Warriors players celebrate their win following the NRL Round 11 match between the New Zealand Warriors and the Penrith Panthers at Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane, Sunday, May 19, 2024. (AAP Image/Dave Hunt/ Photosport) Photo: AAP / www.photosport.nz
A school principal has shared the Warriors' impressive weekend victory as a parable of resilience to his students.
The Warriors ended a four-game losing streak on Sunday, scoring a huge 22-20 NRL win over the three-time defending champion Penrith Panthers.
This was despite 10 Warriors players including Captain Tohu Harris and big-name Shaun Johnson being sidelined from the clash due to injuries.
Ngāhinapōuri School principal Mark Harrop saw the heartening victory as the perfect opportunity to share a message of resilience with his students.
A clip of his booming speech is doing the rounds on social media.
"It was looking grim," Harrop begins.
"Ten key players out with injury... Five minutes into the game, they lose their hooker... Things were looking bad.
"But the Warriors, with a whole bunch of inexperienced young players, stepped up," he continued.
"They never gave up. They played with heart and won the game."
Harrop ends with a resounding: "Isn't that amazing!!! Resilience! That's what it looks like."
As the video has gone viral across the Tasman, the comments are heart-warming.
One person said: "I could have been something if he was my teacher."
Another said: "Awesome that the principal knows how to talk to his students about what really matters. Up the WAHS baby."