NZ Warriors' 2026 NRL season ends with loss to Knights at Eden Park

This will not be the NZ Warriors' year after all, as their NRL dream crumbled in defeat to Newcastle Knights at soldout Eden Park.

Referee Ashley Klein and his officials were booed off the park, after two contentious late decisions went against the home side, as they desperately chased the points to save their playoff hopes.

Instead, the Knights held on for a 12-10 win that will now propel them to a preliminary final meeting with Penrith Panthers next weekend.

Centre Leka Halasima returned from a hamstring injury to score a try double for the Warriors, but that was not enough to carry them forward and they must now spend another summer wondering what might have been.