DOLPHINS 43 NORTH QUEENSLAND COWBOYS 24
STEPHEN IBBETSON, Suncorp Stadium, Thursday
DOLPHINS hit 40 points for the fifth time in seven matches to restore their top-eight push at the expense of their state rivals.
Kristian Woolf’s free-scoring men arguably didn’t even play that well in an error-ridden game, but when they had chances to attack they invariably took them, expertly crafting several long-range tries.
Halfback Jake Averillo and fullback Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow bagged two tries each, Averillo’s second clinching the win late on after North Queensland got back to within ten points.
The tone was set inside the opening three minutes as Oryn Keeley crashed through a gap in the try-line defence off an Isaiya Katoa pass.
The Cowboys swiftly responded with a well-worked shift from one side of the field to the other and a fired assist from Scott Drinkwater for Murray Taulagi.
Jamayne Isaako and Drinkwater added the respective conversions and Isaako nudged Dolphins back in front after 18 minutes with a penalty-goal after Jeremiah Nanai was punished for an escort.
The turning point came when Zac Laybutt’s attempted offload coughed up possession as North Queensland attacked the home line. Averillo sprinted the full length for the first of five unanswered tries.
For the next, Tabuai-Fidow released Herbie Farnworth down the left with a sharp pass and then kept pace with the break to claim the return.
And on the stroke of half-time Tabuai-Fidow made it three successive Dolphins tries from their own half of the field as he supported a break by the exceptional Connelly Lemuelu, created by Averillo.
Isaako converted the latter two for a 24-6 half-time lead, and was also on target when Harrison Graham darted over from dummy-half five minutes into the second period.
He couldn’t improve his own try, however, from wide out after his centre Max Feagai was the latest to burst through a gap in the Cowboys’ non-existent defence.
The contest appeared well and truly over at 34-6, but three converted North Queensland tries in an eight-minute spell around the hour mark brought it back to life.
Braydon Burns set up a second try of the night for Taulagi, before a brilliant Kai O’Donnell offload and Jaxon Purdue burst led to a Drinkwater try.
Origin hero Tom Dearden was then well-placed to finish off a sequence that involved two scrappy kicks, and Drinkwater’s good kicking brought the Cowboys to within ten points.
That’s as far as their comeback got, however, with an Isaako penalty-goal – awarded for a Coen Hess crusher tackle – easing the scoreboard pressure a little and Averillo finally settling the issue off another Lemuelu break.
Isaako converted and, with a minute remaining, Katoa capped things off with a field-goal from in front of the posts.
While successive defeats have seriously dented North Queensland’s hopes, Dolphins have real reason to believe they can secure a first finals appearance at the third time of asking.
GAMESTAR: Connelly Lemuelu made 274 metres during an exceptional 80-minute effort in the Dolphins back row.
GAMEBREAKER: Victory wasn’t assured until Jake Averillo notched his second try on 76 minutes.
MATCHFACTS
DOLPHINS
1 Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow
2 Jamayne Isaako
3 Max Feagai
4 Herbie Farnworth
5 Tevita Naufahu
6 Jake Averillo
7 Isaiya Katoa
8 Francis Molo
9 Jeremy Marshall-King
10 Aublix Tasha
11 Connelly Lemuelu
12 Oryn Keeley
13 Kurt Donoghue
Subs (all used)
14 Harrison Graham
15 Ray Stone
16 Josh Kerr
17 Peta Hola
Tries: Keeley (3), Averillo (21, 76), Tabuai-Fidow (24, 37), Graham (45), Isaako (47)
Goals: Isaako 7/9
Field-goals: Katoa (79)
COWBOYS
1 Scott Drinkwater
2 Jaxson Paulo
3 Braydon Burns
4 Zac Laybutt
5 Murray Taulagi
6 Jaxon Purdue
7 Tom Dearden
8 Thomas Mikaele
9 Reece Robson
10 Griffin Neame
11 Reuben Cotter
12 Jeremiah Nanai
13 Harrison Edwards
Subs (all used)
14 Karl Lawton
15 Kaiden Lahrs
16 Kai O’Donnell
17 Coen Hess
Tries: Taulagi (8, 56), Drinkwater (62), Dearden (64)
Goals: Drinkwater 4/4
SCORING SEQUENCE: 6-0, 6-6, 8-6, 12-6, 18-6, 24-6; 30-6, 34-6, 34-12, 34-18, 34-24, 36-24, 42-24, 43-24
Rugby Leaguer & League Express Men of the Match
Dolphins: Connelly Lemuelu; Cowboys: Tom Dearden
Penalty count: 6-3
Half-time: 24-6
Referee: Peter Gough
Attendance: 23,172