CANTERBURY BULLDOGS 8 DOLPHINS 44
CALLUM WALKER, Accor Stadium, Thursday
JAMAYNE ISAAKO registered 20 points as the Dolphins put leaders Canterbury to the sword in emphatic fashion.
There were only six points between the two sides in the opening 40 minutes as Matt Burton and Jamayne Isaako traded penalties with the latter also crossing the whitewash for the first try of the game on 12 minutes.
Lipoi Hopoi responded for the Bulldogs to level proceedings on the half-hour mark, but flying winger Jack Bostock sent the Dolphins into a 14-8 lead at the break.
From there on out, it was all Kristian Woolf’s men as the Bulldogs simply could not live with the pace and power of their Queensland opponents.
Harrison Graham was the first to touch down in the second half, but it took the visitors another 17 minutes for Herbie Farnworth to assert the Dolphins’ authority in the centre’s trademark style.
To make matters worse for Canterbury, they simply capitulated in the last ten minutes as Francis Molo, Jake Averillo and Kurt Donoghoe all crossed to rub salt into the wounds of the home side.
And with Isaako missing just one penalty-goal, the Dolphins flew past the 40-point mark to make it a bad day out for the Bulldogs.
BULLDOGS: 1 Connor Tracey, 2 Blake Wilson, 3 Bronson Xerri, 4 Blake Taaffe, 5 Marcelo Montoya, 6 Matt Burton, 7 Toby Sexton, 10 Josh Curran, 9 Reed Mahoney, 16 Samuel Hughes, 11 Viliame Kikau, 12 Harry Hayes, 13 Bailey Hayward. Subs (all used): 8 Lipoi Hopoi, 14 Jake Turpin, 15 Kurtis Morrin, 17 Luke Smith
Tries: Hopoi (32); Goals: Burton 2/2
DOLPHINS: 1 Jake Averillo, 2 Jamayne Isaako, 3 Max Feagai, 4 Herbie Farnworth, 5 Jack Bostock, 6 Kodi Nikorima, 7 Isaiya Katoa, 8 Francis Molo, 9 Kurt Donoghoe, 10 Felise Kaufusi, 11 Kulikefu Finefeuiaki, 17 Oryn Keeley, 13 Ray Stone. Subs (all used): 12 Connelly Lemueulu, 14 Harrison Graham, 15 Mark Nicholls, 16 Josh Kerr
Tries: Isaako (12), Bostock (39), Graham (47), Farnworth (64), Molo (74), Averillo (77), Donoghoe (79); Goals: Isaako 8/9
SCORING SEQUENCE: 2-0, 2-6, 2-8, 8-8, 8-14; 8-20, 8-26, 8-32, 8-38, 8-44
Rugby Leaguer & League Express Men of the Match
Bulldogs: Josh Curran; Dolphins: Jamayne Isaako
Penalty count: 5-6; Half-time: 8-14; Referee: Todd Smith; Attendance: 10,412