4 Sep 2011

Warriors primed for NRL playoff game against Broncos

10:58 am on 4 September 2011

The Warriors will travel to Brisbane next weekend after finishing sixth in the National Rugby League regular season with a dominating 18 - 6 win over the North Queensland Cowboys in Auckland.

Coach Ivan Cleary says his players are primed for NRL finals football, after the Warriors held the lion's share of possession on the way to scoring three tries to one in slippery conditions, Krisnan Inu delighted with his brace while the departing Lance Hohaia also dotted down in what is almost certain to be his Mount Smart swansong.

The Warriors' qualifying final next weekend will be against the Broncos, who beat them by a solitary point at Suncorp Stadium a month ago with a late Peter Wallace field goal.

Defeat dropped the Cowboys to seventh and they face a probable trip to Manly next week. But they'll also have the carrot, like the Warriors, of a home semi-final if they win.

Wests Tigers took out fourth spot after beating the Sharks 30 - 22 at Cronulla to clinch the last home NRL final spot.

Parramatta avoided the wooden spoon by dishing out a 32 - 12 thrashing of the Gold Coast at Skilled Park, the Titans taking out last place and the Eels avoiding the same fate for the first time since 1972.

St George Illawarra beat Penrith 32-12 at WIN Stadium on Friday night but the Dragons only held onto fourth spot on the ladder temporarily - they're now fifth.