Tongan powerhouse announces Warriors wāhine arrival while Wahs men hit back

Mele Hufanga waited months for her Warriors wāhine debut, and the Tongan powerhouse made sure it was one to remember.

The Tofoa-born centre scored one of three unanswered second-half tries for the Warriors women against the Gold Coast Titans at Geohex Park in Wagga Wagga, New South Wales on Sunday.

But it was not enough to complete the comeback with the Warriors falling 18-16 after being held scoreless in the first half.

Hufanga arrived at the Warriors after a standout 2025 season with the Brisbane Broncos where she scored the match-winning try in the NRLW Grand Final.

She signed a two-year deal with the Auckland club through to the end of 2027 but had to wait until round five to take the field after recovering from a hamstring injury.

The 31-year-old wasted little time making her mark.

Mele Hufanga. Photo/NRL Photos/Photosport

On debut in Warriors colours, Hufanga finished with a try, six tackle breaks, 12 runs and 129 running metres.

Captain Apii Nicholls said it was special to see Hufanga finally get her chance.

“It’s so good to have her back, she’s been wanting this moment for a long time and she finally got it,” Nicholls said in a press conference.

Titans players celebrating. Photo/NRL Photos/Photosport

“We starved her [of the ball] in the first half, the errors cost us and then the second half we were able to find momentum and get that ball out to her.”

Hufanga's return came after missing the opening four rounds with a hamstring injury that kept her sidelined.

Despite the loss, coach Ron Griffiths believes his side can build from the performance but wants more "consistency for 70 minutes" across the full match.

“I think that’s really important for us… at the moment we ebb and flow a little bit… also there’s moments we need to chase when the games in the balance, and how we react in those scenarios with our energy,” Griffiths said post-match.

“There’s just some little key wins I think we can get this week in terms of focusing on that.”

The Warriors women will look to bounce back when they host the Newcastle Knights at FMG Stadium in Hamilton, Waikato, on Saturday. Kick-off is 7.15pm (NZT).

Wahs men respond in style

The Warriors men delivered the perfect response after last week's 18-6 defeat to the Bankstown Bulldogs, producing their biggest win of the season with a dominant 42-6 victory over the Titans at Cbus Stadium on Saturday. The eight-tries-to-one result keeps the Wahs firmly inside the top four, sitting third on the ladder.

Pacific players played a major role in the win, with Jacob Laban leading the defensive effort with a game-high 39 tackles.

Fullback Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad topped the running metres with 253, part Sāmoan winger Alofiana Khan-Pereira led the match for line breaks, while fellow Sāmoan Eddie Ieremia-Toeava finished with a game-high 83 fantasy points.

The Warriors now face their biggest test of the season when ladder leaders the Penrith Panthers travel to a sold-out Go Media Stadium on Friday 7 August. Kick-off is 8pm (NZT).

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