The Warriors secured back-to-back victories for the first time this season, overcoming the Parramatta Eels 22-10 in their Round 6 clash.
The four tries to two victory at Mount Smart Stadium lifted the Warriors to join a logjam of teams on six points, while the Eels slumped to a fourth-straight NRL Telstra Premiership defeat.
A first-half double from second-rower Bodene Thompson gave the Warriors a 16-6 lead at the break, and after surviving an early scare in the second period they powered on to secure the two competition points.
It was Nathan Brown who registered the first try of the day, latching on to an inside ball from makeshift five-eighth Brad Takairangi to stroll over from close range, with Clinton Gutherson converting to give the visitors a 6-0 lead.
Five minutes later Michael Jennings knocked forward an attempted intercept with a free run to the try-line in front of him.
If the missed opportunity wasn't enough, the Warriors well and truly rubbed salt into the wound by scoring on the ensuing set after a Shaun Johnson kick bounced fortuitously for Thompson to roll over the line
The home side then scored a further two tries in the space of four minutes to take the lead. First Simon Mannering took a Kieran Foran pass over the line before Blake Ayshford's 'alley-oop' style pass created a gap for Thompson to grab his second and make it 16-6 at the half-time.
A determined kick chase forced Roger Tuivasa-Sheck into touch four minutes into the second stanza, and Parramatta used the repeat set to outnumber the Warriors out wide and score through Josh Hoffman.
The Eels looked to have gone over twice in the 12 minutes which followed, but were denied on both occasions by the NRL Bunker.
Michael Jennings was found to have interfered with a defender on a would-be Corey Norman try, before Tuivasa-Sheck and David Fusitu'a produced a miraculous cover tackle to deny Semi Radradra in the corner.
Surviving that period proved to be the turning point for the Warriors, scoring a converted try through Ken Maumalo in the 62nd minute to establish their eventual winning margin of 22-10.
Kieran Foran proving the difference with a clutch play down a short-side, breaking tackles and putting Maumalo over for the crucial try.
New Zealand Warriors 22 (Bodene Thompson 2, Simon Mannering, Ken Maumalo tries; Shaun Johnson 3 goals) def. Parramatta Eels 10 (Nathan Brown, Josh Hoffman tries; Clinton Gutherson goal) at Mount Smart Stadium. Half-time: 16-6. Crowd: 13,526.
