Source: Radio New Zealand
Dallin Watene-Zelezniak and Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad celebrate the Warriors’ win over Sydney Roosters. Andrew Cornaga/Photosport
Analysis: NZ Warriors coach Andrew Webster isn’t getting too far ahead of himself, despite his team’s convincing 42-18 over Sydney Roosters in their 2026 NRL season-opener at Go Media Stadium.
Up against a side Sydney media love to install among competition favourites at the start of each season, the Auckland-based side ran in seven tries to three, including a 22-point burst either side of halftime that gave them a firm grip on the contest.
For the 12th time in their 32 seasons, the Warriors have begun their campaign with a win, but Webster wasn’t breaking out the champagne yet.
“Tonight was worth two points, it’s not the grand final,” he insisted. “Everyone puts a lot of emphasis on round one and you get judged.
“Last year, they said we’d get the [wooden] spoon, when we lost in Vegas. Tonight, everyone will say we’re real contenders.
“It’s two points and, if I had a dollar for every time someone won in round one and didn’t back it up the next week, I’d be rich.”
In fact, eight of the 12 season-opening wins across the club’s history were followed by defeats the next week.
Here are some key points to come from the win over the Roosters:
Best player
Any early anxiety over how the Warriors would start the season without Luke Metcalf was eased by the performance of halfback Tanah Boyd, who probably had his best first-grade game for the club.
He set the tone early, taking on the defensive line bursting through for the opening try and continued to orchestrate the Warriors attack masterfully, providing two try assists and two linebreak assists for a game-high 77 SuperCoach fantasy points.
After a couple of early misses off the tee, he converted six of the seven tries, including three from near touch.
“I think the way he’s trained and how clear he’s been, how fast he ran for that try… when Tanah runs, that’s when he’s playing his best.
“I was really happy. I know he’ll have some things on his list, but I thought that was his best game.”
Webster was cagey about any looming rivalry between Boyd and Metcalf for the No.7 jersey, but hinted he was open to playing one of them at five-eighth.
Tanah Boyd scores a try for the Warriors against Sydney Roosters. Andrew Cornaga/Photosport
“You don’t have to pigeonhole halves that can only wear the seven jersey,” he said. “Everyone’s getting a bit better at being a six or a seven, or you just look at them as two halves.
“I’m not suggesting at the moment. I’m just grateful we have four really good halfbacks at hand.”
That said, Chanel Harris-Tavita showed he’d also be hard to displace, with a brace of tries, both scored running an inside support line to wing Roger Tuivasa-Sheck for late offloads.
Also a special mention for front-rower Jackson Ford, who led his team in both running metres (219) and tackles (28) over 71 minutes.
This is a surprisingly rate feat – he was the only Warrior to achieve it last season, along with just a handful of others across the competition.
Key moment
Probably a couple, but the Roosters looked to have grabbed the lead in the 22nd minute, when Tuivasa-Sheck could not take a high kick from Daly Cherry-Evans and Roosters hooker Benaiah Ioelu won the race for the ball to score.
Replays persuaded the bunker that rival winger Mark Nawaqanitawase had obstructed RTS in the midair contest and the try was disallowed.
With the next possession, the Warriors marched up the other end and centre Adam Pompey scored a try in almost identical fashion to the one that was just ruled out, recovering a kick to scramble across the line.
Even then, some doubt remained about whether he successfully forced the ball before spilling it, but replays suggested he probably did.
Adam Pompey scores a try for the Warriors against the Roosters. Andrew Cornaga/Photosport
That 12-point swing gifted the Warriors momentum, which they turned into a 22-point lead.
The other pivotal point came at 28-18, after the Roosters had scored back-to-back tries and seemed poised to close hard over the final half hour.
Boyd kicked a penalty to stop the bleeding and the Warriors produced a strong defensive stand against repeated sets, including a brilliant reflex grab from second-rower Kurt Capewell, as Roosters half Sam Walker stabbed a kick towards the goal-line.
Harris-Tavita finally put the nail in the coffin with his second try five minutes from the end.
Best try
Soon after halftime, the Roosters needed to score to wrestle back momentum, but instead, Boyd put up a high kick towards the goalposts and second-rower Leka Halasima soared high to claim the catch and crash over for the try.
Halasima made a habit of this during his incredible breakout 2025 season, but Webster held him back until after the break and played him just 35 minutes in this game, preferring to give Jacob Laban a decent run from the starting spot.
“The day will come when Leka will play 80 minutes and I’m looking forward to that day, because it will be awesome, but he doesn’t need to do it right now,” Webster said. “He just needs to own his little time and have that impact.
“There’s nothing wrong with coming on and having a try first touch – it’s really good.”
Injuries
The Warriors seemed to escape any major injuries from this game, although Ford was left clutching his shoulder, after tackling Nawaqanitawase midway through the second half.
He played on another eight minutes, before he was finally subbed off.
Back-up hooker Sam Healey also left for a head check late in the contest, but Webster reported he passed and could be considered next week.
Co-captain Mitch Barnett won’t be back next week, as hoped, as he continues to rehab last year’s season-ending knee injury.
He underwent four days of testing in Sydney last week and, while Webster insisted he had suffered no setback, Barnett will be held out at least another week.
“We’re getting closer, so no dramas there, but the last month to six weeks, you get down to the nitty gritty. Everyone thinks it’s nine months, but sometimes it’s eight-and-a-half months and sometimes it’s 10 months.
“They’re not injuries you want to mess around with. The whole medical industry has advanced so far on how quickly they can get players back, but the ACL is one of those ones that takes so long.”
Roosters
Coach Trent Robinson quietly seethed over how his team wound up on the end of a lopsided penalty count that was 11-2 at one point.
“Things will go against you and the opposition will apply pressure,” he said. “It depends on the referee and how they determine those.
“Eleven-two is quite incredible in our game, and then we had video ref decisions and all of that, but as I go back to, depending on what team you want to be, is how much of a swing against you do you let in that many points.
“We want to be a team that you can have 11-2 against, you can have decisions go against you, and you can put your gloves up and say, ‘That’s cool, we might be a few points down, but we can hold onto that, no matter how far it swings’.”
Essentially, Robinson wants his team to be good enough to withstand that adversity and still compete.
Roosters captain James Tedesco finally snapped over the lopsided penalty count against the Roosters. Andrew Cornaga/Photosport
With five minutes left, skipper James Tedesco finally snapped and was penalised for dissent, as he protested another call that went against them.
The addition of Daly Cherry-Evans drew considerable interest. While he didn’t stamp himself on proceedings, Robinson insisted his team had created enough chances to win the game, but 42 points was too many to concede.
The Roosters weren’t helped, when they lost State of Origin front-rower Spencer Leniu during warm-ups with a hamstring injury.
What the result means
A winning start to the season – and not much more.
Midway through the opening round, the Warriors briefly sat second on the table, behind Melbourne Storm, but Penrith Panthers then achieved a bigger points differential in their win over champions Brisbane.
That will likely change again, with three more games scheduled this weekend.
What’s next
Next Friday, the Warriors host Canberra Raiders at Go Media Stadium.
The Raiders won both encounters last season, the first famously in Vegas, and went on to claim minor premier honours, before they were eliminated by Cronulla Sharks in the semifinals.
They face Manly Sea Eagles in their season-opener on Saturday night.
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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand
