James Fisher-Harris of the Warriors celebrates scoring a try during the round 27 NRL match between Manly Sea Eagles and New Zealand Warriors at 4 Pines Park on September 05, 2025 in Sydney, Australia. (Getty Images: Jason McCawley)
A defiant James Fisher-Harris says he loves that the doubters are dismissing the Warriors' premiership chances as the NRL finals series approaches.
The Warriors enter next weekend's elimination final struggling for the form that had them entrenched in the top four for 16 consecutive rounds earlier in the season.
Of the top eight, the Warriors are at the longest odds to win the premiership, with Friday's 27-26 loss to Manly installing them as $71 outsiders with one bookmaker.
The defeat was the Warriors' fifth in seven games, consigning them to a sixth-placed finish and a date with either Penrith or the Sydney Roosters in week one of the finals.
Season-ending injuries to Luke Metcalf and Mitch Barnett have weakened the Warriors' premiership chances and errors conspired against them against Manly.
But for captain Fisher-Harris, the external doubts are fuel to the fire.
"No-one really respects us, no-one gives us any hope or anything like that, and I actually love that," the prop said.
"We're the only team from New Zealand. Let's just see what our actions can do."
Loading Twitter content
Coach Andrew Webster insisted the Warriors had become used to the nay-sayers this season, which began with a huge loss to eventual minor premiers Canberra in Las Vegas.
But Webster remained bullish about what his side could achieve now that a "new competition" was beginning.
"No-one's given us a chance since day one. We're used to that," he said.
"We believe in what we can do in that dressing room. Back home, all our fans believe it. We're going to have a full house at Mount Smart Stadium.
"Lots of people at the start of the season would do anything to have a home semi. The people who don't believe, that's fine, but we believe in ourselves.
"[A] new competition starts now and we've got to get excited."
Webster felt the Warriors had plenty of time to recover from a sloppy performance against Manly.
"I just said to the boys, 'We're actually in control of this. We're the ones beating ourselves at the moment. A day in rugby league is a long time, let alone a week,'" he said.
"If we play our best football, let's see where that takes us, instead of walking away from the season after a lot of hard work to get ourselves here and not turn up and give ourselves a chance."
Rocco Berry will miss next week's match with a dislocated shoulder, the latest in a series of injuries for the centre this season.
"Real shame for Rocco, he just can't string any games together," Webster said.
Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad is an option to replace Berry and pass fullback duties to Taine Tuaupiki, or Webster could move Kurt Capewell to the centres.
Mark Nawaqanitawase denied Alex Johnston a chip-and-chase try on the half-time siren. (Getty Images: Cameron Spencer)
The Roosters have locked in their spot in the NRL finals with a 36-6 win over rivals South Sydney, denying Alex Johnston a chance to break Ken Irvine's try-scoring record.
But the league need not have bothered as the Rabbitohs rarely threatened and winger Mark Nawaqanitawase instead had a field day up against Johnston, repeatedly leaping over him and even punching a potential try out of Rabbitohs veteran's hands on the stroke of half-time.
Nawaqanitawase capped off his first full NRL season with another hat-trick, to take his tally for the year to 23 and all but assuring he will win the award named in Irvine's honour as the league's leading try-scorer.
Loading Twitter content
Of the players left to take the field in the final round of the regular season, only Dolphins star Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow could possibly catch him with a four-try outing against first-placed Canberra on Sunday.
The eight finalists are locked in after the Roosters jumped to seventh on the ladder with the 30-point win and sit seventh, but they will switch places with eighth-placed Penrith if the four-time defending premiers beat the Dragons on Saturday afternoon.
with AAP
Look back at how all the action unfolded in our live blog below, and check out all the stats in the full ScoreCentre.
Thanks for sticking it out tonight across two wild games.
We had the NRL's fastest try and thought we might see the NRL's greatest try-scorer be crowned, but turns out that would've been greedy.
(Getty)
Instead we just had our NRL finalists locked in and Brookvale Oval farewelled Daly Cherry-Evans in style.
Join us again tomorrow when the exact finishing order of the top eight will be decided as we ramp up to finals footy.
