LeagueNews.co | Nick Loken
The NZ Warriors are celebrating a weekend of double success after their New South Wales Cup side produced an outstanding performance to secure a 26-14 comeback win over the defending premiers, the Penrith Panthers.
This victory follows the NRL team's hard-fought 28-18 triumph over the Gold Coast Titans the previous night.
The New South Wales Cup team, led by coach Slade Griffin, solidified their hold on second place with an impressive second-half display, seeking redemption for their 14-24 loss to the Panthers in Auckland earlier this year.
Despite trailing 8-10 at halftime and falling further behind at the start of the second half, the Warriors rallied and scored three unanswered tries to claim victory.
The team faced adversity when fullback Ben Farr was stretchered off the field early in the second half, but the rearranged backline showed resilience and delivered a strong defensive effort to repeatedly repel the Panthers' attacks.
The match began in superb fashion for the Warriors, with Ronald Volkman's last tackle bomb causing confusion for the Panthers, enabling Setu Tu to seize the loose ball and provide an assist for Kalani Going to score a try in the corner.