LeagueNews.co | Robbie Hamilton
In the upcoming round 14 clash of the New South Wales Cup, the NZ Warriors are on the verge of achieving a club record with their eighth consecutive win, facing off against the Newtown Jets at Henson Park in Sydney.
The match is set to kick off at 3:00 PM local time (5:00 PM NZT).
Newtown is notably the only team to have defeated the Warriors this season, securing a 28-20 victory during their encounter in Auckland in April, which broke the Warriors' initial four-win streak.
Since that defeat, the Warriors have rebounded impressively, accumulating seven straight wins against various teams: the Dragons (40-12), Knights (30-18), Bears (56-14), Raiders (46-30), Roosters (24-14), Bulldogs (40-24), and Rabbitohs (24-6).
The Warriors have been competing in the New South Wales Cup consistently since 2007, first as the Auckland Lions, then the Auckland Vulcans until they took full ownership of the team in 2014.
For this crucial match, the Warriors have maintained a steady lineup but will be without standout NRL rookie prop Tanner Stowers-Smith, who has been promoted to the first-grade team for their match against the Sharks.
In his absence, seasoned players Bunty Afoa and Tom Ale will step in to start in the front row, while Kalani Going is set to play as loose forward after being a bench player last week.