Just one win stands between the One New Zealand Warriors and the club’s first appearance in the New South Wales Cup grand final since 2011.
After their totally dominant regular season campaign, the minor premiers earned the right to sit out week one in the top five finals format being used in the competition.
The Warriors’ focus was on the encounter between the second-placed St George Illawarra and Parramatta, teams they’d faced in the last five weeks (drawing 14-14 with the Dragons in round 22 and beating the Eels 54-4 in round 25).
The Dragons had to withstand a Parramatta comeback before winning 24-18 to secure a week two match-up against the Warriors at Leichhardt Oval this Sunday. Win this match and the Warriors will advance directly to the grand final on September 28.
In the first playoff the fifth-ranked Canberra eliminated fourth-placed Newtown to go through to another elimination final against the Eels this weekend.
In the 2011 grand final, the Auckland Vulcans (including Warriors and local players) suffered a last-minute 28-30 loss to Canterbury Bankstown.
The Warriors first made the reserve grade final in the Winfield Cup days in 1996 when they lost 12-14 to Cronulla Sutherland.
The One New Zealand Warriors took over outright ownership of the New South Wales Cup side in 2014.