While the Warriors will hold their heads high in a valiant defeat, it is hard not to view it as a missed opportunity to claim their first win over Penrith since 2024, particularly with Nathan Cleary, Isaah Yeo and Brian To’o rested after helping New South Wales to victory in the opening State of Origin clash on Wednesday.

Admittedly, the Warriors were also without Kurt Capewell and Mitch Barnett for the same reason, along with Tanah Boyd and Roger Tuivasa-Sheck to season-ending injuries and remained right in the contest until the closing stages, but the defeat could prove a psychological blow as the Panthers have now won 11 of the past 12 games against the two sides.

The match had everything you want from a top–tier sporting spectacle, keeping fans on edge until the final whistle and standing as one of the games of the season to date.

Over the past five years, the Panthers have set the benchmark across the NRL, and taking everything in to account, the Warriors proved they are more than capable of competing with them.

The two sides will meet again in Auckland on August 7, where a near full–strength line–up from both teams should provide a clearer picture of what each is truly capable of.

Fine margins prove costly

One of the key positives the Warriors can take from the match is the number of opportunities they created with the ball, but it was the finer execution details that let them down.

The Panthers scored the opening try from a poor defensive read that set the tone, but the Warriors were able to respond.

Midway through the first half, the Warriors had all the momentum and were cruelly denied two tries in quick succession.

The first would have been a contender for try of the season, with Dallin Watene-Zelezniak collecting a high kick and delivering a perfect flick pass to Ali Leiataua, only for it to be ruled out with the centre deemed to have been marginally offside from the kick. Minutes later, Chanel Harris-Tavita broke through and found Adam Pompey in support, but the pass was ruled forward.

An ensuing error and penalty put the Panthers in prime field position and they pounced, converting their opportunity into points. What could have been an 18–4 lead to the Warriors instead swung the other way, becoming a 10–4 deficit.

In the second half, two more chances went begging. Jackson Ford was ruled to have knocked on while contesting a high ball, while Jacob Laban opted to go solo when a pass in either direction would likely have produced a try, only to be chopped down short of the line by Dylan Edwards with a try–saving tackle.

Moments later the Panthers went down the other end to score what proved to be the match–winning try.

In total, the Warriors had at least five golden opportunities to score. Against the competition’s best sides, those chances must be taken, and they were made to pay accordingly. Even so, the fact they were creating and consistently looking threatening – despite the calibre of players missing – remains a promising sign.

Should Taine Tuaupiki remain at fullback for the season?

Before a ball was kicked in 2026, Taine Tuaupiki re–signed with the Warriors and publicly declared in a video posted to the club’s social media pages that he wanted the No 1 jersey.

At the time, it seemed a bold call given how reliable incumbent Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad had been over the years, but after nine starts at fullback for Tuaupiki this season, it is now difficult to envisage him giving up the role for the rest of the campaign.

He has produced two tries, four try assists, six line breaks and 64 tackle breaks in a breakout run of form.

Since joining the Warriors in 2023, Tuaupiki has been used sporadically at fullback and on the wing, and while he has often impressed in limited opportunities, he has not always been retained in the side.

However, his performances this season make it hard to see him being dropped when Nicoll-Klokstad returns from a neck injury, potentially after the bye week.

The Warriors’ attacking shape appears better suited to Tuaupiki’s skillset. He offers X–factor and speed, while Nicoll-Klokstad is a metre–eater and strong defender.

It is also difficult to ignore the team’s 65% win rate with Tuaupiki in the side across his 35 NRL appearances, where he has produced some clutch moments, including the Warriors’ win over the Panthers in 2024.

All eyes will be on coach Andrew Webster when team lists are named on June 9 to see what decision he makes, but if 2026 form is any indication, it is hard to see him breaking up a combination that has been delivering more wins than losses.

The player who needs the bye more than most

At the midway point of the season, fans are still amazed by the amount of minutes Ford continues to play in the middle while remaining one of the Warriors’ biggest contributors.

While Ford will undoubtedly enjoy a well–earned rest, the player who may be looking forward to the upcoming bye week more than anyone is young forward Leka Halasima.

After bursting onto the scene last season, the 20-year-old has struggled to consistently reproduce the form that had the rugby league world talking.

There are several factors behind that. Opposition teams are now far more aware of his strengths, while injuries among the edge forwards have led to an increased workload. Injuries elsewhere in the squad have also often forced him to stay on the field longer than originally planned.

As a result, he has not quite looked like the same player this season, and much of that can likely be attributed to the extra minutes he has been required to play.

Last year, his game time was carefully managed. Webster regularly stressed that the focus for Halasima was quality over quantity, and he finished the season averaging 57 minutes per game.

This season, however, the situation has almost been reversed. Across 12 appearances, he has played the full 80 minutes seven times and is averaging just under 69 minutes per game.

The increased workload has coincided with a decline in several key statistical areas, most notably tackle percentage and run metres per game.

Halasima also started the season in electric fashion, scoring four tries in his opening three games. Since then, however, he has crossed just once.

Against the Panthers, he appeared to pick up an injury in the opening exchanges before being withdrawn at halftime, with Webster later confirming it was a hamstring issue.

That could result in a stint on the sidelines, which may not be the worst outcome for either Halasima or the Warriors.

The break would allow him to freshen up physically and mentally ahead of the run home. How Webster manages his minutes in the second half of the season will be one of the more intriguing storylines to watch.

Massive June on the cards

The Warriors head into their second bye week of the season having navigated a tricky May, when they played all their games on the road.

They came through with wins over the Broncos in Brisbane and the Dragons in a match that had all the makings of a banana–skin contest, before pushing the Panthers in a tight two–point loss.

Two wins from three away games represents a pass mark, but the challenge now intensifies with another three–match stretch against sides battling for top–eight positions.

It is a period that could just as easily yield three wins as it could three losses, underlining its importance to their season.

The Warriors return to Mt Smart for the first time in nearly two months to face the Cronulla Sharks on June 13. The Sharks recorded their best win of the season when the sides met in April, which also marked one of the Warriors’ lowest points.

With State of Origin II taking place days later in Melbourne, both teams could be affected by representative call-ups. The Warriors are likely to be without Mitch Barnett and Kurt Capewell, while the Sharks could be missing Addin Fonua-Blake and Briton Nikora, with Blake Brailey also sidelined through injury.

They then head to Christchurch to meet the Cowboys, who have exceeded expectations this year. With the match scheduled for a Sunday, Origin players may still be available, but the Warriors will need to be wary of the Cowboys’ attacking threats, including Scott Drinkwater and Jaxon Purdue, while Jason Taumalolo has rolled back the years with his form.

The run continues with a clash against the Dolphins, arguably the toughest test of the trio. Since their Anzac Day meeting – won by the Warriors – the Dolphins have been unbeaten, driven by Kiwis hooker Jeremy Marshall-King, who has been in strong form since returning from injury.

While the Warriors remain relatively safe inside the top four, there is little margin for error.

A two–win return from the three–game block would be the minimum requirement to keep their momentum and position intact. It does not get any easier from here, making this upcoming stretch a crucial one for their season trajectory.

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