Fullback Taine Tuaupiki saves Warriors with hattrick of tries over Sea Eagles
The NZ Warriors secured a narrow 31-30 victory over the Manly Sea Eagles thanks to a hattrick of tries from Taine Tuaupiki and a late field goal. The win keeps the Warriors in contention for the NRL minor premiership.
Why it matters
This result significantly impacts the final standings of the NRL regular season, demonstrating the high stakes of professional rugby league.
Fullback Taine Tuaupiki - who wasn't originally named to play - has saved NZ Warriors' bacon with a hattrick of tries in a desperate 31-30 win over Manly Sea Eagles to keep their NRL minor premiership hopes alive.
The home side needed a late field goal from Chanel Harris-Tavita to snatch victory from their dogged opponents and now await the result between Penrith Panthers and Wests Tigers on Sunday, which will determine the winners of the regular-season crown.
Off to a slow start, the Warriors trailled 12-4 after 20 minutes, but rattled on the next four tries - two to Tuaupiki - to lead 24-12 just after halftime.
Tuaupiki was initially named on the interchange bench as backline cover, but entered the starting line-up when centre Leka Halasima withdrew with an ankle injury 24 hours out.
Get smarter about the news
Sign up free for a feed built around what you actually care about, Dive Deeper research on any story, and the full text of every article.
Create free accountAlready have an account? Sign in