Rugby: Warriors in glory win

The McDonalds South West Warriors have returned to the WA Rugby League winner’s list after a nail-biting 30-26 victory over perennial powerhouse club South Perth Lions in Bunbury at the weekend.

After falling to Rockingham in an untidy match last week, a more silky Warriors side made amends at the Bunbury Recreation Ground on Saturday, jumping to a 14-0 lead after 20 minutes.

Although the Lions hit back to lead 16-14 at half-time, the Warriors did enough in the second half to take back the lead and hold on for a crucial triumph.

Backline marshal Taku Simon starred for the home side while Brad Sharphan ran in three tries in a dazzling performance.

The Warriors have won four of their first five games and sit second on the ladder.

After the match, coach Darren Shaw praised his side for the way they recovered against South Perth after being plagued by handling errors the previous week.

‘‘We made no skill errors whatsoever in the first 20 minutes which is why we dominated,’’ he said.

‘‘South Perth got back in the game and had a bit of momentum for a spell — it was a tight game all the way through and we were just really happy to come away with the points.’’