Round 16
Rabbitohs 0 l. Warriors 66

2006 NRL Telstra Premiership Index [Table] [Draw] [Player Stats] [Club Headlines]

Location: Aus_NZ > National > First Grade Competition: NRL Telstra Premiership

Warriors record rampage
Sun June 25, 2006
Source: www.warriors.co.nz

The Vodafone Warriors went on an NRL rampage to score the biggest win in the club's history on Sunday.

After leading South Sydney 32-0 at halftime, there was no let-up in the second half at Telstra Stadium as the Vodafone Warriors stacked on another 34 points. The 66-point winning margin exceeded the previous record of 58 points achieved against the Northern Eagles at Ericsson Stadium in 2002.

But the points total was still two short of the biggest score the club has registered in a first-grade match (that came in that same 2002 encounter when the Vodafone Warriors won 68-10). It was also the first time the Vodafone Warriors have hit the 50-point mark in an NRL match since that win over the Eagles in 2002.

More importantly, the win gave the Vodafone Warriors their first instance of three victories on end since their run to the NRL finals in 2003. In the last three rounds they have beaten the Sydney Roosters 22-12, Newcastle 30-18 and now South Sydney 66-0.

The 66-point losing margin was also the worst in South Sydney's 98-year history. Established in 1908, the Rabbitohs previous worst defeat was a 0-62 loss to Sydney City in 1996.

The win gives the Vodafone Warriors a record of seven wins and eight losses, lifting them to 12 points and 12th spot in the competition.

The big points harvest also provided a huge boost to their points for and against record. With 372 for and 281 against, the differential of plus 91 is the second best in the competition, only Melbourne's 103 being better. The Vodafone Warriors now rank as the fourth-best team on attack and the fifth best on defence.

The match obviously provided a field day for Vodafone Warriors players with eight of them scoring a total of 12 tries, equalling the club record for most tries in a match.

Centre Tony Martin grabbed one of the tries and kicked nine of 12 attempts at goal to collect 22 points, which he also achieved when the Vodafone Warriors beat the Rabbitohs 46-14 at Ericsson Stadium in round seven this year.

Interchange hooker Lance Hohaia picked up three tries, the first time a Vodafone Warrior has scored more than two tries in a match since Francis Meli's five-try haul against the Bulldogs in the 2003 play-offs. Jerome Ropati and Brent Webb scored two each and, notably, captain Steve Price scored yet again to grab his fourth try of the year.

By the end of the match, the Vodafone Warriors were fielding a combination well removed from their first-choice line-up with Price and Ruben Wiki sitting out much of the second half. In fact, Price came off in the 48th minute and wasn't used again. Sione Faumuina also had an early finish as did Ropati.

The tone of the match was set from the kick-off when South Sydney put the ball dead, incurring a penalty on halfway which enabled the Vodafone Warriors to control the contest from the outset.

Tries flowed effortlessly, the score leaping to 20-0 by the 23rd minute and never really letting up at any stage.

The Vodafone Warriors look for their fourth successive win when they meet Penrith at Ericsson Stadium next Saturday night (kick-off 7.30pm).

Report source: www.warriors.co.nz

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