ComfortGlaze Lower Grade Report: Warriors do the double at Lidcombe Oval
The Warriors' NSW Cup and Jersey Flegg teams both bounced back with eight-try performances in Sydney on Saturday.
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The Warriors put on a pair of attacking exhibitions at Lidcombe Oval on Saturday to make it a cleansweep for the club on its Round 19 visit to Sydney’s western suburbs.
Winger Brandon Norris underlined his status as a future first-grade star with a five-try haul in the Warriors’ 40-6 Jersey Flegg Cup drubbing of Wests Tigers.
Far from merely finishing off overlaps, Norris had plenty to do to score each of his handful — beating defenders with footwork, latching onto kicks and planting the ball airborne in the corner.
Norris opened the scoring at Lidcombe Oval, bagged the first three tries of the second half and notched his fifth in the dying stages. His right-side combination with centre Caelys-Paul Putoko was humming as he improved his 2026 tally to a competition-high 21 tries.
Maui Winitana-Patelesio switched from lock to five-eighth in a late change and crossed for a first-half try, as did prolific left winger Harry Tauafiafi-Iutoi, who produced a superb finish on the back of a magical offload from back-row prodigy Bishop Neal.
Left centre Motu Pasikala scored a slick try during the second stanza.
The result keeps the 8-7 Warriors’ finals hopes alive, moving to within three points of the top five. They host the ladder-leading Dragons at Trusts Stadium in Auckland next Sunday.
JERSEY FLEGG CUP — ROUND 19: Warriors 40 (Brandon Norris 5, Maui Winitana-Patelseio, Harry Tauafiafi-Iutoi, Motu Pasikala tries; Harry Inch 3, Winitana-Patelesio goals) defeated Wests Tigers 6 at Lidcombe Oval
The Warriors gave their flagging NSW Cup title defence a timely boost in Round 19 by overwhelming Western Suburbs Magpies 44-20 at Lidcombe Oval — with several fringe NRL contenders putting their hands up in strong displays.
The visitors led 22-8 at halftime and effectively put the result to bed as winger Haizyn Mellars completed a brilliant hat-trick with the first two tries of the second half.
Both teams posted a pair of tries in the last 20 minutes.
Halfback and captain Luke Metcalf beat several defender to score a great second-half try, after producing three earlier try assists: one with a looping pass for Mellars’ first, and two (for Kayliss Fatialofa and Mellars again) with pinpoint bombs.
Returning to five-eighth, Luke Hanson laid on a try for prop Rodney Tuipolotu-Vea with a short ball and set up Fatialofa’s second courtesy of a neat grubber.
But the individual highlight of the match was a blistering solo try from Jye Linnane, an insane 50-metre effort that showcased his lightning speed as well as tackle-busting strength.
Mellars (13 runs for 173 metres) and Fatialofa (16 runs for 144 metres and 29 tackles) coupled their tryscoring efforts with strong all-round displays.
Meanwhile, a pair of mid-season recruits made excellent club debuts.
Ex-Penrith, North Queensland and Redcliffe forward Riley Price — son of Warriors club legend Steve — churned through a team-high 197 metres on 19 runs and made 26 tackles in 69 minutes off the bench.
Former Wests Tigers winger Luke Laulilii, bound for Perth Bears in 2027, made 16 runs for 143 metres and 10 tackles.
The Warriors face St George Illawarra in a crunch game in Round 20 fixture at Auckland’s Trusts Stadium next Saturday.
NSW CUP — ROUND 19: Warriors 44 (Haizyn Mellars 3, Kayliss Fatialofa 2, Rodney Tuipolotu-Vea, Jye Linnane, Luke Metcalf tries; Metcalf 6 goals) defeated Western Suburbs Magpies 20 at Lidcombe Oval