Sharks hand Warriors brutal reality check after 30-year first

The NRL’s 2023 fairytale has inspired an entire country but the New Zealand Warriors have been handed the oldest lesson in the book.

The Warriors “let ourselves down”. Photo by Phil Walter/Getty Images

The Cronulla Sharks have ruined the Warriors’ first opening round sellout in 30 years, repelling the New Zealanders for a 16-12 ambush at Go Media Stadium in Auckland.

Following the Warriors’ brilliant preliminary final run in 2023, the belief is high in New Zealand that the long-time stragglers are finally nearing their first premiership and the crowds have responded.

But the Warriors have tripped at the first hurdle.

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Despite having a lion’s share of the possession, the Warriors managed to score the opening two tries of the match through Addin Fonua-Blake and Luke Metcalf, but didn’t look like scoring from that point on.

Although they had no shortage of opportunities, the Warriors had no answers to the Sharks’ defence as the visitors held on for a famous victory.

Fox League’s Michael Ennis said the Sharks “had to ambush the Warriors on home soil”, calling it a “spirited performance”.

“That is a season builder that one, the grit they showed, the toughness after that early onslaught from the Warriors,” Ennis said.

The Sharks have pulled off the ambush. Photo by Hannah Peters/Getty Images

Warriors captain Tohu Harris admitted “we really let ourselves down”.

“We really hurt ourselves, our completion rate was terrible and we were really clunky in the second half,” Harris said.

“The Sharks came out and they were the more aggressive side. We just struggled to get back into it and we’ve got a lot to work on.”

While the 24,076 fans went home disappointed, it was a tremendous turnout for the long-time cellar dwellers.

In the club’s history, the only bigger crowd at a home round one match crowd was the 29,220 for the club’s debut against the Broncos in 1995.

But 30 years after joining the competition, it feels as if the Warriors have finally truly arrived.

Throughout those three decades, there hasn’t been a lot of success, making the finals just nine times — twice finishing runner’s up — while finishing 10th or lower 16 times.

Great scenes in New Zealand. Photo by Phil Walter/Getty Images

Shaun Johnson with young fans. Photo by Hannah Peters/Getty Images

Yet the groundswell of support has been unlike ever before heading into the 2024 season.

Not only have the Warriors claimed their first opening round sellout since their debut match, but have also sold out their round three clash against Canberra in Christchurch.

During the week, Warriors CEO Cameron George said: “The support we’re seeing is unprecedented for sport in this part of the world.”

With the NRL is still basking in the glow of the Las Vegas season opening extravaganza, the path to anything looking like a substantial foothold in the US appears to be a long way off.

While over 40,000 fans piled into Allegiant Stadium — most of them visiting Aussies or rugby league fans from around the world — just 60,000 fans tuned in when broadcast on Fox Sports in the US.

It shows the NRL will have to be in for a long time, not just a good time when trying to crack the massive US market.

But in the much smaller market of New Zealand where the All Blacks have been king for so long, the Warriors are finally in the conversation.

Now they just need some more success.

Originally published as Sharks hand Warriors brutal reality check after 30-year first