Tauhalaliku double not enough as Warriors' NRLW finals hopes fade

Tongan flyer Lavinia Tauhalaliku made an immediate impact on her return to the Warriors women's starting side, scoring twice against St George Illawarra butthe Dragons had the final say in a tight 22-18 match at Go Media Stadium on Sunday afternoon.

The Nuku'alofa-born winger crossed in each half and finished with a team-high 190 running metres, five line breaks and three tackle breaks in a strong 70-minute performance.

Tauhalaliku, 27, opened the scoring for the Warriors in the 28th minute after Mele Hufanga’s try assist put her over in the corner.

She struck again early in the second half, diving low under pressure from the Dragons' defence to keep the Warriors in the contest.

But the Warriors could not turn their attacking chances into enough points with errors and discipline issues proving costly.

Both sides struggled for control in an untidy contest, with the Warriors completing just 75 per cent of their sets.

Lavinia Tauhalaliku. Photo/Brett Phibbs/Photosport.

The Dragons were reduced to 12 players at different stages after Jayme Millard and Tegan Berry were both sent to the sin bin.

The Warriors also lost youngster Ivana Lauitiiti to a yellow card for foul play on a Dragons kick.

Despite the disruptions, neither side could break clear. The teams went into halftime locked at 10-all before trading tries in the second half.

The Warriors appeared to have found a way back into the game when the score were level at 18-all with less than five minutes remaining.

But the Dragons produced the match-winning play, cutting back to the short side before finding centre Tahlia O’Brien, who crossed to give St George Illawarra just their second win of the season.

For the Warriors, Tauhalaliku’s return was one of the few clear positives from a frustrating afternoon. But the four-point loss leades their finals hopes hanging by a thread with two rounds of the regular season remaining.

The warriors now sit outside the top six and face another must-win challenge against the Cronulla Sharks next Saturday, September 5, at Go Media Stadium.

They then travel to Australia to face the Brisbane Broncos in their final regular-season match.

To know more about the Warriors women’s fixtures and results, click here.