NZ Warriors v Wests Tigers
Kickoff 8.15pm Sunday, 30 March
Campbelltown Sports Stadium, Sydney
Live blog coverage on RNZ
History
The New Zealand Warriors have a 21-16 (56.8 percent) winning record against Sydney's Wests Tigers, who are an amalgamation of the old Western Suburbs Magpies and Balmain Tigers clubs.
Only one other club offers the Warriors a better winning return - the Gold Coast Titans, at 20-14 (58.8 percent).
Including four meetings against the Magpies, they have won five of 12 previous games at Campbelltown Sport Stadium, in Sydney. They last played there in 2022, when they beat the Tigers 16-12.
The Warriors are riding a seven-game winning run against the team that has taken out the NRL wooden spoon for the past three seasons. Over that period, they have outscored their rivals by an average of eight points.
The last time the Wests beat the Warriors was at Campbelltown in 2019, when they prevailed 34-6.
They met just once in 2024, with the Warriors winning 28-16 at Go Media Stadium in Auckland. In that game they led 14-0 at half-time, but the Tigers scored two tries to close within four points midway through the second half.
Kurt Capewell in action for the Warriors against the Sydney Roosters, in Auckland, on 21 March. Photo: Brett Phibbs/Photosport
In the last 20 minutes, Chanel Harris-Tavita kicked a penalty, and Addin Fonua-Blake and Dallin Watene-Zelezniak scored converted tries to complete the win.
Form
The Warriors will seek their third straight win, after their deflating 30-8 loss to Canberra Raiders in the season-opener at Las Vegas.
Since then, they have toppled two teams coming off outstanding wins the previous week - the Manly Sea Eagles and Sydney Roosters - and entered this round in seventh place, one of nine teams on four competition points.
They currently lead the competition in set completion (85 percent), and ranking among the leaders in metres run, post-contact metres and kick metres.
After finishing bottom of the table for three straight years, the Tigers have also started their schedule 2-1, with a narrow opening loss to Newcastle Knights, then wins over Parramatta Eels and the Dolphins. Neither of those teams have yet won a game this season.
Ali Leiataua scores a try against Sydney Roosters, in Auckland, on 21 March. Photo: Brett Phibbs/Photosport
Entering this round, Wests actually sat above the Warriors, based on points differential. They led the league in penalties conceded and were among the leaders in missed tackles, offloads and post-contact metres. They also had the best defence through three rounds, conceding just 34 points.
Victory would see them win three straight games for the first time since 2018.
Teams
Warriors: 1 Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad, 2 Taine Tuaupiki, 3 Rocco Berry, 4 Ali Leiataua, 5 Adam Pompey, 6 Chanel Harris-Tavita, 7 Luke Metcalf, 8 James Fisher-Harris, 9 Wayde Egan, 10 Mitch Barnett, 11 Kurt Capewell, 12 Marata Niukore, 13 Erin Clark
Interchange: 15 Jackson Ford, 16 Demitric Vaimauga, 17 Leka Halasima, 22 Bunty Afoa
Reserves: 18 Te Maire Martin, 21 Sam Healey
The Warriors have seen their run of three games with unchanged line-ups broken by the hamstring injury to star winger Roger Tuivasa-Sheck, who will be sidelined up to eight weeks.
When the injury occurred against the Roosters, centre Adam Pompey shifted out a spot and second-rower Kurt Capewell moved into the midfield. Coach Andrew Webster initially opted to keep Pompey in that spot, promoting Rocco Berry from reserve grade, but has since returned Pompey to the midfield and promoted specialist winger Ed Kosi.
Ed Kosi has been promoted into the Warriors starting line-up against Wests (file photo). Photo: PHOTOSPORT
After naming Dylan Walker on the interchange bench, Webster was also forced to replace him when the club granted an early release from his contract to return to Sydney. Front-rower Bunty Afoa has been promoted into his spot.
Tigers: 1 Jahream Bula, 2 Sunia Turuva, 3 Adam Doueihi, 4 Starford To'a, 22 Solomona Faataape, 6 Lachlan Galvin, 7 Jarome Luai, 8 Terrell May, 9 Api Koroisau, 10 Fonua Pole, 11 Samuela Fainu, 12 Alex Seyfarth, 13 Alex Twal
Interchange: 14 Tallyn da Silva, 15 Royce Hunt, 16 Jack Bird, 17 Sione Fainu
Reserves: 18 Latu Fainu, 21 Tony Sukkar
In his second full season in charge, Kiwis legend Benji Marshall seems to have turned around the culture of the club, with a decent dose of former Penrith Panthers players.
Both co-captains Api Koroisau and Jarome Luai have won premierships with the Panthers, as has winger Sunia Turuva. Luai will combine with exciting teenager Lachlan Galvin in the halves, while the extended squad features three Fainu brothers - Samuela, Sione and Latu.
Marshall named an unchanged side, but winger Jeral Skelton has not recovered from an injury that forced him off the field last week and he has been replaced by Solomona Faataape.
Kiwi to watch
Wests centre Starford To'a, 24, was born in Auckland and attended St Paul's College. He made his NRL debut for Newcastle Knights in 2019 and amassed 20 appearances over three seasons, before switching to Wests in 2022.
To'a scored a hattrick of tries in his international debut for Tonga against England, but missed much of the 2024 season with hamstring injuries.
TAB Odds: Tigers $1.60, Warriors $2.35
What will happen: It's amazing how quickly Wests have shrugged off the wooden-spooners tag to emerge as favourites for this game. The Warriors have a disrupted week, but they will find a way to win this one in hostile surroundings.
Where to watch: Sky Sport 1, 7.30pm Sunday
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