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Do or die: Tanah Boyd and Jerome Ropati preview NRL semi-finals
Sport Nation • September 17th, 2026 7:21 am
The Warriors training at Eden Park ahead of their NRL semi-final clash with the Newcastle Knights | Photo: Andrew Cornaga/Photosport
The road to the NRL Grand Final intensifies as semi-final week approaches and the excitement levels are nearing their peak on The Finals Countdown.
Hosted by Sam Ackerman, alongside One NZ Warriors halfback Tanah Boyd and Warriors legend Jerome Ropati, this week's episode dives straight into the pressure-cooker of elimination footy.
After falling to the Dolphins in Week 1, the Warriors' second life comes in the form of a sudden-death clash against the Newcastle Knights where the stage couldn't be bigger: Eden Park packed with 50,000 fans.
As Boyd highlighted, the Warriors themselves are "pumped and looking for a big response".
Meanwhile, Ropati provided a veteran's perspective as someone who has played for the club at Eden Park previously, noting how to handle the change in venue and the challenge of managing the massive hype surrounding a young squad. The tickets sold out in a staggering 11 minutes, proving the Wahs faithful are ready to bring the noise.
A major talking point for the panel was the consistency of NRL officiating, comparing two major flashpoints from Week 1 and how referees Ashley Klein and Adam Gee handled them.
The boys also recapped the rest of the Week 1 action, and looked ahead to the other major matchup of finals footy this week: the Sydney Roosters vs the Cronulla Sharks.
Both NRL semi-final matches will be live on Sport Nation, with Roosters vs Sharks commencing 9.05pm Saturday (NZ time) followed by the Warriors vs Knight this Sunday, kick-off 6.05pm.
Watch the full show below via the Sport Nation YouTube:
