The Junior Warriors continue to improve rapidly, showing true NRL attributes to blow away their Newcastle opposites 30-18 in the curtainraiser at Mt Smart yesterday.
The visitors were never in it, solid early defence from the Warriors under-20s setting a platform for the six-tries-to-three win.
The home sidelooked good all round: lots of forward power up front, their halves Jody Henry and Angus Cameron clever, the backline slick and using the field well.
It's pleasing to see some players starting to string together consecutive good performances and it's easy to see that this new Toyota Cup competition will have a major beneficial impact on the Auckland club's top side.
In the past the Warriors newcomers stepped up from Bartercard Cup, with little idea of the speed and intensity at NRL level, while the Aussies were conditioned through hard-fought under-16s and under-18s competitions then the premier league.
Within two seasons we should start to see the benefits with fewer mistakes, more consistency and cohesion from players who are hardened at a younger age and have played together under pressure.
Warrior Patrick Ah Van's younger brother Thomas, also a left winger, had the first two tries within 16 minutes yesterday. At 23 minutes similarly slick passing put right wing Nafe Seluini in. Big tackles forced turnovers and the Knights got jittery, never managing to mount pressure at the Warriors' end.
They started the second half that way too, fullback Johnathan Ford completely missing a bomb near the posts and Ah Van sliding in for his hat-trick. Ford's horrors continued, two knock-ons in his own 20m zone allowing the Warriors to enjoy good territory.
But to their credit they did arrest the error rate and at 62 minutes centre Jared Edwards scored their first try. Five-eighth Ryan Stig strolled through a big hole in the Warriors' middle to give his side a chance at 20-10 but with 10 minutes left Seluini got his second and third and Newcastle were done.
