Eight-try Warriors crush Titans to stay in top-two race

7:09pm
 Alofiana Khan-Pereira of the Warriors makes a break during the round 22 NRL match between Gold Coast Titans and New Zealand Warriors.

The Warriors have answered the Sydney Roosters' challenge to stay in the NRL's top-two finals race with a 42-6 victory over the Gold Coast.

After wobbling with a poor loss to Canterbury last week, the Warriors rebounded with a vital eight-try rout of the Titans at Cbus Super Stadium on Saturday.

They were never going to match the Roosters' record 82-12 mauling of North Queensland on Thursday night, but a 13th win of the season nevertheless kept the Warriors within two competition points of the second-placed Tricolours.

Critically, the New Zealand outfit enjoys a considerable 61-point superior points differential over the Roosters to be well placed to snatch second spot on the table if Trent Robinson's side slip up in the run to the finals.

A top-two finish guarantees a home qualifying final and then a home prelim with victory in the first week of the September play-offs.

The Titans had been chasing three straight wins for the first time since 2017 to keep their own very slim mathematical finals hopes flickering.

But the home team were all but done by the break after the Warriors piled on five tries through Dallin Watene-Zelezniak, Alofiana Khan-Pereira, Chanel Harris-Tavita, Leka Halasima and Jacob Laban to lead 26-6 at halftime.

Chanel Harris-Tavita of the Warriors is tackled during the round 22 NRL match between Gold Coast Titans and New Zealand Warriors.

The Warriors completed the drubbing with second-half tries to Eddie Ieremia-Toeava and a double to playmaker Te Maire Martin.

In a timely turnaround a month out from the finals, the Warriors racked up 40 points or more for the third time this season.

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