The Bulldogs NYC side have this afternoon been convincingly defeated 58-20 by the Warriors in Auckland.
After trailing 24-10 at half-time, the home side went on with it in the second half scoring 11 tries in the end, to the Bulldogs four.
The young Bulldogs started the match with plenty of spark with winger Aaron Pene crossing after just three minutes of play. Halfback Guy Hamilton couldn’t convert with the lead 4-nil after as many minutes.
The Warriors answered straight back to open their account through front row forward Sam Lisone. The Co-Captain just had too much strength and burrowed over after shrugging a few defenders away to score. Mason Lino converted to put the Warriors in front 6-4 after nine minutes.
Captain Adam Elliott inspired his troops when he went over in the 18th minute to put the visitors back in front. A weight of possession tired the Warriors out and Elliott crashed through the middle to score under the posts. Hamilton converted to make the score 10-6.
The remainder of the first half was all the Warriors with a further four tries being run in. A double to winger Tomas Patelesio as well as tries to Nathaniel Roache and Ofahiki Ogden put the home side in a commanding position. Lino was only able to convert one of the four-pointers with the Warriors going to the break leading 24-10.
The second half started exactly the way the first finished with four tries being scored in the opening 15 minutes. Fullback Brad Abbey crossed or two of them with five-eighth Mafoa’aeata Hingano and centre Braxton Stanley adding to the tally. Lino converted three of those to put the home side in a winning position, leading 46-10.
A further two tries through Adam Tuimavave-Gerard and a third to Abbey, followed by two conversions the result beyond doubt with the scoreboard reading 58-10 with 10 minutes remaining.
Two consolations tries through winger Dujuan Liolevave and prop Brock Cope, followed by a conversion from Hamilton closed the gap with the final score being 58-20.
WARRIORS 58 (Patelesio 2, Abbey 3, Lisone, Roache, Ogden, Hingano, Stanley, Tuimavave-Gerrard Tries; Lino 7 Goals)
Def.
BULLDOGS 20 (Pene, Elliott, Liolevave, Cope Tries; Hamilton 2 Goals)
At: Eden Park, Auckland