Until then, have a lovely night!
Key Event
The NRL finalists are locked in
J
By Jon Healy
So we have our eight finalists, with just the order of seven and eight to be decided:
1.Canberra Raiders
2.Melbourne Storm
3.Canterbury Bulldogs
4.Brisbane Broncos
5.Cronulla Sharks
6.New Zealand Warriors
7.Sydney Roosters*
8.Penrith Panthers*
The Roosters and Panthers will swap places if Penrith beats the Dragons in Wollongong tomorrow afternoon.
Seventh will have to travel to Auckland, while eighth gets to stay in the same city for a quick jaunt to Cronulla.
I'd say the quality of opponent is much of a muchness and it's a sudden-death clash regardless, so it may be in Penrith's interests to finish eighth.
That also means that after tomorrow's first game, starting at 3pm, none of the other games will have finals ramifications, unless there's a suspension or injury.
Cam Murray says no Ashes tour for him
J
By Jon Healy
(Getty)
Cameron Murray tore his Achilles tendon before the season and his 23 minutes tonight were his only minutes all year.
He says he "pulled up fine" tonight, but has already told Kevin Walters he won't be available for the Kangaroos' Ashes tour.
"I love playing for my country but I think I owe my club and my teammates more than playing 20 minutes in the regular season," he tells ABC Sport.
"I'm just gonna give myself every chance to get myself fit and ready and healthy before next year and that means giving that a miss.
"I wish all the boys all the best over there. I wish I could be there, but it just wasn't to be this time."
Key Event
FULL-TIME: Roosters lock in finals berth with 30-point thumping of Souths
J
By Jon Healy
(Getty)
All eyes were on Alex Johnston tonight, but it turned into the Mark Nawaqanitawase Show as his hat-trick sparked the Roosters to this 36-6 win tonight over their great rivals.
Johnston will start season 2026 on 210 tries, with a nice two-year contract. So plenty of time to track down Ken Irvine's record of 212, which might take some of the pressure off.
South Sydney's torrid season is over and they can reload, while tonight's win locks the Roosters into the top eight.
They're sitting seventh for now, set for a trip to New Zealand next week, but the Panthers can leapfrog them if they beat the Dragons tomorrow.
79' Stupid stuff from Cody Walker
J
By Jon Healy
He's been on the edge all night, and now he takes exception to getting blindsided by Egan Butcher, throwing a forearm at Butcher's head as they go to ground.
76' Bunker denies the Roosters
J
By Jon Healy
Billy Smith appears to have a try off James Tedesco's deflected grubber, but Adam Gee sends it up as no try and the bunker agrees, saying Smith was offside, while admitting there isn't a definitive angle on it.
"He was behind the ball definitely," Luke Lewis says on ABC Sport.
75' What a save by Tedesco
J
By Jon Healy
The Rabbitohs finally manage to prevent Mark Nawaqanitawase flying for the ball, and Alex Johnston marks cleanly, flying up the left wing.
That gives them some momentum, and the Rabbitohs go down the right, with Ty Munro turning Daniel Tupou around.
He breaks and grubbers through for himself, but James Tedesco slides in phenomenally from about 5 metres away to grab the awkwardly bouncing ball.
69' Roosters aren't letting up
J
By Jon Healy
The crossfield kick is batted down by Daniel Tupou and ends up with Siua Wong, who grubbers through for himself and manages to force the dropout.
But the Bunnies get it back! Maybe the worm is turning for the cardinal and myrtle.
Key Event
Champagne footy from the Roosters and Crichton is over
J
By Jon Healy
They spin it left and Daniel Tupou gets outside Tyrone Munro. He holds him off and offloads to James Tedesco, who gets tracked down by three Rabbitohs, but he fires a backhand flick pass past all of them to Angus Crichton, who grounds the ball and makes a point of showing off his missing middle finger.
(Getty)
I wonder what that's about. I guess if showing off your middle finger is a show of disgust, maybe the reverse is a show of love.
Sam Walker converts again to make it 36-6 to the Roosters.
