The Warriors beat Newcastle Knights 38-12 at McDonald Jones Stadium on Saturday to stay unbeaten after three games this NRL season. Jackson Ford was one of the stars of the match as he celebrated his 100th NRL game with a try, 187 running metres and 42 tackles.
His strong display helped the Warriors make one of the best starts in the club’s history. Halfback Tanah Boyd also impressed with long kicks and clever attacking play as he made a strong case to keep the No.7 shirt. Mitch Barnett made a welcome return from a serious knee injury and added energy from the bench with 97 metres and 13 tackles.
Newcastle started well when Fletcher Hunt scored early after a precise kick from Tyson Gamble. However, the Warriors quickly took control and led 18-6 by half-time. Erin Clark scored after good work from Boyd, and Ford also crossed after Barnett made an instant impact. Newcastle’s problems grew when Hunt was sent to the sin bin in the 32nd minute. L
eka Halasima took advantage of the extra space, and in the second half James Fisher-Harris and Boyd added more tries. The Knights were missing several key players, including Kalyn Ponga, Fletcher Sharpe and Dylan Brown, and their attack became full of mistakes. Greg Marzhew worked hard and scored for Newcastle in the 65th minute, but it was not enough to change the result.
The Warriors had the final word when Luke Hanson scored on his debut in the closing seconds.
