'Credit to the country': What we learnt from Warriors' historic win over Cowboys

Analysis: From the time the NRL scheduled was released, NZ Warriors fans had this fixture circled on their calendars, never guessing how important it would be for their team's season.

After back-to-back losses and carrying a host of injuries, the Warriors could feel the bunch breathing down their necks on the competition ladder and desperately needed to stop the rot.

The new One NZ Stadium, bearing the same name as the one across the Warriors' jerseys, added another dimension to this encounter, with most of the NRL top brass on hand to experience the venue first hand.

What plans do they now have for Christchurch in the competition's landscape?

"It was special for the boys, the club, the whole of New Zealand, Christchurch," coach Andrew Webster declared. "I just think the stadium is a credit to the country.

"The boys were so excited to play here and created history tonight as the first Warriors team to play in the new stadium. It's been a long time coming for the city, but they should be really proud."

Captain Mitch Barnett seemed determined to be part of that history, despite the various obstacles he's faced this season.

"It was unreal and having the roof closed makes it louder again," he said. "When you get a bunch of Warriors fans, they're loud enough as it is.

"Unreal atmosphere and I'm just glad we could deliver for them tonight."

For only the second time in their history, the Warriors won their first game at an NZ venue - the other was Taupo's Owen Delany Park against Cronulla Sharks in 2011.

Best player

Simply can't go past the guy transplanted on the wing and responding with four tries - almost five.

Just before halftime, the Warriors kept the ball alive and sent it through hands for Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad to cross for what seemed like his fourth try at the time, but there were probably a couple of marginal passes in the lead-up and one of them was spotted as forward.

During the week, Nicoll-Klokstad was unsure of his ability to match flying teammates Dallin Watene-Zelezniak and Alofiana Khan-Pereira for cornerflagging acrobatics, but against the Cowboys, he showed he was a quick learner, adding a couple of basic dives to his repertoire.

"He's Mr Versatile, he's team first, Charnze," Webster said.

"His definitely preferred position is fullback. He's very good at it, he's elite, but we need him to play on the wing right now.

"He's holding his gloves up and learning all the time, and I'm very grateful to have him."

Halfback Te Maire Martin directed play expertly, but more about him later.

Probably still smarting from his Origin disappointment four days before, Barnett made it abundantly clear that he would not be left out of this game and proved inspirational in the No.22 jersey, playing the entire first half and returning late to close the deal.

He ran 24 times for 191 metres - 73 after contact - and made 28 tackles, and it would be hard to imagine the Warriors could overcome the loss of front-row star Jackson Ford without their skipper on hand.

Key moment

Moments after setting up Nicoll-Klokstad's fourth try by running on the last tackle, Martin made an incredible defensive stop, wrapping up Jaxon Perdue and holding him up behind the tryline to prevent a four-pointer near the posts.

That converted try would have closed the score to 20-16, leaving the Cowboys well in contention.

Instead, the Warriors were next to score, with Martin again probing the defence, before throwing a long pass for Watene-Zelezniak to stroll over down the right.

While he could not find the scoresheet himself, the halfback had his fingerprints all over this win, with three linebreak assists and two try assists, but probably a couple of others where he made a crucial contribution.

Martin also saved another try, when he raced wing Murray Taulagi for a loose ball in goal, and managed to time his despairing dive to slap it from his grasp.

With so many injuries, Webster must be tempted to bring Luke Metcalf's x-factor back into first grade, but his incumbents are certainly giving him no reason to take that risk.

"People go down and we slot quality people like him [Martin] in there," Webster said. "He looked for opportunities tonight and... if you show him something, he will take it."

Best try

Wayde Egan's name keeps getting thrown about for possible Origin selection and, if NSW make sweeping changes for the series decider, he may yet find himself in a blue jersey.

If Laurie Daley had forgotten his name though, the Warriors hooker dropped a reminder of his abilities, tormenting the Cowboys with seven runs for 94 metres out of dummy half.

He also laid on a couple of tries and his long pass for Nicoll-Klokstad's second was a thing of beauty.

"Every time their markers weren't right tonight, he certainly made them accountable," Webster said. "He certainly made them pay and I thought, if we had supported him a bit better, we could have got a bit more joy off him."

Later, one of those ventures from the base of the ruck saw Egan put fullback Taine Tuaupiki over to seal the win.

Injuries etc

With Tanah Boyd and Roger Tuivasa-Sheck already out for the season, the Warriors now face some nervous moments over Ford, who was diagnosed with a torn pec at halftime and may now face a long road back.

Of course, Ford was enjoying a career season that had him atop the Dally M Medal standings early in the season and seemed on the verge of an Origin call-up for the Brisbane decider.

Notably, he wasn't in a sling after the game.

"We don't know if it's minor or big, we'll find out when we scan," Webster said. "They can be really bad or they can be a couple of weeks.

"I don't know too much about what you do with pecs, but I think it is a good sign [he wasn't in a sling]."

They dug deep to cover his absence in the second half, especially with James Fisher-Harris carrying a calf niggle, and Tanner Stowers-Smith now becomes a key figure in the forward rotation.

Several other Warriors went down at various times, with hooker Wayde Egan needing a concussion check and five-eighth Chanel Harris-Tavita appearing to pull up lame, after a high kick midway through the second half.

Tuaupiki also took a beating in the first half, but just kept bouncing back for more, running for a game-high 218 metres, including nine tacklebreaks, and eventually scoring a try to prove his readiness.

Back-up hooker Sam Healey was initially named to return from thumb surgery, but now appears another week away. Instead, rookie Makaia Tafua logged 17 more valuable minutes in his first-grade education.

Second-rower Leka Halasima may also miss next week's fixture with his hamstring, but the Warriors will surely receive a boost, if Kurt Capewell can return from Origin duties next week.

Cowboys

North Queensland were game throughout and are starting to get some players back.

The Warriors may have dodged a bullet, with star halfback Tom Dearden due back soon from an ankle injury, but the Cowboys have now lost three straight and still sit two points outside the playoff eight.

Fullback Scott Drinkwater was again their best player, while halfback Jake Clifford continued his strong season and second-rower Jeremiah Nanai make a successful comeback from injury.

Hooker Reed Mahoney made a game-high 44 tackles and wing Braidon Burns score a try double, while leading his team in running metres with 155.

The Cowboys take on tabletoppers Penrith in Townsville next Saturday.

What does the result mean

The 10-4 Warriors break a two-game skid and end the weekend two points closer to competition leaders Penrith Panthers, who were toppled by Gold Coast Titans without their Origin stars.

They remain in second, still just two points clear of the Dolphins, Newcastle Knights and Sydney Roosters, but they have put some space between them and the ninth-placed Cowboys, six points behind.

They have the second-best defensive record, conceding 244 points, behind the Panthers and equal the Dolphins for second-best attack with 414 points.

What's next

Almost on queue, the Warriors now head offshore again to face the third-placed Dolphins, who are on a seven-game winning run.

Their last loss was in April, when they fell 20-18 to the Warriors in Wellington during Anzac Round. They led 18-6 midway through the first half, but conceded 14 unanswered points, as the home side rallied through their back three - Khan-Pereira, Watene-Zelezniak and Tuaupiki.

Much will depend on the health of outstanding Dolphins half Isaiya Kataoa, who missed the win over Wests Tigers this week with a knee injury.

Beyond that, the Warriors have their last bye, before returning to Sydney to face the Tigers.