With both coaches having made their names at the opposite club, it was Andrew Webster who got the better of former boss Ivan Cleary, as the Warriors defeated Penrith at home for the first time since June 2019.
While incumbent halfback Te Maire Martin was scratched 24 hours earlier with a hamstring injury, Metcalf’s return was a sight the Mt Smart faithful have been waiting for.
Now into his final weeks at the Warriors after signing to join the St George Illawarra Dragons next year, failing to dislodge the injured Tanah Boyd as the first-choice No 7, Metcalf gave a timely reminder of his undeniable quality.
As well as two tries and one assist, Metcalf also had 15 tackles to go with more than 500 kicking metres. The second of those tries, a dart over from close range, halted Penrith’s comeback after 22-0 became 22-12 with minutes left on the clock.
A late rally inspired by Nathan Cleary never left the Warriors room to breathe, but the NRL’s serial winners had to settle for second best on the night.
Luke Metcalf celebrates his try.
Warriors v Panthers, Indigenous Round, NRL Rugby League at Go Media Stadium, Auckland, New Zealand. Friday 7 August 2026. © Photo: Brett Phibbs / Photosport x
Metcalf was ably backed up by Leka Halasima, who continued to shine at centre with a try assist, to go with 12 tackle-busts and 241 running metres, while Jacob Laban added another 47 tackles for good measure.
The Panthers’ cause was severely hurt by the loss of co-captain Isaah Yeo, who limped out after half an hour with what appeared to be a pectoral injury his team will fear a season-ender.
The Warriors can continue to build towards a now mathematically guaranteed finals campaign next week, when they travel to Brisbane to face the Broncos at Suncorp Stadium, having already claimed a 42-12 victory over the same opponents at the same venue in May.
For all the billing of the Friday night encounter being between first versus third on the NRL ladder, Metcalf’s return took centre stage. After adding the extras on the night’s first try – scored when Wayde Egan sent Erin Clark over from close range – Metcalf marked his first-grade return with the night’s second.
Having put Kurt Capewell into space, Metcalf showed the awareness to stay with his teammate, who drew in the final defender before freeing the halfback to score unopposed, and celebrated by raising his arms to a legion of fans he’ll farewell in a few months.
Up 12-0, the Warriors were tested inside their own half, defending back-to-back set restarts, before gaining a numerical advantage when Penrith centre Paul Alamoti was sin-binned for a dump tackle on Leka Halasima.
With that extra man, the Warriors were able to spread the depleted Panthers defence, after an offload from Halasima – who started the set with a line break inside his own half – was finished by Chanel Harris-Tavita on the left flank.
The Warriors could have had a fourth before the break, when Penrith failed to defuse a Harris-Tavita bomb, which he then seized after it was allowed to bounce twice, only for the Bunker to rule it out after deeming Halasima had touched it.
Still, an 18-0 advantage to a side that’s not lost when leading at halftime all season was plenty for the Warriors to write home about.
While the Warriors’ fourth try of the first half was wiped by the Bunker, the Panthers could only hold out for so long. A Metcalf kick to the right wing was accepted by Dallin Watene-Zelezniak, who drew in the defence before offloading to Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad, as the Warriors opened the second half in the same way they’d started the first.
It took until the 50-minute mark for the Panthers to have a genuine scoring opportunity, when Isaiah Papali’i went over on Penrith’s left, only to be held up by Watene-Zelezniak. Even when they were gifted a set inside the Warriors’ 10 by referee Gerard Sutton missing a forward pass, the Panthers couldn’t break the hosts’ defence down.
Erin Clark celebrates his try.
Warriors v Panthers, Indigenous Round, NRL Rugby League at Go Media Stadium, Auckland, New Zealand. Friday 7 August 2026. © Photo: Brett Phibbs / Photosport x
As the game crept into the final 15 minutes, and the Panthers needed more than a point a minute, Cleary grabbed one back for the visitors when he finished off a break started by winger Thomas Jenkins and set up a tense finish.
Cleary left his run late, and set up rookie fullback Jaxen Edgar after a 40-20, as 22-0 became 22-12. Another Cleary kick looked to have set up Penrith’s third, seized on by Alamoti to cross over, only for replays to show second-rower Liam Martin offside at the kick.
And with time all but up, Metcalf surged over for his second to put a full stop on his return.
Warriors 28 (Clark, Metcalf 2, Harris-Tavita, Nicoll-Klokstad tries; Metcalf 4 conversions)
Panthers 12 (Cleary, Edgar tries; Cleary 2 conversions)
H/T: 18-0
Alex Powell is a sports journalist for the NZ Herald. He has been a sports journalist since 2016.