Luke Metcalf helped the New Zealand Warriors secure a narrow 15-14 win over the St George Illawarra Dragons on Saturday night.
His winning kick gave the Warriors their best start to a National Rugby League season in over 20 years. The match took place in Wollongong and pushed the Warriors to second place on the ladder, a spot they haven’t reached this late in a season since 2002.
The Warriors started strong, scoring the first 14 points. But the Dragons came back in the second half, tying the game with 28 minutes to go. Then, Metcalf calmly kicked a 25-metre field goal, catching the Dragons by surprise and giving his team the final point they needed.
Although the Dragons had a chance to tie again, their own field goal attempt missed, and another attack failed just minutes before full-time. Metcalf, wearing jersey No. 7, also scored the first try of the game and set up another with a clever kick. He landed three out of four goals, while the Dragons only kicked one out of three.
Warriors coach Andrew Webster praised Metcalf’s smart decision-making, even though he admitted the team’s attack wasn’t perfect in the second half. “It was the right call at the right time,” Webster said.
The Dragons have now lost three close matches this season, including two decided by field goals. Their coach, Shane Flanagan, said the team is putting in the effort but struggling with execution. “We had the chance to win, but we just didn’t take it,” he explained.
