Warriors fight back from 14 points down to beat Dolphins in sold-out Wellington ANZAC Day thriller

The New Zealand Warriors have staged one of the comebacks of their 2026 season, clawing back from 14 points down to defeat the Dolphins 20-18 in front of a sold-out Hnry Stadium in Wellington on ANZAC Day.

It was exactly the kind of afternoon the occasion demanded — a game between two New Zealand-based clubs played before a capacity crowd in the capital, with the result in genuine doubt until the final conversion sailed through the posts.

Wing Alofiana Khan-Pereira scored two tries, fullback Taine Tuaupiki crossed for the match-winner, and halfback Tanah Boyd produced the moment that will be replayed all week — a pressure sideline conversion to put the Warriors two points clear with time expiring. The match was reported by RNZ Sport.

The Dolphins made their intentions clear from the opening minutes, racing out to an 18-4 lead midway through the first half. It was a rattling start for the Warriors, who found themselves chasing a game that had slipped beyond them quickly in front of their own supporters. To the credit of the playing group, they never panicked.

Centre Roger Tuivasa-Sheck was the architect of the Warriors’ revival, repeatedly creating opportunities out of nothing and setting up both of Khan-Pereira’s efforts. The wing, who scored a double in a recent win over the Gold Coast Titans, is one of the most dangerous finishers in the competition right now, and Wellington got to see exactly why.

Dallin Watene-Zelezniak also crossed, taking his personal tally to seven tries in four games — a run of form that places him among the competition’s leading try scorers through the opening rounds of the season. Watene-Zelezniak was placed on report late in the game for an alleged hip-drop tackle, a matter that will be reviewed by the match review committee in the days ahead.

With the Warriors trailing 18-14 in the second half, Tuaupiki emerged as the match-defining figure. The fullback had been a constant threat throughout and chose exactly the right moment to make his biggest contribution, crossing for the try that tied the scores and put everything on Boyd’s boot. The halfback held his nerve to slot the conversion from the sideline, sealing one of the more memorable ANZAC Day moments Wellington has witnessed in recent rugby league history.

There were injury clouds over the result, with co-captain Mitch Barnett and centre Ali Leiataua both leaving the field with concussion. The Warriors will monitor both players closely ahead of their next assignment, a trip to face the Parramatta Eels the following Saturday.

For interchange forward Jacob Laban, the afternoon carried an additional layer of meaning. The 22-year-old from Lower Hutt made his professional debut in Wellington — the first time he had played an NRL match in his home city after first travelling there with the Warriors as a non-playing squad member in 2023. At the time, Laban said he “wanted to play” the next time he came back, and that moment arrived on the biggest domestic occasion of the NRL calendar year.

Laban described the experience as “a full-circle moment” and said he was “happy to be back,” 1News reported. He is also no stranger to Wellington’s public life — his uncle Ken Laban serves as mayor of Lower Hutt, a fact the young forward called “pretty cool.” Laban previously scored the match-winning try against the Dolphins in May 2025 before suffering a leg fracture against the same side three months later, making his return to Wellington all the more meaningful.

The result moves the Warriors to second on the NRL ladder with six wins and two losses, edging Wests Tigers and the Sydney Roosters on points differential. It is the kind of position the Warriors have rarely occupied at this stage of the season in recent years, and the Wellington faithful who packed into Hnry Stadium will have left feeling that this group is capable of competing deep into the year.

The Warriors’ combination of form and character was on full display against the Dolphins. To trail by 14 points against a side featuring the pace of Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow and the goal-kicking accuracy of Jamayne Isaako — the Dolphins’ leading scorer since the club debuted in the NRL in 2023 — and still find a way to win speaks to a team with genuine mental resilience.

The win also underlines how much the Warriors have grown under coach Andrew Webster. Two seasons ago, a deficit of 14 points against a disciplined Dolphins side in a road game would have been fatal. This team found another gear when it mattered most.

Wellington gave the Warriors something back on ANZAC Day. The Warriors gave Wellington a match worth remembering.

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