NRL LIVE updates: Warriors lead Tigers after Afoa sin-binning

This time the Warriors break through. After a mountain of pressure Adam Doueihi makes a rash defensive decision, rushing up to tackle Te Maire Martin, but he can’t wrap him up and the Warriors playmaker flings a pass out wide to the open space Doueihi would usually be defending.

The Warriors send it wide to Alofiana Khan-Pereira, who cuts inside the final cover defender to score his second try of the night.

Martin takes over goal-kicking duties and slots a tricky kick from out wide.

Warriors 20, Tigers 6 with 28 minutes left

The Warriors attack now down the left and Alofiana Khan-Pereira finds himself without much space, but makes the most of it, grubbering ahead and chasing his own kick before being bumped over the sideline by Sunia Turuva. The kick is too big and goes over the dead-ball line but Turuva is penalised for taking Khan-Pereira out off the ball, and it’s penalty Warriors.

But the visitors come up empty again when Te Maire Martin’s last tackle bomb finds the turf and is collected by Alex Twal.

Warriors 14, Tigers 6 with 31 minutes left

The Tigers kick off the second half and they get control of the ball quickly with Ali Leiataua coughing up the ball.

They produce a nice set play down the left but Heamasi Makasini drops the final pass from Jarome Luai as he runs into a gap, and the Warriors come away with it.

Warriors 14, Tigers 6 with 38 minutes left

The Tigers attack and the Warriors give up multiple set restarts, with the hosts actually starting six straight sets. But just as you feel the Warriors’ defence has got to crack, Jarome Luai puts in a grubber early in the set and Taine Tuaupiki defuses it easily. Probably not the right call from Luai there.

Jahream Bula threatens to pull off a miracle in the Tigers’ next set with a dangerous, jinking run down the left, but he’s eventually wrapped up and the Warriors go into the half-time break with an eight-point lead.

Warriors 14, Tigers 6 at half-time

Samuela Fainu is pinged for a knock on, after juggling the ball a little in a tackle, and the Tigers use a captain’s challenge with replays suggesting he had control of the ball before the tackle began. The bunker agrees, good challenge Tigers!

The home side goes on the attack inside the Warriors’ 20, with winger Jeral Skelton putting up a pretty decent bomb on the last tackle. But a leaping Demitric Vaimauga brings it down for the Warriors then bumps off three would-be tacklers in a great charge upfield.

Warriors 14, Tigers 6 after 33 minutes

Finally the Tigers get some ball in attacking position after a Leka Halasima ruck infringement, and they throw the ball around to get close to the Warriors’ line.

Then Adam Doueihi rolls in a perfect grubber kick into the in-goal for the chasing Samuela Fainu, who touches down for the Tigers’ first points.

Doueihi converts and suddenly it’s only an eight-point lead for the Warriors.

Warriors 14, Tigers 6 after 28 minutes

When the Tigers beat this Warriors team in round four, they finished with six line breaks to the Warriors’ three, going on to win 32-14.

The Warriors have made seven line breaks in the first 25 minutes of this contest.

The Tigers are controlling the ball fine, completing their first eight sets of the game, but holes are opening up far too easily in their defensive line and the Warriors are cashing in.

Warriors 14, Tigers 0 after 25 minutes

This is proving to be a very expensive sin bin.

First, Alofiana Khan-Pereira shows some great footwork to beat several Tigers defenders and make a line break from within the Warriors’ half. Then they shift it wide to the right and Ali Leiataua slips over for his team’s third try.

That’s a couple of tries while Bunty Afoa has been sidelined for his late tackle, though in fairness the Warriors were already looking pretty dominant before that sin binning.

The only thing going wrong for the visitors is their goal-kicking, with Adam Pompey missing two of his three shots at goal.

Warriors 14, Tigers 0 after 19 minutes

With Afoa already in the bin the Tigers immediately give away another penalty via a dangerous tackle from Samuela Fainu, and the Warriors get into attacking territory again.

Nice work out of dummy-half from Wade Egan deceives a couple of defenders near the ruck and the Warriors make use of the extra numbers out wide, the ball going through the hands for Alofiana Khan-Pereira to score in the left corner.

Warriors 10, Tigers 0 after 15 minutes