Penrith have been handed a golden opportunity to claim the NRL minor premiership after the New Zealand Warriors edged Manly 31-30 in a dramatic finish in Auckland on Saturday, September 5.
The Warriors appeared set to surrender their grip on top spot when the Sea Eagles repeatedly fought back, but Chanel Harris-Tavita settled the contest with a field goal in the closing minutes after Caleb Navale had charged down his first attempt.
Te Maire Martin made an influential return from a hamstring injury, supplying the vision and execution that helped the Warriors preserve a six-match winning run. The result was also their 18th victory of the regular season, taking them beyond 700 points for the campaign.
However, their hold on first place is now precarious. Penrith need only defeat the 15th-placed Wests Tigers by two points at CommBank Stadium on Sunday to overtake the Warriors and secure the minor premiership.
That would deny the Auckland club a first minor premiership since 2002 and send them into the opening week of the finals against the third-placed Dolphins. A Panthers victory would instead set up a meeting with the Sydney Roosters for the Warriors.
Warriors survive Manly fightback
Manly, already eliminated from finals contention, produced one of their most determined performances of the season. The Sea Eagles did not enter the Warriors’ red zone until the 57th minute, yet stayed within reach throughout a high-scoring contest.
Lehi Hopoate and Reuben Garrick each crossed twice, while Tom Trbojevic helped Manly find space by moving the ball effectively from inside their own half. Garrick’s second try brought up his 100th for the club in his final appearance before joining the Sydney Roosters.
The visitors also had to withstand the temporary loss of Ben Trbojevic, who was sin-binned for a hip-drop tackle as the Warriors began to build momentum.
Martin’s passing created the platform for the Warriors’ opening two tries, with Eddie Ieremia-Toeva and Jacob Laban benefiting from his perfectly weighted deliveries. He later released Taine Tuaupiki for a try and helped create Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad’s second-half score with a well-judged kick.
Tuaupiki and Nicoll-Klokstad both finished with doubles, but the Warriors were unable to pull clear. With the scores locked at 30-30, tries to Harris-Tavita and Tanner Stowers-Smith were ruled out before Harris-Tavita finally made the decisive contribution from directly in front.
The defeat ended a turbulent season for Manly, who finished ninth with an 11-13 record after spending part of the campaign inside the top four. Their poor opening to 2026 cost Anthony Seibold his position, while a six-game losing streak after Luke Brooks suffered an anterior cruciate ligament injury further damaged their finals hopes.
