Warriors roll over Bulldogs comfortably in season opener

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Warriors v Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs

No Johnson, no worries. 

It's a new era for the Warriors, and they dominated a lackluster Bulldogs, running in seven tries to one in a 40-6 victory that marks their biggest margin of victory in the opening round, in front of a packed house at Mt Smart Stadium. 

From the opening whistle, Warriors embodied better, faster, stronger as they punched through the Bulldogs defense, probably surprised it took 15 minutes to get on the scoresheet. Once Ken Maumalo crossed from a Blake Green bomb, the first half was one-way traffic.

Green, now the dominant half, had the ball on the string as he set up Solomone Kata to make it 10-nil with some deft kicks in the first half. Quickly, debutant half Adam Keighran got himself a memorable debut with a wonderful solo effort in a solid first showing before a Nathaniel Roache's support run from a Fusitua break, finished off the half perfectly, as they walked off content and a harmonious side. 

The second half followed the same pattern, Tuivasa-Sheck continued where he left off in 2018, a superb piece of individual skill where he stopped, propped and dummied the Bulldogs defense on his way to the stripe, extending their advantage to 28. It was celebration time for Warriors fans, after a tough 24 hours for our trans-tasman brothers. 

Sheck added an assist to his work, as he took a flighted pass from Green, stepped his defender for Kata to complete his brace. Peta Hiku moved them past 40 points for the first time in Round 1 when he sliced through, comfortably between some arm-grabbing Bulldogs defenders. The 34 point margin sees the Warriors take residence at the top of the ladder after four completed contests. 

After an off-season full of promise, and change down Belmore way. Today looked a continuation of the same turgid game plan which dogged them in 2018, they found some late consolation when Christian Crichton finished off a movement through the hands on the left, bringing it back to 28-6. Otherwise, they struggled to find space with their kicking game and the attack lacked some bite as the Warriors gobbled them up with ease.