Rampant Warriors demolish Eels to mark Shaun Johnson's ...

8 Jul 2023
Warriors nz

SKY SPORT

The Warriors return to winning ways with an eight-try hammering of a depleted Parramatta in Sydney.

At CommBank Stadium, Sydney: Warriors 46 (Luke Metcalf 7 min, 34 min, Marcel Montoya 27 min, 31 min, Dylan Walker 40 min, Mitch Barnett 49 min, 71 min, Dallin Watene-Zelezniak 59 min tries; Shaun Johnson 7 goals) Eels 10 (Bailey Simonsson 16 min, Shaun Lane 67 min tries; Sean Russell 1 goal). HT: 30-4.

Shaun Johnson won't forget his milestone match in a hurry as the Warriors turned on the style to hammer an undermanned Eels 46-10 in a ruthless display in Sydney.

Veteran halfback Johnson's availability for his 200th NRL game for the club had been in doubt all week with his wife – Silver Fern Kayla Johnson – due to give birth to their second child any minute.

But he was given her blessing to travel across the ditch for his landmark appearance and wound up playing a key role in a sensational Warriors' performance that gets their finals bid back on track.

After being rolled in the rain by the Rabbitohs last week, Warriors coach Andrew Webster had demanded a response from his players against an in-form Parramatta side riding a five-game winning streak.

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The Warriors celebrate one of their eight tries in their 46-10 hammering of the Eels in Sydney.

And boy did he get one, as the rampant Warriors ran in eight tries to two to record their biggest win of the season and leave the bumper crowd at CommBank Stadium in a state of disbelief.

Following a shaky start in which the Eels had an early try to former Warrior Daejarn Asi ruled out for an obstruction, the visitors took charge of a match that was being played at breakneck speed.

A brilliant line break from second-rower Jackson Ford gave the Luke Metcalf an opportunity to glide his way under the posts for the opening score in the seventh minute. Johnson added the extras to put the Warriors 6-0 up.

It was a lead they would never relinquish, as the Eels were simply steamrollered after former New Zealand sevens representative Bailey Simonsson briefly reduced the arrears just after the quarter-hour mark.

Marcelo Montoya helped himself to a quickfire double after some superb attacking sets from the Warriors, before the outstanding Metcalf grabbed his second four-pointer of a standout showing in the halves.

Dylan Walker – making his 200th NRL appearance – then got in on the act as the Warriors headed into the break with a scarcely believable 30-4 advantage – their biggest halftime lead for nine years.

It was more of the same in the second period as the Warriors continued to run riot against a shellshocked Parramatta.

Mitchell Barnett added try number six in the 49th minute when he barged over from close-range, with Johnson knocking over the field goal to maintain his perfect night off the tee.

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Warriors captain Tohu Harris carries the ball up the park as the visitors bounced back with a big win.

Ten minutes later, winger Dallin Watene-Zelezniak finished off another sweeping Warriors move in the corner for his 13th try of the campaign – taking out the cameraman in the process. This time Johnson's conversion attempt struck the upright, perhaps the only time he put a foot wrong all night.

After another ex-Warrior, Shaun Lane, scored a late consolation for Parramatta, the impressive Barnett completed the scoring with his second of the game as the Warriors wracked up a massive 46 points on the road.

The victory takes the Kiwi club up to fifth place on the NRL ladder with 24 points after 10 wins from their 17 games, in full control of their destiny with seven games to play.

The Eels, meanwhile drop to eighth after their heaviest defeat of the season. How Brad Arthur's team missed captain Clint Gutherson, playmaker Mitchell Moses and prop Reagan Campbell-Gillard, who were away on State of Origin duty with New South Wales ahead of Wednesday night’s series finale with Queensland in Sydney.

A near perfect evening for the Warriors was soured somewhat by injuries to captain Tohu Harris, who left the field with a sore ankle, and Walker, who was nursing an arm injury and had to be replaced late on.

Matt Blyth/Getty Images

Marcelo Montoya dives in for one of his two tries as the Warriors ran riot at CommBank Stadium.

Match rating: 9/10

Though it was one-way traffic after a tight first 20 minutes, you couldn't help but admire the Warriors' brilliance going forward. They scored some fantastic tries that showed when they are on song, they are one of the best attacking sides in the comp.

MVP

There were so many candidates in Warriors colours, not least Johnson, who was superb on his big night. But his partner in the halves Metcalf just shaded it, scoring two tries and running the show with his sharp passing and incisive kicking.

The only blot on his copybook was when he squandered a chance to bag a hat-trick late in the first half after allowing a clever Johnson kick in behind squirm through his grasp.

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Warriors playmaker Luke Metcalf scored two tries and pulled the strings in an standout performance.

The big moment

After an end-to-end opening quarter, Montoya's second try in the 31st minute gave the Warriors some breathing room on the scoreboard and from then on, the Eels never looked like getting back into the contest.

The big picture

Things don't get any easier for the Warriors, who return to New Zealand for back-to-back home games against the Sharks (2nd) and Raiders (4th) over the next two weekends.

Then they will have their final bye week before a run of fixtures that will determine whether they end their five-year absence from the finals.

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