Luke Metcalf penalty hands New Zealand Warriors golden-point win over Brisbane Broncos

NEW ZEALAND WARRIORS 20 BRISBANE BRONCOS 18
CALLUM WALKER, Go Media Stadium, Saturday

A GOLDEN-POINT penalty from Luke Metcalf handed the Warriors a dramatic last-gasp victory over a Brisbane side that failed to inspire once more.

The Broncos were down 18-6 at one late stage in the second half before tries from Jesse Arthars and Reece Walsh pulled the visitors back level – only for Metcalf to step up when needed.

Warriors boss Andrew Webster made three changes from the side that were demolished 42-14 by Melbourne Storm last weekend, with Edward Kosi, Jacob Laban and Te Maire Martin replacing Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad, James Fisher-Harris and Rocco Berry. Jordan Riki, meanwhile, came in for Jack Gosieweski for the Broncos.

Both sides were on eight points going into this one and you could sense the evenness throughout the first-half contest with the scores locked at 6-6 at the break.

However, it was the Warriors that began to pull away in the second half with three tries in 14 minutes as the Broncos simply couldn’t live with the power and pace of the home side in front of their vociferous support – until the visitors mounted their own desperate comeback in the final quarter.

That being said, the Broncos couldn’t have started much better, Billy Walters crossing in the fourth minute. Adam Reynolds’ conversion made it 6-0 with the Warriors still settling into the game.

In fact, it took the hosts a full half-hour before they finally managed to breach the Brisbane defence, Leka Halasima dotting down. Metcalf converted – but it would be the only kick the halfback made in normal time, despite four more attempts.

Metcalf had already missed a penalty-goal which would have seen the Warriors lead 8-6 at the break – and he could have taken the hosts out of sight in the second half as Webster’s men turned the screw.

A last-tackle play saw Mitchell Barnett caught in midfield, but his wayward offload allowed Metcalf to hack over the top for Kosi to meet the bounce and pounce in the corner.

Metcalf was in the thick of the action and he had his own four-pointer on the hour as Kurt Capewell picked up a loose ball to race 40 metres. Capewell was stopped by Walsh, but the makeshift centre passed superbly to Metcalf whose pick-up was equally brilliant.

Marata Niukore continued the onslaught with a powerful run on 65 minutes, but the Broncos were still only two converted tries behind courtesy of Metcalf’s wayward conversions.

And when Jesse Arthars registered a converted try two minutes later with a powerful finish, Brisbane were now only down by six.

To rub salt into Metcalf’s wounds, Walsh won the race to a Reynolds grubber as the latter levelled the scores with another pin-point conversion with time running out.

Metcalf then sent two field-goals wide before the Broncos bombed their golden-point opportunity, sending the kick-off straight over the back fence to hand the Warriors linchpin the chance to make amends.

And this time Metcalf obliged, splitting the uprights from halfway to send the Go Media Stadium into raptures.

GAMESTAR: Payne Haas did not deserve to be on the losing side here.

GAMEBREAKER: Luke Metcalf’s golden-point winner proved the difference in the end.

MATCHFACTS
WARRIORS
1 Taine Tuaupiki
2 Edward Kosi
3 Kurt Capewell
4 Ali Leiataua
5 Adam Pompey
6 Chanel Harris-Tavita
7 Luke Metcalf
8 Jackson Ford
9 Wayde Egan
10 Mitchell Barnett
11 Leka Halasima
12 Marata Niukore
13 Erin Clark
Subs (all used)
14 Bunty Afoa
15 Jacob Laban
16 Dominic Vaimauga
17 Te Maire Martin

Tries: Halasima (31), Kosi (52), Metcalf (61), Niukore (65)
Goals: Metcalf 2/6

BRONCOS
1 Reece Walsh
2 Selwyn Cobbo
3 Kotoni Staggs
4 Gehamat Shibasaki
5 Jesse Arthars
6 Ben Hunt
7 Adam Reynolds
8 Patrick Carrigan
14 Billy Walters
10 Payne Haas
16 Xavier Willison
12 Jordan Riki
13 Kobe Hetherington
Subs (all used)
9 Cory Paix
11 Jaiyden Hunt
15 Corey Jensen
17 Tyson Smoothy