It was a win to make even Wayne Bennett crack a smile. The NRL’s newest team and the game’s greatest coach pulled off one of the great rugby league ambushes, as the Dolphins demolished the Sydney Roosters 28-18 at Suncorp Stadium.
Written off by pundits as a motley squad of has-beens, loose cannons and rough diamonds and widely tipped to collect the wooden spoon in their inaugural season, the Dolphins, the NRL’s long-awaited 17th team, showed courage and character to defeat one of the glamour side’s of the competition in a round one thriller.
Despite widespread local backlash at the abandonment of old Redcliffe roots in their name, the Dolphins attracted 32,177 fans to Suncorp to witness the 75-year-old Queensland club make its big time debut. Fittingly, their opponents – the former Eastern Suburbs Roosters – had also abandoned their origins for a franchise brand. None of it mattered when the kickoff came under hot Brisbane skies.
The Roosters scored first when a lovely set play by the Roosters sent star winger Joseph Suaalii into the corner. Although the grounding was dubious, interference in the lead-up was worthy of a penalty try.
The Dolphins hit back straight away when former Bulldogs No 9 Jeremy Marshall King made a bust from dummy half, scooting 40 metres before drawing James Tedesco and spinning inside for Hamiso “The Hammer” Tabuai-Fidow to score under the posts.
Too often the Dolphins adrenaline got the better of them with panic passes when patience was required. When Wayne’s boys coughed up the ball from a kickoff the Roosters weren’t long in scoring again, as Drew Hutchison strolled over after a lucky bounce to see the Roosters retake the lead. Sam Walker added the extras.
Now came the test as the Roosters poured on the pressure, launching wave after wave of attack. The Dolphins bravely held on. Winger Jamayne Isaako foiled another try with a last ditch tackle on Daniel Tupou and teammate Brenko Lee reversed another raid with an intercept, rumbling 55-metres only to be run down by old legs (and Suaalii).
The Dolphins needed a bolt of inspiration and former Melbourne Storm forward Felise Kaufusi provided it, laying on two bell ringing tackles in one minute (one on former teammate and new Roosters recruit Brandon Smith) to create the momentum for former Rabbitoh Mark Nicholls to dive over as the Dolphins locked up the scores.
Pitchforked into the biggest game of his life at the age of 19 years and 15 days, Isaiya Katoa sparked the Dolphin ascendency at the 46 minute mark. He found ex-Penrith half Sean O’Sullivan (son of Peter, the Dolphins’ head of recruitment) who went deep into the line and then pivoted back to Connelly Lemuelo who ran over Sam Walker to put the Dolphins were ahead for the first time.
They never looked back. Kiwi international Isaako side-stepped Luke Keary after a break down the left edge to notch the Dolphins’ fourth try and extend the lead to 12 points. Isaako had his double minutes later, when he skipped over unmarked on the back of another Roosters error.
The Sydney side rallied. Luke Keary, playing in head gear to combat a series of career concussions, set up a try for Daniel Tupou with a chip kick to peg one try back. But when enforcers Victor Radley and Matt Lodge went off after head knocks and Egan Butcher was sent to the sin bin for attacking the knees, the Chooks looked cooked.
The killing blow came when when the Dolphins 33-year-old captain Jesse Bromwich ran down a flying Australian captain James Tedesco, forcing the Roosters No 1 to drop the ball cold a few tackles later. As the visitor’s heads dropped the crowd stood as one.
The dawn of the Dolphins had arrived and Wayne’s Bennett ambush was complete.
