Warriors winger Dallin Watene-Zelezniak faces a one-game suspension due to a “careless” tackle during a match against the Melbourne Storm on Saturday evening in Auckland. The incident occurred in the 60th minute at Go Media Stadium when Watene-Zelezniak’s arm made contact with the neck of Melbourne’s winger Grant Anderson, who did not have possession of the ball. Referee Gerard Sutton halted play, awarded a penalty to the Storm, and sent Watene-Zelezniak to the sin bin. This decision left the Warriors with just 11 players on the field, as Marcelo Montoya was already in the sin bin for an earlier infraction.
Sutton’s decision was based on the fact that Anderson did not have the ball and Watene-Zelezniak’s action was deemed very careless. Watene-Zelezniak has been charged by the match review committee with a grade two careless high tackle. If he accepts the early plea, he will miss one game, but if he contests the charge and is found guilty, he could face a two-game suspension. The Melbourne Storm capitalized on these advantages, ultimately securing a 38-24 victory and solidifying their position at the top of the NRL ladder.
Currently 11th on the ladder, the Warriors will next compete against the Gold Coast Titans at Cbus Super Stadium on Saturday, June 22nd at 3 pm AEST.
The game against the Storm began well for the Warriors, who dominated the opening 20 minutes with nearly all the possession. Adam Pompey scored the first try within six minutes, followed by a penalty goal, putting the Warriors up by eight points. Marcelo Montoya extended the lead to 14-0 after Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad’s exceptional flick pass set him up for a try. Pompey’s successful conversions had the Warriors looking strong.
However, momentum shifted towards the Storm. A penalty placed them in a good attacking position, leading to Eli Katoa’s impressive try after stealing the ball from Pompey. Shortly after, Grant Anderson scored following a brilliant aerial play by Xavier Coates, narrowing the gap. Although Nick Meaney missed the conversion, the Storm were only four points behind.
The Storm then equalized and took the lead within seven minutes. Dean Ieremia scored after a defensive lapse by the Warriors, and Nick Meaney scored again following more excellent work by Katoa. Meaney’s conversion put the Storm ahead 20-14 at halftime.
The Warriors started the second half aggressively, with Mitch Barnett scoring to reduce the deficit to two points, although Pompey missed the conversion, leaving the score at 20-18. The Warriors’ efforts soon unraveled. Jazz Tevaga’s potential try was disallowed due to a prior foul by Te Maire Martin, who was placed on report but not sin-binned. Marcelo Montoya was less fortunate, receiving a 10-minute sin bin for a professional foul on Jahrome Hughes.
The Storm exploited their numerical advantage with Sua Fa’alogo scoring in the corner. Matters worsened for the Warriors when Watene-Zelezniak was sin-binned for a high, off-the-ball hit on Anderson after a prolonged discussion between Sutton and bunker official Liam Kennedy. With the Warriors down to 11 players, the Storm capitalized, with Xavier Coates scoring from a slight kick through the defensive line and Nick Meaney converting, extending their lead to 32-18.
The Warriors attempted a late comeback. Marcelo Montoya scored a second try, with Chanel Harris-Tavita converting to narrow the gap to eight points. However, the Storm sealed their victory within the final 90 seconds when Sua Fa’alogo scored again, and Meaney’s conversion brought the final score to 38-24.
Looking ahead, the Storm, missing their Origin stars, will face the Dolphins in Brisbane, while the Warriors will play against the Titans in Queensland.
