ANDREW CORNAGA/PHOTOSPORT
Marcelo Montoya sends Charlie Staines flying in the Warriors’ trial game against Wests Tigers at Mt Smart Stadium.
At Mt Smart Stadium, Auckland: Warriors 48 (Marcelo Montoya 9 min, 26 min, 50 min, Jackson Ford 12 min, Luke Metcalf 53 min, Viliami Vailea 64 min, 76 min, Moala Graham-Taufa 73 min, Solomon Vasuvulagi 80 min tries; Luke Metcalf 3 goals, Vailea goal, Eiden Ackland 2 goals) Tigers 12 (Trey Peni 57 min, Stefano Utoikamanu 60 min; Brandon Wakeham 2 goals). HT: 14-0
Marcelo Montoya scored a hat-trick in the Warriors’ emphatic 48-12 trial win over Wests Tigers on Thursday night, as the Auckland based club edged closer towards the new NRL season.
It’s too early to start talking about jumping on any bandwagons, or this being the Warriors’ year, but it was an impressive first hit out by Andrew Webster’s team, with a performance which confirmed his thoughts that they’ve had a good preseason.
Yes, there’s a long way to go and still a few more weeks before the new season begins, but everyone’s got to begin somewhere and to win so convincingly is as good a place as anywhere.
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Only Warriors members were able to attend this game, with the club wanting to recognise their hardcore fans for sticking with them while based in Australia for three years.
So it was a low-key start to Webster’s tenure as Warriors head coach and as is the usual way for the first trial of the year, it featured mainly younger players.
Supporters will have to wait for the trial against the Storm in Christchurch on February 19 to see the likes of Mitch Barnett and Charnze Nicoll-Kloklstad in Warriors colours.
But the 500 or so folk who did come to Mt Smart Stadium got to see the halves pairing of Te Maire Martin and Luke Metcalf for the first time. They were both impressive, finding space when running with the ball, linking and kicking well and firing off defence opening passes.
Montoya’s performance is likely to give Webster an early selection headache as he’ll have to decide whether to move him to centre or keep him on the wing and drop Ed Kosi.
Having a try scoring opportunity just earlier, Montoya made amends in the ninth minute, grabbing a high cut out pass from Martin and scoring in the left corner.
Jackson Ford, an off-season recruit from the Dragons, scored the Warriors’ next try a few minutes later.
The Tigers worked their way into the game after those two tries, but it was Montoya who scored the next four-pointer as he destroyed Tigers fullback Charlie Staines when attempting to tackle him, sending him flying with a fend.
Warriors fullback Taine Tutupiki, who was playing for the Burleigh Bears in the Queensland Cup last year had an impressive game, both with his pace runs and try-saving tackles.
Early in the second half Metcalf made a long-range break and in the 50th minute Montoya brought up his hat-trick.
Trey Peni and Stefano Utoikamanu scored for the visitors before Viliami Vailea scored a brace of tries and the impressive looking Moala Graham-Taufa and Solomon Vasuvulagi also got in on the act.
Of course, there will be bigger and far more important challenges ahead for the Warriors, but this small, first hurdle was one they got over impressively well.