Dallin Watene-Zelezniak scored four tries for the Warriors against the Dragons. Photo / Photosport
Warriors 48
Dragons 18
These are heady times for the Warriors.
Playing the Dragons in Australia has historically been a tough task, but the Warriors overcame an uncertain start to batter the joint venture team, with a comprehensive 48-18 victory on Friday night.
It was their third successive win – and fourth in five matches – to consolidate their position in the top eight.
Trips over the Tasman used to be fraught occasions – but not anymore – as the Warriors managed an assured, confident display, despite some early mistakes and the second half sinbinning of Marata Niukore.
They managed a staggering nine tries, including four to Dallin Watene-Zelezniak - and could have had a couple more – for their biggest win over St George-Illawarra.
The Dragons are far from a heavyweight team but can be dangerous, with the scalps of the Rabbitohs and Roosters in recent weeks, while also pushing Penrith close.
But they were outclassed by the Warriors, who were too strong through the middle and too slick out wide.
Coming off the bye, it wasn’t their most polished display of the season but still more than enough, to improve to a 9-6 record ahead of the highly-anticipated clash with South Sydney on Friday.
Wollongong had traditionally been a graveyard for the Warriors, with 10 defeats from the last 11 visits. Before their win there in 2018, the last time they tasted victory at the south coast venue John Kirwan, Greg Alexander, Stacey Jones and Stephen Kearney were among the squad, while John Monie was coach. It was April 1996.
The Warriors made a confident start. After forcing an error with a towering Shaun Johnson bomb, a slick move ended with Watene-Zelezniak finishing in the corner. They should have gone further ahead minutes later, but for a bunker obstruction call ruling out a Marcelo Montoya try, when it felt like the defender was playing for the decision.
There was a temporary swing, as pacey Dragons fullback Tyrell Sloan burned through the line, beating four defenders in the process.
Early on the Warriors were cruelled by errors – with four in the first quarter alone – which stalled their start.
But they gradually gained ascendency through the middle and when everything clicked, it was beautiful, with a three-try burst in eight minutes in the second quarter.
Montoya picked up a long grasscutter pass from Luke Metcalf and forced his way over, before Bayley Sironen ran onto a perfect Johnson grubber, with the Dragons fullback out of position. The Warriors were fortunate – as there was doubt over the grounding – but the move exhibited Johnson’s confidence.
The next try was about desire, as Dylan Walker plucked a Johnson bomb out of the sky, before Jackson Ford cleverly grabbed possession and spun away to score. There was a setback just after the break, with Niukore – who had been one of the best on field – sinbinned for a high shot on Moses Suli, his third dismissal this year.
The home side took advantage initially, thorough Zane Musgrove’s try near the posts, but the Warriors showed their mettle with Watene-Zelezniak’s second.
It was impressive stuff, as the shorthanded visitors created an overlap, after a spectacular offload from Adam Pompey.
From there, they reasserted their authority, with a wonderful set play between Walker and Addin Fonua-Blake seeing Johnson cross, before a coast-to-coast backline move ended with Watene-Zelezniak setting up Rocco Berry.
Francis Molo got a consolation for the Dragons, before Watene-Zelezniak completed his first NRL hat-trick, then grabbed another for good measure in brilliant late finale.
Warriors 48 (Dallin Watene-Zelezniak 4, Marcelo Montoya, Bayley Sironen, Jackson Ford, Shaun Johnson, Rocco Berry tries; Johnson 6 cons)
Dragons 18 (Tyrell Sloan, Zane Musgrove, Francis Molo tries; Zac Lomax 3 cons)
HT: 20-6
All the key NRL fixtures for the Warriors.