The Penrith Panthers have ended the NZ Warriors’ finals hopes in the New South Wales Cup.
With three tries in an 11-minute burst, the Panthers ended the Warriors' reserve graders season in a 24-12 defeat in Saturday’s elimination final at Sydney's Leichhardt Oval.
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With a triple strike from Daine Laurie (51 minutes), Jesse McLean (57 minutes) and Casey McLean (61 minutes), the Panthers broke free from a tense arm-wrestle to take what proved to be an unassailable 24-6 lead.
While there was still plenty of time left, the Warriors could not find a way back quickly enough to give themselves a glimmer of hope.
Second rower Jacob Laban scored in the 75th minute but by then it was too late.
Penrith dominated possession and field position in the first half, opening the scoring in just the fourth minute though left wing Asu Kepaoa, before doubling their lead when right wing McLean went over in the 28th minute.
Neither try was converted, the Warriors playing tough and holding firm to restrict the score to 8-0 at the break.
And just six minutes into the second half they were right in it when Ali Leiataua gathered a nicely weighted Luke Hanson grubber to score wide out, with Taine Tuaupiki converting superbly to leave the Warriors two points adrift.
Having grabbed the momentum, they did not hold onto it, immediately conceding possession from the restart, an error they did not defend as the light-stepping Laurie left them clutching when he scored near the posts.
It opened the door and the Panthers did not need a second invitation as the McLean benefited to enable Penrith to seize the day and end the Warriors’ solid season on a disappointing note.
The Warriors were not helped on the injury front, losing inspirational captain Kalani Going with what looked like a pectoral injury in the first half and also having Laban and hard-running prop Zyon Maiu’u forced off the field after head knocks within a matter of minutes early in the second half.
Meanwhile, centre Moala Taufa-Graham was twice honoured with New South Wales Cup accolades at the Warriors’ annual awards dinner in Auckland on Sunday night.
A one-game NRL player with the Sydney Roosters – making a brief 18th man appearance in 2021 – the 22-year-old Aucklander played three NRL matches for the Warriors in a season in which he excelled for the club’s NSW Cup side.
The team’s top try-scorer with 14 touchdowns, he averaged 148 metres a game, which saw him named the overall NSW Cup Player of the Year as well as being chosen by his peers as the Players’ Player of the Year.
Other nominees for the supreme honour were Going, fullback Taine Tuaupiki and second rower Leka Halasima, while Going, Tuaupiki and wing Edward Kosi were also nominees for the Players’ Player.
Singled out as the NSW Cup clubman of the year was 19-year-old Eddie Ieremia. Able to play in the back row, front row or the centres, Ieremia appeared in all of the team’s 25 games, including Saturday’s playoff loss to Penrith.
A selfless club man, the impressive Ieremia headed off Kosi, utility Geronimo Doyle and hooker-halfback Paul Roache for the award.