The performances stunned viewers and may have struck fear into Panthers, as Wahs quickly raced into the lead through a try from Erin Clark inside four minutes.<\/p>\n
Luke Metcalf then scored just seven minutes later with the Wahs impressing as much on the field as off it.<\/p>\n
\u201cAbsolutely stunning scenes at Go Media Stadium,\u201d said Fox Sports commentator Mick Ennis.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe passion just oozing out. It shows the influence of Erin Clark and how much of a leader of this Warriors side he has become, so too James Fisher-Harris.<\/p>\n
\u201dThis has prelim final feel about it. It\u2019s got an energy about it tonight that\u2019s a lot more than a regular two points.\u201d<\/p>\n
Fans were also left impressed and heaped praise on the Warriors.<\/p>\n
\u201cFirst time I\u2019ve had tingles in a while from a haka. Bet the Aussie warriors boys won\u2019t forget being behind a haka ever,\u201d said fan Michael Minty.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat was some entrance by the warriors holy moley,\u201d added X user @theresa07.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat a haka that was,\u201d commented @llouiieelfc.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe Haka, will NEVER not be captivating!! Truly amazing, every time it\u2019s performed,\u201d wrote Marty King.<\/p>\n
It appeared the occasion may have got to Penrith as they found themselves trailing 18-0 at halftime.<\/p>\n
Their fortune was not helped by Paul Alamoti going to the bin in the 24th minute, with the Warriors taking advantage as Chanel Harris-Tavita scored a third try moments later thanks to sensational work from Leka Halasima.<\/p>\n
The centre lived up to his wrecking ball nickname, storming down the field with two huge runs to set up the try, earning comparisons to former cross-code Kiwi superstar Sonny Bill Williams.<\/p>\n
\u201cHalasima, what an athlete this kid is. Leka the wrecker, what a run,\u201d Andrew Voss said in commentary. \u201cWhat are we watching from Leka Halasima. It\u2019s a different model from a Sonny Bill Williams but the destruction is much the same. <\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s brute force, plus balance, speed and natural ability. It\u2019s the whole package.\u201d<\/p>\n
Ennis added: \u201cWhat a talent they\u2019ve unearthed across the Tasman. This young bloke is an absolute freak.<\/p>\n
\u201dWhen we think we get a generational player like a Sonny Bill Williams, we then unearth another. It\u2019s continued over the years to deliver these incredible players.\u201d<\/p>\n
Penrith\u2019s nightmare continued when captain Isaah Yeo suffered a suspected pectoral injury while attempting a tackle late in the first half. <\/p>\n
The Panthers face an agonising wait to learn whether co-captain Yeo\u2019s season is over after the star lock suffered a pectoral injury in Friday night\u2019s loss.<\/p>\n
Yeo\u2019s injury comes as a shocking blow to Penrith\u2019s quest for a fifth premiership in six years and could also rule the Kangaroos skipper out of the World Cup at the end of the season.<\/p>\n
The star lock forward will undergo scans in coming days, but early signs were not good for the four-time premiership winner.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Asked an hour after the match if he had a clear diagnosis on Yeo, a despondent Penrith coach Ivan Cleary was unsure.<\/p>\n
\u201cNot really, but it doesn\u2019t look great,\u201d Cleary said.<\/p>\n
Faced with the real possibility he has lost one of his best players just four weeks out from the finals, Cleary said his team would have to deal with whatever cards they are dealt from Yeo\u2019s scans.<\/p>\n
\u201cObviously, Yeoy is a big loss and hard to replace, but that\u2019s how it goes,\u201d Cleary said.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf that\u2019s the case, we\u2019ll have to.\u201d<\/p>\n
They were able to mount a comeback of sorts and if not for an offside call could have got the scoreline back to 22-18, before the Wahs went up the other end to seal the clash 28-12.<\/p>\n
\u201cHuge concerns there. He\u2019s clutching bicep or pec,\u201d Ennis said of Yeo\u2019s injury. <\/p>\n
\u201cThis is a big story. The reaction on his face was that of devastation. Isaah Yeo has been so durable for years.<\/p>\n
\u201cStunning news…Isaah Yeo with what looks to be a bicep or pec injury. It could be a monumental blow to their premiership credentials.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Panthers are now facing the prospect of falling short of winning the minor premiership, with next Thursday\u2019s clash against the Roosters shaping as a clash for the J.J. Giltinan Shield.<\/p>\n
