Taine Tuaupiki emerged as the unlikely hero for the NZ Warriors, scoring a hat-trick as they survived a fierce Manly Sea Eagles challenge to claim a dramatic 31-30 victory and keep their NRL minor premiership ambitions alive.
Tuaupiki, who was originally selected on the interchange bench as backline cover, was promoted to the starting side after Leka Halasima withdrew with an ankle injury and made the opportunity count.
The Warriors found themselves trailing 12-4 after 20 minutes before storming back with four consecutive tries, including two from Tuaupiki, to establish a 24-12 advantage shortly after halftime.
Manly refused to go away and eventually drew level, forcing Chanel Harris-Tavita to deliver the decisive late field goal that secured the one-point win. The Warriors must now wait for Sunday’s clash between the Penrith Panthers and Wests Tigers, whose result will determine the minor premiership.
