NRL: Juniors not ready for top grade

The Warriors Juniors are progressing well but no more are ready yet for the rigours of the NRL, coach Tony Iro believes. He says none are experienced enough yet to ease the top side's injury woes.

The Under-20s showed greater resolve to go try-for-try with their Brisbane counterparts and haul themselves off the bottom of the NYC Toyota Cup table with a 22-16 win in the curtainraiser at Mt Smart on Saturday.

Their captain and lock Elijah Taylor is out for at least four weeks after he broke a finger. Iro was pleased with the way the side took that setback and pressed on. "We'd spoken about leadership during the week and it was good to see other guys pick up that role."

Taylor joins an injury list now extended to 15 but Iro said there was plenty of good talent coming through.

Siuatonga Likiliki, who played left centre, scored his third try in three games and both he and wing/centre Bill Tupou, who also scored yesterday, have been Auckland Under-18s representatives and are in the second year in the NYC.

Iro said they and others in the squad needed more time to develop physically and more matches to build wider experience.

The hero, again, was fullback Kevin Locke, who has an uncanny ability to turn up in the right place at the right time to score. He did so in the 71st minute on Saturday to give them the lead, then nailed a penalty to seal it.