The Warriors beat the Sydney Roosters 42–18 in Auckland on Friday night to begin their NRL season with a strong victory at Go Media Stadium.
The home team played with energy from the first whistle and thrilled a loud crowd of more than 24,000 fans.
The Warriors scored first after 12 minutes when Tanah Boyd spotted a gap in the defence and ran through to score. The Roosters answered soon after, when Billy Smith broke through tackles and set up James Tedesco for a try. With Sam Walker’s kick, the score was tied at 6–6 after 18 minutes.
The Warriors then took control of the match. Adam Pompey scored out wide, and Kurt Capewell crossed the line soon after to extend the lead. Chanel Harris-Tavita added another try near the corner just before half-time, giving the Warriors a 22–6 lead at the break.
Early in the second half, the Warriors continued to attack. Leka Halasima caught a clever kick from Boyd and scored near the posts. The Roosters fought back with tries from Billy Smith and Angus Crichton, giving their team some hope.
However, Boyd added a penalty goal to keep the Warriors ahead. Harris-Tavita later scored his second try, ending the Roosters’ chances of a comeback. Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad finished the game with a long run and try in the corner.
Boyd kicked six goals from seven attempts.
