Warriors fans can breathe easy following a strong trial performance against the Melbourne Storm, traditionally seen as premiership contenders. In a tactical shift, regular five-eighth Luke Metcalf was deployed as halfback, with Chanel Harris-Tavita taking on the six jersey. The Warriors stormed ahead in the first half, achieving a stunning 36-0 lead by halftime, ultimately wrapping up the match at 36-10.
Metcalf had a noteworthy outing, contributing significantly with four conversions, a try assist, and a line-break assist during his 40 minutes on the field. Scoring was shared among the Warriors, with Taine Tuaupiki, Roger Tuivasa-Sheck, and Ali Leiataua each netting doubles, while Harris-Tavita also added to the tally. Tuivasa-Sheck began the match on the wing before Te Maire Martin transitioned to fullback.
Despite missing key players, Melbourne fielded a competitive team with Stefano Utoikamanu and Tyran Wishart contributing to their performance. In the second half, tryscorers included Kane Bradley and North Sydney Bears player Ben Talty, with Eli Morris successfully converting one of the tries.