Takimoana creates Warriors history in courageous loss to NRLW powerhouse Newcastle
Photo:
David Neilson/Photosport
Winger Payton Takimoana has become the first NZ Warriors woman to score a hattrick of tries, but her effort could not inspire her team to victory against a rampant Newcastle Knights.
Warriors coach Ron Griffiths guided the Knights to back-to-back NRLW championships during his three-year tenure at the club, but had no joy on his return with his new club, as the visitors succumbed 36-20.
Newcastle enjoyed all the early possession, winning a penalty and forcing a line dropout from their first set, but the Warriors weathered the storm.
Five-eighth Patricia Maliepo gifted her team repeat sets with a clever kick and chase to trap the Knights behind their goal-line, but they could gain no result from that initial raid.
Front-rower Harata Butler was booked for a hip-drop tackle on Knights lock Tayla Romaniuk, who bounced back up to open the scoring, powering through four tacklers for a try next to the goalposts.
Newcastle doubled their advantage, when five-eighth Georgia Roche split the defence and sent captain Yasmin Clydsdale across, and the visitors looked in trouble.
Knights winger Tess Staines grabbed a try on debut, propping inside sevens star Michaela Brake, and was ceremonially knighted by her teammates, as Newcastle spared no expense on their 'Try July' celebrations.
Maliepo created another attacking opportunity, when fullback Botille Vetter-Welsh carried a kick into touch near her goal-line, but Warriors captain Apii Nicholls couldn't control a wayward pass and that chance went begging.
Brake was impressive in the win over Parramatta Eels last week, chalking up a record 16 tacklebreaks, 243 running metres and her first NRLW try, but she found the Knights a much tougher proposition.
In her third rugby league contest, she managed 107 metres running and seven tacklebreaks.
Halfback Jesse Southwell threaded the Warriors defence with a kick close to the line that was chased down by another Kiwi sevens exponent, Tenika Willison, for a try.
The Warriors found the scoreboard before halftime, when they won a midfield penalty that sent them into the redzone. Maliepo batted on a loose pass that put Takimoana over in the corner.
Maliepo converted from the sideline and the visitors trailled 24-6 at the break.
They had an immediate chance to reduce the deficit after the restart, when halfback Emily Curtain was taken out late, as she kicked, and from the penalty, Takimoana had her try double. Maliepo's sideline conversion bounced off the crossbar and out.
The Warriors seemed to have wrestled momentum their way, until Jules Kirkpatrick ducked over near the posts from dummy half for Newcastle. Southwell put second-rower
Evah McKewen over for a try and the Warriors were back to playing for pride.
They achieved a repeat set, when Maliepo's stab-kick was knocked on near the tryline, and Nicholls - with the line open in front of her - put Takimoana over for her third.
Maliepo slotted the conversion from the sideline again.
Brake finally shrugged off her defenders in the dying moments, scoring in the other corner, although replays suggested she may have lost control of the grounding.
The Warriors wahine return home to face Gold Coast Titans next Saturday on a short turnaround.
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