Key Event
61' Sam Walker adds two more points
J
By Jon Healy
Tedesco sends Billy Smith through a hole. Jye Gray brings him down and hangs on for an age. He's lucky not to be binned.
Off the next play, the Roosters run it on the last, and James Tedesco is taken without the ball about 3 or 4 metres from the tryline. Luckily for the offender, Isaiah Tass, Jye Gray was in front of Tedesco, so he isn't sin-binned either.
Sam Walker pots a penalty goal to make it 30-6 to the Roosters with 18 minutes left.
59' Roosters getting scrappy
J
By Jon Healy
The errors are starting to come from the Roosters.
It feels like a combination of a lack of concentration and a desperation to keep the good times rolling, so they're throwing some pretty speculative offloads.
Key Event
Mark. Markolas. Markael. Another ridiculous try for a hat-trick
J
By Jon Healy
(Getty)
The Roosters go left and Daniel Tupou is hemmed in, so he offloads and the ball comes back to Sam Walker, who bombs across field for Mark Nawaqanitawase and he flies over Alex Johnston, marking cleanly and grounding the ball.
Loading Twitter content
That's his third try tonight, making it his third hat-trick and his 10th try from the past five games.
50' Roosters go within centimetres of scoring
J
By Jon Healy
Sam Walker's chip kick bounces away from Jye Gray and Victor Radley gets through, but Cody Walker's desperate diving swipe at the ball prevents a clean catch and Radley knocks on.
49' An inconclusive captain's challenge
J
By Jon Healy
For at least the third time in two nights, the camera quality at the ground makes a video replay completely inconclusive.
Ashton Ward bombs out on the full and is adamant Blake Steep touched it as he charged it down.
He convinces his skipper to challenge, but it's inconclusive. So it remains out on the full but the Rabbitohs don't lose their challenge.
Key Event
Double blow from the Roosters
J
By Jon Healy
James Tedesco and Rob Toia combine to break down the right, with Connor Watson the beneficiary, backing up through the middle to score the Roosters' second to start the second half.
Loading Twitter content
The Tricolours are dominating against 12 men, making the most of Jamie Humphreys's time in the sin bin for a hip drop.
Sam Walker's conversion makes is 22-6 to the Roosters after 46 minutes.
Key Event
Daniel Tupou makes it first blood to the Roosters
J
By Jon Healy
The Roosters get a fresh set on Souths' tryline after a chargedown, and they spin it left, with some slick hands from James Tedesco and Billy Smith creating an overlap for Daniel Tupou to dive in.
That's just good 13 vs 12 footy.
Sam Walker's conversion makes it 16-6 to the Roosters just after the break.
41' Ugly swinging arm from Brandon Smith, but Jamie Humphreys is sin-binned
J
By Jon Healy
Brandon Smith comes in on Siua Wong and hits him in the back of the head with a swinging arm.
But he's not the one penalised. Jamie Humphreys is sin-binned for a hip drop.
That's sin bin number 13 from the past eight clashes between these teams.
41' Rabbitohs kick off to start the second half
J
By Jon Healy
Can Alex Johnston get a second-half hat-trick, or will he have to wait until 2026 to break the try-scoring record?
Key Event
HALF-TIME: Nawaqanitawase spoils the party and Roosters lead 10-6
J
By Jon Healy
(Getty)
Angus Crichton traps an Ashton Ward grubber, gets the ricochet and passes up to Daniel Tupou, who has 80 metres of clear air in front of him but drops it cold.
The Rabbitohs pack the scrum with four seconds left and spin it left. Cody Walker gets an offload to an unmarked Alex Johnston, who chips over Victory Radley and looks set to regather to score try number 211, but Mark Nawaqanitawase gets through with the Harris Andres-esque spoil from behind. What sport can't he play?
If Johnston wants to break the record tonight and not wait until next season, he needs a second-half hat-trick. It's certainly not beyond him.
Anyway, it's a fittingly thrilling and chaotic end to that 40 minutes of footy.
The ABC of SPORT
Sports content to make you think... or allow you not to. A newsletter delivered each Saturday.
