LeagueNews.co | Robbie Hamilton
In a disappointing turn of events, Wests Tigers' journey to New Zealand came to an unhappy conclusion as they suffered a 30-22 defeat at the hands of the New Zealand Warriors in Hamilton.
The game started with a burst of energy as Mitch Barnett broke through the defensive line and set up Luke Metcalf for the first try of the evening.
Not long after, a well-executed cutout pass from Shaun Johnson allowed Adam Pompey to score the second try for the Warriors.
However, Wests Tigers quickly retaliated with Starford To'a scoring a try, thanks to a skillful final pass from Daine Laurie.
The teams were evenly matched as Laurie, with an audacious dummy, sliced open the Warriors' defense and found Luke Brooks for a try, leveling the score.
Just before halftime, Dallin Watene-Zelezniak showcased his acrobatic skills to finish a try, giving the Warriors a narrow four-point lead.
The second half began with a tight battle, but it was Tohu Harris who broke the deadlock, scoring a try off a simple dummy-half pass from Bayley Sironen.