Warriors v Dragons: Key takeaways as heavyweight battle against Panthers awaits Andrew Webster’s men

Statistically, it was the Warriors’ poorest performance in a victory this season, but winning ugly is often the sign of a genuine premiership contender. Good teams find ways to collect competition points even when they are below their best, and that is exactly what Andrew Webster’s side showed.

What makes the result even more encouraging is that this had all the makings of a classic banana-skin fixture.

The Warriors were missing key forwards Mitch Barnett and Kurt Capewell due to State of Origin duty, while the Dragons entered the contest desperate to avoid further unwanted history as their miserable start to the season continued.

The loss was the Dragons’ 11th straight to begin the year, leaving them just two defeats shy of matching the Newcastle Knights’ record 13-game losing streak from the start of the 2005 season.

The Warriors certainly weren’t perfect, but they were clinical enough in the key moments. Against Penrith on Sunday, though, they will almost certainly need to find another gear.

No Luke Metcalf? No Tanah Boyd? No problem for the Warriors.

After coming on to replace the injured Boyd last week, Te Maire Martin was given the first opportunity to stake his claim for the No 7 jersey and has done a solid job steering the side around the park, with his elusive running helping him score three tries across two appearances.

It was no surprise that Martin got first crack, considering Metcalf had not been training with the squad while details were being finalised over his release - ironically to join the Dragons next season.

But the 27-year-old has since returned to training and is expected to be in the mix to face the Panthers.

After the Eels game this month, Webster went rogue and publicly backed Boyd, but the halfback’s season-ending injury has changed the script.

This time, Webster was far more guarded, understandably keeping his cards close to his chest when asked what his halves combination would look like against Penrith.

The expectation is Martin will be named in the No 7 jersey, while Metcalf features in the extended squad - giving Webster the flexibility to make a late switch and inject him into the side.

Metcalf’s biggest advantage over Martin remains his long kicking game, but the same question raised earlier in the season still applies: do you change a winning spine?

When Laurie Daley read out the New South Wales team for the State of Origin opener, the omission of in-form Warriors forward Jackson Ford was one of the more surprising calls, but the reasoning behind it was more blasphemous.

Daley said he wanted a player with more mobility who could also play on the edge, which felt ironic given Ford has actually started more NRL games in the second row (39) than he has at prop (21).

While he has recently developed into a consistent middle forward, he did begin his career on the edge, although with mixed results.

Against his former club on Saturday, Ford was again named to start at prop but was forced to move to the edge after Roger Tuivasa-Sheck suffered an injury. The positional switch did little to slow him down as he produced another tireless 80-minute display in the Warriors’ win.

Ford finished with a team-high 47 tackles and 167m continuing the consistency that has made him one of the club’s most reliable performers this season. But the numbers only told part of the story.

What stood out most were the effort areas that rarely make the stat sheet, particularly his relentless kick-chase efforts and defensive work rate.

If the Blues struggle in the series opener, don’t be surprised if Daley comes calling for Ford before Origin II.

Warriors winger Dallin Watene-Zelezniak has gone from zero to hero with a sublime start to the season, producing arguably the best football of his NRL career.

His double against the Dragons took his tally to 14 tries in just 11 appearances this year, while also seeing him equal the club record for most consecutive games scoring a try with seven.

It is a remarkable turnaround considering the challenges he faced only 12 months ago.

Last season, Watene-Zelezniak never truly looked comfortable after suffering a fractured wrist early in the campaign before later picking up a syndesmosis injury.

The setbacks appeared to dent his confidence on both sides of the ball, particularly with the trademark acrobatic finishes in the corner that had become a feature of his game, while his edge defence at times looked hesitant.

But after finally enjoying a full offseason without interruption, the 29-year-old has returned looking sharper, quicker and more confident than ever.

He has quickly re-established himself as one of the Warriors’ most important attacking weapons and among the most dangerous wingers in the competition.

His 14 tries before the halfway point of the season have him firmly on track to surpass the Warriors’ single-season try-scoring record of 24, which he set during his outstanding 2023 campaign.

However, it is not just his finishing that has stood out. Watene-Zelezniak’s yardage carries continue to play a huge role in helping the Warriors win the field-position battle.

His powerful runs out of trouble consistently put the side on the front foot, while his defensive reads and combinations with his inside men have improved significantly.

The real test comes on Sunday against Penrith, with Watene-Zelezniak - currently tied for second on the NRL try-scoring charts - set to face competition leader Thomas Jenkins, who has crossed for 18 tries this season. It has the makings for a juicy encounter.

Who would have thought at the start of the season that this clash would be billed as the NRL’s heavyweight showdown between the competition’s two best teams?

Not many, but that is exactly what Sunday’s blockbuster between the Warriors and Panthers has become, and the numbers back it up.

The Warriors head into the contest with the competition’s best attack, having scored 350 points through the opening rounds of the season, while also boasting the second-best defence after conceding just 194. Penrith sit just one point behind them offensively with 349 points scored and remain the benchmark defensively, allowing only 146 points all year.

Despite the Warriors’ outstanding form, history remains firmly against them. They have not won in Penrith since 2019 and have lost 10 of their past 11 meetings with the four-time premiers.

The last time the two sides met only adds to the challenge. A severely understrength Panthers side travelled to Auckland and comfortably dismantled the Warriors after resting all of their State of Origin players.

That defeat exposed just how far the Warriors had slipped at that point of last season.

This year, however, feels very different. The Warriors are playing with confidence, consistency and resilience, although there is little doubt that previous loss will still linger in the back of their minds.

Webster’s side will still enter the match as underdogs, particularly after losing Roger Tuivasa-Sheck to a knee injury in last week’s win over the Dragons.

Penrith have rediscovered their ruthless best in 2026 and have suffered only one defeat all season - an upset loss to the Bulldogs in what was an unusually poor performance.

If the Warriors are to pull off the upset, it starts through the middle. Their forwards must again set the tone physically, win the ruck battle and lay the platform early.

If they can build scoreboard pressure and force Penrith into errors, a statement victory is well within reach.

Ben Francis is an Auckland-based reporter for the New Zealand Herald who covers breaking sports news.