but in each of those games, there's been so much improvement for us as a team."
After the high of that comeback win over Cronulla Sharks, the side were brought back down to earth by a frustrating defeat to Newcastle Knights and, despite that being just their second loss of the season, they know they have so much more to work on.
"Everyone's excited, but we have not played well, so to hear Charnze say that is not worrying," said Webster. "It's exciting.
"He knows - and everyone knows - we haven't played our best football and we're four from six, so we have a long way to go."
They can start by improving their starts, with the Knights the latest side to run out to a big lead against the Warriors.
"After the game, I spoke about how excited I was, even though we lost," said Nicoll-Klokstad. "It's something we can definitely learn from and we probably needed as well.
"I think that's the fourth week in a row we've let the lead blow out like that."
Webster's aware of the expectations on his side when they host North Queensland Cowboys at Mt Smart on Saturday, but for him, performances are front of mind.
"If you don't improve, the competition goes up and if you stay there, you'll see a gap in your performance compared to the rest of the competition," he said.
The best could be yet to come for the Warriors.
