The Warriors have all but locked up a top-four NRL finals berth with a rousing 29-22 win over Manly in a nine-try thriller in Auckland.
A runaway effort to Warriors second-rower Marata Niukore with eight minutes remaining broke Manly hearts, with Friday's loss night officially killing off the Sea Eagles' playoff hopes.
The gallant Eagles threatened to crash the Warriors' party after snatching a surprise 22-16 halftime lead courtesy of a hat-trick to fleet-footed winger Jason Saab.
But a dazzling treble of his own from tryscoring machine Dallin Watane-Zelezniak and another playmaking masterclass from likely Dally M Medallist Shaun Johnson earned the Warriors victory on a special night for the club.
Go Media Stadium was renamed "Daniel Anderson Stadium" to recognise and celebrate the Warriors' legendary former coach Daniel Anderson, who was left a quadriplegic in a bodysurfing accident last December.
Fittingly, the Warriors delivered to honour Anderson in an electric opening to the NRL's "Unite for Daniel" round 25.
A late reshuffle of Manly's spine proved a masterstroke from coach Anthony Seibold and paid immediate dividends.
Seibold relegated Josh Schuster to the bench and started Jake Arthur at five-eighth instead, with the mid-season signing crossing in the opening minute after a lovely show-and-go.
But three tries in a nine-minute blitz from the Warriors had the stadium rocking and the home side suddenly out to a 16-6 lead.
Skipper Tohu Harris charged over, then Watene-Zelezniak bagged his first two; one with a trademark aerial finish after a brilliant right-side attack and his second after beating nine defenders in a spectacular 25-metre run.
With their season on the line, Manly refused to surrender.
Saab's hat-trick came in the space of 18 minutes and turned the game upside down.
Like his halfback counterpart Johnson, Manly captain Daly Cherry-Evans had a hand in two of his side's first three tries.
But the second just before halftime was most fortuitous.
Replays showed Cherry-Evans' pass to be forward, which the bunker don't have the power to overrule, and the ball rolled luckily along the ground for Saab to swoop and score untouched.
Watene-Zelezniak tied the game up at 22-all in the 50th minute with his 21st try of the season.
The cult hero is now the league's leading try scorer for 2023 and on track the break the Warriors' record for most in a season - 23 - shared by Frances Meli (2003) and David Fusitu'a (2018).
Fullback Reuben Garrick had a chance with 11 minutes remaining to restore Manly's lead but hooked a penalty attempt before Niukore broke the deadlock and Johnson slotted a field goal in the shadows of fulltime.
The victory vaulted the Warriors four competition points clear of equal-fourth-placed Cronulla and Melbourne with two rounds remaining.
The NZ surprise packets can seal a first top-four finish - and a double chance in the finals - with one from their last two regular-season games against St George Illawarra and the Dolphins.
