The Warriors opened their 2026 campaign in emphatic fashion, running in seven tries to overwhelm the Roosters 42-18 at Go Media Stadium on Friday night.
Backed by a vocal home crowd, the Warriors laid the platform with a dominant first half and then withstood a brief Roosters revival before pulling away late to put a gloss on the scoreline.
The home side struck first through Tanah Boyd, who dummied and slid over near the posts in the 12th minute to cap an early period of pressure. Boyd converted his own try, and the Warriors looked in control as the Roosters struggled with discipline and cohesion. That changed briefly when James Tedesco crossed for his 150th career try - and 100th for the club - after Billy Smith burst through on the left and found his captain in support. Sam Walker's conversion levelled the scores at 6-all.
That was as good as it got for the visitors in the opening stanza. The Roosters' error count and repeated infringements invited pressure, and the Warriors made them pay. Adam Pompey was awarded a try after a lengthy bunker review, Kurt Capewell then sliced through on a sharp inside line off Chanel Harris-Tavita, and Harris-Tavita himself crossed soon after when Roger Tuivasa-Sheck put him into space on the left edge. With Boyd converting from the sideline, the Warriors surged to a 22-6 halftime lead, having controlled both territory and possession.
Any hopes of a Roosters comeback were dented almost immediately after the break when Leka Halasima crashed over in the 47th minute. The Roosters thought they had hit back through Daly Cherry-Evans soon after, but the bunker ruled Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad had grounded the ball in-goal first. Still, the visitors showed some fight. Billy Smith finished neatly in the corner, Angus Crichton backed up a James Tedesco break for a long-range try, and suddenly the margin was trimmed to 28-18 with over 20 minutes to play.
Crucially, the Warriors steadied. Boyd extended the lead with a penalty goal, and as Roosters errors and ill-discipline crept back in, the home side closed the contest decisively. Harris-Tavita grabbed his second off some clever aerial work from Ali Leiataua, and Nicoll-Klokstad iced the result late after breaking through on the right edge. Boyd's accurate boot accounted for six conversions and a penalty goal on the night, underlining his influence.
In the end, the Warriors' composure, sharper execution and ability to punish mistakes proved decisive. For the Roosters, flashes of attacking promise were undone by errors and lapses in discipline. For the Warriors, it was a statement opening performance - and a perfect start to their season at home.