Knock-On Effect NSW Cup: Warriors down Dragons in NZ

Daeon Amituanai went close to securing first points for the hosts but was held up over the line by a collection of Dragons defenders.

After a slew of early pressure, Jonah Glover went aerial to secure possession for the Dragons and move his side upfield after being illegally dragged back in-goal.

Amituanai found a try soon after however reeling in a grubber off the boot of a sweeping Geronimo Doyle in the right corner to make it 4-0.

Doyle powered his way over for a try of his own to make it a double-digit game a quarter of the way in after the visitors allowed back-to-back offloads and fell off multiple tackles down the right-hand corridor.

Eddie Ieremia-Toeava was placed on report for the Warriors for a dangerous tackle on Finau Latu just shy of the half-hour mark with Nathan Lawson going close to finding a try for the Dragons only for Tanah Boyd to dislodge the ball out of his grip short of the try-line.

A torpedoing Glover bomb forced a Warriors error to put the visitors back on the attack with Toby Rumble going close to finding his first Knock-On Effect NSW Cup try off the back of it only for a late strip to deny him.

Boyd knocked over a gift penalty goal just short of half-time to make it a 12-0 Warriors leading heading into the sheds.

The Dragons could not have gotten off to a better start to the second forty with an opening play error handing the visitors an opportunity.

Cody Ramsey, who looked threatening on numerous occasions throughout the first stanza, sliced through down the right edge off the attacking scrum to get his side on the board.

A sweeping Ramsey laid on another result for the Dragons shortly after with the No.1 hitting a charging Corey Allan who crafted a brilliant bat-on to Toby Rumble for a debut try as the visitors moved back within four.

The Warriors went down the other end and came up with an answer with Ieremia-Toeava pouncing on a well-timed grubber to extend their lead back beyond a converted try.

The hosts went back-to-back with Doyle nabbing his second off the back of a fumbled bomb as their lead improved beyond a pair of converted tries.

With the clock becoming more a concern, the Dragons turned again to Ramsey who slipped through on another sweep play – this time down the right-hand corridor – to bring it back to 22-12 entering the final 10 minutes.

The windy conditions wreaked havoc for both kickers throughout the afternoon with Glover’s third conversion attempt waved away.

Any hopes of a fightback were swiftly quashed with Kayliss Fatialofa picking up a Dragons knock-on and handing it off to five-eighth Luke Hanson to score.

Fatialofa scored a try of his own before Freddy Lussick burrowed his way over on the stroke of full-time to put a bow on a comprehensive Warriors win.