Crucial clash looms for Warriors
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7 hours ago
- RNZ News
NRL: How NZ Warriors can clinch playoffs return against Gold Coast Titans
Taine Tuaupiki, Dallin Watene-Zelezniak and Erin Clark prepare for NRL Indigenous Round. Photo: After weeks of uncertainty and shaky form, the Warriors are now in a position to clinch their NRL playoff involvement against the Gold Coast Titans on Saturday. With their gritty 14-10 win over St George-Illawarra Dragons on Friday, the Auckland-based side have reclaimed the all-important fourth spot on the competition table, with three weeks remaining in the regular season and six points still up for grabs. Under the NRL playoff format, eight teams qualify, with the top four facing off in week one and the losers enjoying a second life in week two. Teams 5-8 face off, with the losers eliminated. While their victory over the Dragons broke a three-game losing slump, several other results also went the Warriors' way, as a return to the post-season looms. Melbourne Storm ended the nine-game winning run of four-time defending champions Penrith Panthers, who dropped below the Warriors into fifth. Sydney Roosters' upset over Canterbury Bulldogs kept their chances alive, while Brisbane Broncos dented the Dolphins' hopes and Wests Tigers upset Manly Sea Eagles. Here's how their NRL playoff race looks: First on 40 points - 17 wins, four losses Round 24 - bye Remaining opponents: Panthers, Tigers, Dolphins Assured of a top-three finish, they cannot be caught by the Warriors, but they're still vulnerable to the Storm and Bulldogs for the minor premiership. Before the bye, they lost to St George and they face a major challenge against Penrith this week in what could be a playoff preview, if the Warriors falter. Second on 38 ponts - 16 wins, five losses Round 24 - beat Penrith Panthers 22-18 Remaining opponents: Bulldogs, Roosters, Broncos Top-four spot locked in and very much alive to defend their minor premiership crown. Their encounter with the Bulldogs this week is another potential playoff showdown. If they lose their last three and the Warriors win out, the Storm are still within range, but they have a healthy points differential advantage. Third on 36 points - 15 wins, six losses Round 24 - lost to Sydney Roosters 32-12 Remaining opponents: Storm, Panthers, Sharks Not safely in top four yet, but still within range of the minor premiership. They have the toughest run home of any current top-eight team, but their last two are at home. The Warriors can still catch and pass them, but the Bulldogs have a comfortable differential edge in the event of a tie. Fourth on 32 points - 13 wins, eight losses Round 24 - beat St George-Illawarra Dragons 14-10 Remaining opponents: Titans, Eels, Sea Eagles Not locked into playoffs yet, but a win or Dolphins loss this weekend would do it. They can still finish as high as second. They would need Storm to lose out and Bulldogs to win only against the Storm, but again, the Warriors points differential is the worst in the playoff eight. In their favour, they actually have the softest schedule of any playoff contenders by some margin. Fifth on 31 points - 12 wins, eight losses, one draw Round 24 - lost to Melbourne Storm 22-18 Remaining opponents: Raiders, Bulldogs, Dragons Can finish as high as third, but could still miss playoffs. Lots of volatility around them, with five teams separated by four points, and they have top-three opponents in their next two games, but host tabletopping Canberra on Friday. Sixth on 30 points - 12 wins, nine losses Round 24 - beat the Dolphins 38-38 Remaining opponents: Knights, Cowboys, Storm Can finish as high as third, if Bulldogs lose out, or could miss the playoffs altogether. The draw is kind, as they travel to struggling teams over the next two weeks, before hosting Melboune to finish. Seventh on 30 points - 13 wins, nine losses Round 24 - beat Gold Coast titans 54-22 Remaining opponents: bye, Knights, Bulldogs The only playoff contenders with a bye left up their sleeves, they can also claim third or miss out. Eighth on 28 points - 11 wins, 10 losses Round 24 - beat Canterbury Bulldogs 32-12 Remaining opponents: Eels, Storm, Rabbitohs Rounding into form at the right time, with three straight victories and two very winnable games in their last three. Still in a scramble for the last playoff spot, but losses by the Dolphins and Sea Eagles over the weekend helped their cause immensely. Can still make top four, but would need a lot to go their way. The Dolphins, Manly Sea Eagles, Wests Tigers and St George-Illawarra Dragons are all within six points of the playoffs, so they still have mathematical chances. The Dolphins v Manly clash on Saturday will be crucial to their respective hopes, and the ninth-placed Redcliffe-based outfit have cellar-dwellers Gold Coast after that, but host league-leading Canberra Raiders to close. Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
RNZ News
9 hours ago
- RNZ News
Basketball: Tall Blacks pay the price for a slow start in Asia Cup medal game
Photo: PHOTOSPORT The Tall Blacks have finished fourth at the Asia Cup tournament in Saudi Arabia. New Zealand were beaten 79-73 by Iran in the play-off for bronze. Australia beat China 90-89 in the final to retain their title. New Zealand fell behind early and trailed Iran 47-33 at half time and while the Tall Blacks got close a couple of times, Iran were able to shoot their way to a good lead. Flynn Cameron top scored with 18 points, while Mojave King was the only other player to reach double figures with 13. New Zealand coach Judd Flavell admits they failed to defend well in the first half. "They shot the ball very well and I think we were late in our defensive schemes and not quite as committed as we needed to be," Flavell said, "The second half, a much better effort, this group finding some grit to work its way out of a hole and in the end making it a close ball game." It was the third time power forward Tohi Smith-Milner had reached the Asia Cup semi-finals without making a final. "We did show a lot of grit in the second half, especially for such a young team. I'm still so proud of this group. I have mixed emotions right now... just a little bit disappointed," said Smith-Milner. In just their third FIBA Asia Cup, the Tall Blacks secured a third consecutive top-four finish after coming fourth at the 2017 edition and winning bronze in 2022. Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero, a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
RNZ News
9 hours ago
- RNZ News
Early Sports Chat for 18 August 2025
Early sports chat with Nathan Rarere. Tags: To embed this content on your own webpage, cut and paste the following: See terms of use.
