[Source: NRL News]

For the first time in 21 years the Warriors have won six games in a row, after a Dallin Watene-Zelezniak hat-trick helped them overcome a dogged Sea Eagles side 29-22.

In front of 24,112 at the Warriors’ traditional home in Auckland – renamed Daniel Anderson Stadium for Round 25 in honour of their former coach who suffered a catastrophic spinal cord injury late last year – the home side were forced to overcome a 22-16 deficit at the break to earn a victory which ensures they will remain third heading into Round 26.

Earlier both sides went on first-half runs which saw them score 16 unanswered points, but with Manly edging out an advantage thanks to Jason Saab’s hat-trick and an earlier Jake Arthur strike.

The Sea Eagles were ultimately left to rue a series of missed opportunities late in the game, with the defeat all but ending their hopes of playing finals in 2023.

After being a late call-up to start at five-eighth, Arthur made a dream start when he bounced through two would-be tackles and dived over from close range, but that joy would prove to be short lived as the Warriors promptly ran in 16 points in the next 17 minutes.

First captain Tohu Harris got over for his third try in as many games, before Watene-Zelezniak took it upon himself to give the hosts the lead with a pair of special tries.

The first was a trademark flying finish in the corner, before he embarked on a monster run that left Arthur flat on the deck on his way to the line.

But whatever the Warriors could do with ball in hand, so too could the Sea Eagles it seemed, as they then had their turn at running in three tries, during a period which saw both sides also have four-pointers ruled out by the Bunker.

Saab was responsible for all three with near carbon copy breaks down the right flank as Daly Cherry-Evans and Sea Eagles took full advantage of some leaky edge defence.

Saab’s third three minutes from the half was followed by a sideline conversion from Reuben Garrick which put him into fifth on Manly’s all-time scorers list and gave his side a 22-16 lead at the half.

Watene-Zelezniak’s third and a Adam Pompey sideline conversion tied scores at 22-all and they stayed that way until the 73rd minute when Marata Niukore – who was playing in the centres after Marcelo Montoya’s 67th minute injury forced a reshuffle – was put into a gap by Shaun Johnson and ran 35 metres for the match winner.

It came just minutes after Garrick missed a go-ahead penalty from out wide, before Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad hit Garrick in mid-air in a collision which didn’t draw a penalty, due to the bouncing ball negating the mid-air tackle rule.

The Sea Eagles had their chances late but couldn’t find a way through, before Johnson kicked a field goal to ice the win at the death.

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