The Warriors dominate the Roosters in their season opener at home

Plenty of magic unfolded on the Warrior’s left edge as they opened their 2026 season on home soil in a statement 42-18 performance over the Sydney Roosters.

Scoring all first half tries on the left side of the park, the Wahs took complete control of their arena in the first 40 minutes.

Halfback Tanah Boyd was an attacking masterclass, with head coach Andrew Webster labeling Boyd’s performance as one of his best.

Lindsay Collins of the Sydney Roosters. Photo/Brett Phibbs/Photosport

Gelling with number six Toa Samoa’s Chanel Harris-Tavita, both of them had a hand in points.

Boyd sent Wahs fans into an early frenzy, confidently running the ball on a show and go, slicing through Roosters defenders scoring the opening try of the match.

The halves pairing of Boyd and Harris-Tavita continued to build nicely, showing little disruption despite the absence of 2025 stalwart Luke Metcalfe, who remains on a return to play regime following his knee injury last season and injury of Te Maire Martin in the pre-season.

However, the left-edge dominance continued, with three more Warriors tries coming through set plays and moments of individual brilliance.

Webster says the team is focusing on a “balanced game,” and believes the work done on the right edge set the stage for the magic on the left.

Centre Adam Pompey produced a heroic effort, beating defender Mark Nawaqanitawase on the short side before scoring despite heavy pressure from the Roosters defence.

Chanel Harris-Tavita of the Warriors scoring against the Sydney Roosters. Photo/Andrew Cornaga/Photosport

Veteran Kurt Capewell followed suit in execution, running a clean line off Harris-Tavita’s offload to run in virtually untouched.

Harris-Tavita then capped off his efforts, finishing in the corner when the ball shifted left once more to score shortly before halftime.

The Roosters were left sitting on their ill-discipline, receiving eight negative plays in the first 20 minutes alone.

An early try to captain James Tedesco lifted the Roosters, but a disallowed effort from young prospect Benaiah Ioelu later on sent the visitors back to square one.

While the Wahs are known for allowing late comebacks, the Roosters gained momentum early in the second half, testing the home side's consistency.

The Roosters winning hopes came in patches, with tries to centre Billy Smith and Angus Critchton helping bridge the gap, but the Wahs control from the first half returned in the closing stages.

Fullback Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad took the line on himself, once again breaking through the struggling Roosters defence to score the match's final try.

The Auckland Club displayed outstanding teamwork, with the clubs 2025 revelation Leka Halasima once again putting his hand up in big moments, scoring a try after his first touch of the ball.

While it’s too early to say if this will be the Wahs’ year, their first outing clearly showed a much-improved performance compared to their dismal 2025 Las Vegas opener.

They will stay at home for the next match against the Canberra Raiders on Friday 13 March. Meanwhile, the Roosters will host their first home game against the South Sydney Rabbitohs at Allianz Stadium.

For more information on fixtures and results click here.