– With NewsWire<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"New Zealand Warriors stunned with their pregame show as part of Indigenous Round. The Wahs celebrated their Maori…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":846971,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[9],"tags":[417707,387589,404608,417704,417697,417680,417646,380306,417622,417616,417692,417649,417631,390987,417710,386596,417664,417689,417630,417695,417645,417657,417620,387234,376730,417677,408891,417698,417637,417667,382482,417650,417708,417655,380349,417623,417643,398846,386130,417685,64283,417640,417629,400656,382329,417694,376919,417668,19974,64,63,75890,41624,417679,417661,9659,417709,417625,50005,4600,50921,417662,417636,8612,13974,111390,130355,417682,4550,377206,377159,380445,417699,1635,417683,43247,34255,417642,417651,763,417659,39598,5588,40039,98632,417703,417665,380017,384953,417658,379534,417653,37538,5094,4479,417660,417702,417671,62756,377208,417647,417675,417633,417684,2613,417666,35062,377169,5357,6622,89699,16284,417626,38633,1900,417618,417705,129167,417627,55903,417696,382973,417672,161305,417700,85,4031,417654,417644,417674,394581,376840,410096,215379,377453,377514,377510,417619,417634,409600,417706,417621,377191,380148,394553,377224,417673,377440,5991,387743,384823,381050,417690,174850,380038,417663,417624,417635,417632,417701,417617,12644,417681,417678,72503,417686,380074,234927,417693,417676,417648,417615,417628,417656,417670,417687,417641,417691,76526,417638,301712,417652,3198,417688,417669,32388,143929,417639,377211],"class_list":["post-846970","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-sports","tag-s-monumental-blow","tag-s-clash","tag-s-injury","tag-s-loss-yeo","tag-s-nightmare","tag-s-quest","tag-s-scans","tag-s-season","tag-18-0","tag-22-18","tag-28-12","tag-a-monumental-blow","tag-a-bicep-or-pec-injury","tag-a-big-loss","tag-a-big-story","tag-a-clash","tag-a-clear-diagnosis","tag-a-comeback","tag-a-despondent-penrith-coach-ivan-cleary","tag-a-different-model","tag-a-fifth-premiership","tag-a-generational-player","tag-a-haka","tag-a-leader","tag-a-lot","tag-a-pectoral-injury","tag-a-performance","tag-a-pre-game-act","tag-a-regular-two-points","tag-a-routine-right","tag-a-run","tag-a-shocking-blow","tag-a-sonny-bill-williams","tag-a-suspected-pectoral-injury","tag-a-tackle","tag-a-talent","tag-a-third-try-moments","tag-a-try","tag-a-while","tag-absolutely-stunning-scenes","tag-advantage","tag-an-absolute-freak","tag-an-agonising","tag-an-arm","tag-an-athlete","tag-an-energy","tag-an-hour","tag-an-offside-call","tag-andrew-voss","tag-au","tag-australia","tag-balance","tag-bet","tag-bicep-or-pec","tag-brute-force","tag-captain","tag-captain-isaah-yeo","tag-captain-james-fisher-harris-moments","tag-centre-stage","tag-chanel-harris-tavita","tag-cleary","tag-co-captain-yeo","tag-coming-days","tag-commentary","tag-comparisons","tag-devastation","tag-early-signs","tag-ennis","tag-erin-clark","tag-every-game","tag-every-round","tag-every-time","tag-fan-michael-minty","tag-fans","tag-fans-and-commentators","tag-fear","tag-first-time","tag-former-cross-code-kiwi-superstar-sonny-bill-williams","tag-four-minutes-luke-metcalf","tag-fox-league","tag-fox-sports-commentator-mick-ennis","tag-friday","tag-front","tag-go-media-stadium","tag-halasima","tag-halftime-their-fortune","tag-his-best-players","tag-his-face","tag-his-team","tag-his-wrecking-ball-nickname","tag-how-much","tag-huge-concerns","tag-indigenous-round","tag-isaah-yeo","tag-james-fisher-harris","tag-just-1-the-performances","tag-just-four-weeks","tag-just-seven-minutes","tag-kayo","tag-kayo-sports-new","tag-leka-halasima","tag-leka-halasima-the-centre","tag-marty-king-it","tag-monumental-blow","tag-new-zealand-warriors","tag-next-thursday","tag-night","tag-no-ad-breaks","tag-panthers","tag-part","tag-paul-alamoti","tag-penrith","tag-penrith-panthers-watch","tag-play","tag-praise","tag-pregame","tag-prelim-final-feel","tag-scans","tag-sensational-work","tag-short","tag-sin","tag-six-years","tag-some-entrance","tag-sorts","tag-speed-and-natural-ability","tag-sports","tag-star","tag-stunning-news","tag-the-24th-minute","tag-the-aussie-warriors-boys","tag-the-bin","tag-the-case","tag-the-destruction","tag-the-end","tag-the-field","tag-the-finals","tag-the-first-half","tag-the-four-time-premiership-winner-the-panthers-captain","tag-the-haka","tag-the-influence","tag-the-j-j-giltinan-shield","tag-the-kangaroos-skipper","tag-the-lead","tag-the-match","tag-the-minor-premiership","tag-the-nrl-premiership-live","tag-the-occasion","tag-the-other-end","tag-the-panthers","tag-the-passion","tag-the-prospect","tag-the-reaction","tag-the-real-possibility","tag-the-roosters","tag-the-same","tag-the-scoreline","tag-the-season-the-star-lock","tag-the-star-lock","tag-the-tasman","tag-the-try","tag-the-wahs","tag-the-warriors","tag-the-warriors-holy-moley","tag-the-whole-package","tag-the-world-cup","tag-the-wrecker","tag-the-years","tag-the-clash","tag-their-maori-heritage","tag-their-pregame-show","tag-their-premiership-credentials","tag-their-premiership-hopes","tag-these-incredible-players","tag-this-kid","tag-this-warriors-side","tag-this-young-bloke","tag-three-performers","tag-tingles","tag-tonight","tag-two-huge-runs","tag-viewers","tag-wahs","tag-warriors","tag-whatever-cards","tag-x-user-theresa07-paul-alamoti","tag-years","tag-yeo","tag-yeoy","tag-your-first-month"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/846970","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=846970"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/846970\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/846971"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=846970"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=846970"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=846970"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}