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Excitement around the Warriors’ final hopes may be building, but even one of their less experienced players says there is little chance the team will get carried away with the big win over Newcastle.
The Warriors took their shift to another level at Tamworth, crushing the Knights 36-6 for their fourth win in five weeks to move to ninth on the ladder.
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Warriors running back Chanel Harris-Tavita impressed with her direction and kicking game against the Knights.
While the Kiwi club is still four points behind the Sharks in eighth place with four games to play, given all the obstacles they have had to overcome this season, the narrative of a fairytale finale is sure to be talked about in both. sides of Tasman. .
The Warriors have every right to have a jump in their stride after producing the best display of the season against a team in the top eight. But young running back Chanel Harris-Tavita insists his feet won’t get too far off the ground with third-placed Eels up next Sunday.
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“That’s the last thing on our mind right now,” Harris-Tavita said. Stuff when asked about the finale. “I know it sounds cliché, but we just want to take it week after week. Parra is a team in the top four and we cannot take them lightly.
“Our preparation was quite good and it showed on the field. If we can do the same this week, we will get into the fight. “
Harris-Tavita sang to the same score as interim coach Todd Payten, who hopes Parramatta will provide a better indicator of his playoff chances.
Eels have been in the top four all season and will be biting after last week’s 38-0 thrashing by South Sydney.
“I think we are building,” Payten said. “The belief is definitely growing and they are having fun. Then it is possible, but we are playing against a Parramatta team that is going to be desperate.
“They are physical, they are big and I think it will be our biggest test this week, and we will see where we really are.”
Mark Kolbe / Getty Images
The Warriors scored five of their six attempts in the second half to record their biggest win of the season.
Payten highly praised Harris-Tavita, as the 21-year-old returned safely after a week’s absence due to a blow to the head.
The Samoan international, who was making his 22nd NRL appearance, has shown composure beyond his years since taking office following the departure of Blake Green earlier this month.
It’s a promising start to his bid to become the club’s long-term No. 7 and Payten saw another positive step in his development against the Knights.
“It soaks up all the information we give it. I know that he followed ‘Greeny’ and chose a lot of things that he does in terms of his speech and direction, and you are watching him develop, ”said the coach.
“What I liked about Chanel [against Newcastle], there was a chance to switch through midfield, I was in the back and Tohu [Harris] did not pass the ball to him. In fact, I saw him give him a rocket, which is the development we need from him.
Mark Kolbe / Getty Images
The Warriors had no shortage of support at Tamworth.
“It’s a difficult task for the young halves to tell the older players where to go and what to do, and I’m starting to see that.”
Harris-Tavita’s boot came out Saturday, making a 386-meter kicking game while forcing two DNFs, to turn the knights’ screws midway through the second half.
He also kicked six of seven shots on target, in addition to making an assist attempt and a line jump.
“A big improvement over last month has been the end of our sets and our last plays. I think we are going in the right direction, ”he said.
“I think the score didn’t really reflect how we played in the first half. We got to our kick a lot, which created a lot of pressure,” Harris-Tavita added about the team’s performance. “We took a lot of confidence in the first half, we changed some things and we executed in the second half.”
