Fast-starting Warriors get pants pulled down by tricky Tigers

The Tigers scored six of the game's last seven tries after the Warriors raced to a 10-0 lead.

It’s premature to say the bubble has burst, but similarly impulsive premiership contender declarations around the Warriors will be sheepishly put on the shelf for the time being following a jarring 32-14 home loss to Wests Tigers on Friday night.

The Warriors’ blistering start to 2026 seemed certain to continue thanks to two early tries against threadbare goal-line defence from the Tigers, who went to Auckland without $1.2 million star Jarome Luai.

But a painfully dumb sin-bin incurred by Adam Pompey proved an untimely circuit-breaker.

The Tigers rallied to grab a halftime lead and grittily weathered the storm early in the second half before running away with the game — inspired by halfback talisman Adam Doueihi.

Luke Metcalf’s return was ultimately a fizzer, enduring a few unflattering moments, while in-form Tanah Boyd’s rhythm of the first three rounds resurfaced only periodically.

All in all, it was a meek loss and a wake-up call ahead of a massive fortnight on the road against Cronulla and Melbourne. And a gallant win that stamped Benji Marshall’s Tigers as a compelling chance to snap an eye-watering 15-year finals drought.