NEW ZEALAND WARRIORS 16 DOLPHINS 26
WILL KERRIGAN, Go Media Stadium, Saturday

HERBIE FARNWORTH drove the Dolphins to a thrilling comeback victory over the Warriors to book a home preliminary final.

In their first-ever finals appearance, the Dolphins lost Thomas Flegler to concussion early, then trailed 16-8 on the hour mark with Taine Tuaupiki on the tear.

But Farnworth scored a superb solo try to shift the momentum, then combined with Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow for a length-of-the-field four-pointer before Jack Bostock put icing on the cake.

We had twelve versus eleven late in the high-octane first half, with Adam Pompey, Selwyn Cobbo and Kurt Capewell all sent to the sin bin.

But the Phins stormed home in enemy territory to notch their eighth straight win and put themselves in the box seat for a maiden Grand Final.

Kristian Woolf took a full-strength line-up across the Tasman, re-adding Cobbo (ankle), Kodi Nikorima (hamstring) and Kulikefu Finefeuiaki (knee) to the line-up that scraped past the Titans in round 27.

Andrew Webster also received a massive boost at selection, with Jackson Ford fit again after a three-month lay-off with a pectoral injury, although the enforcer copped an ankle knock in the second half.

Capewell and Wayde Egan returned from a week off after missing the one-point win over Manly seven days earlier. Leka Halasima was meant to do the same but hurt his hamstring in the warm-up, bringing Pompey into the side at the eleventh hour.

Bostock’s interference on Capewell chasing a kick handed Tuaupiki the opening two points, before Flegler knocked himself out tackling a rampaging Mitch Barnett.

The Dolphins tallied their first points off the reliable boot of Jamayne Isaako, after Alofiana Khan-Pereira’s stray boot caught Bostock high in an aerial duel.

Tuaupiki pin-balled away from three defenders to find the first four-pointer, and the lively fullback had another two points thanks to a successful captain’s challenge for Morgan Knowles’ off-the-ball tackle on Barnett.

The hosts’ desperate defence denied Kurt Donoghoe inches from the whitewash, but there was no stopping Farnworth’s lightning-quick hands which put Cobbo into the left corner.

From the kick-off, Pompey’s shoulder charge on Ray Stone landed him in the bin.

And tempers frayed when Isaiya Katoa flipped Ford in a tackle, with Queensland Origin teammates Cobbo and Capewell spending ten minutes on the sideline as punishment.

On the stroke of half-time, Donoghoe took out Ford to give Tuaupiki his third penalty-goal of the half.

The Warriors looked to build on their 12-8 half-time lead, but the Bunker denied a Khan-Pereira try claim for an error in the build-up.

Connelly Lemuelu was lucky to stay on the park following a hip-drop tackle on Ali Leiataua, although Nikorima’s high tackle on Ford gifted Tuaupiki another two points.

And a Lemuelu escort penalty coughed up penalty-goal number five.

However, the Dolphins refused to roll over, and Farnworth scythed through to shave the margin to two once Isaako converted.

Then Tabuai-Fidow strolled through the Warriors’ kick-chase defence and found Farnworth, who lobbed a pass over his head to hand the Hammer the go-ahead try.

Then with five minutes left, Bostock stole the ball off Chanel Harris-Tavita to seal the fightback win.

The Dolphins now enjoy a week off before hosting a preliminary final, while the Warriors entertain the Knights in a cut-throat semi-final.

GAMESTAR: Herbie Farnworth added another chapter to a scintillating season, with two try assists, a match-turning four-pointer and a mammoth 251 running metres.

GAMEBREAKER: With the game in the balance and five minutes remaining, Jack Bostock pinched the ball from Chanel Harris-Tavita to seal the Dolphins’ maiden finals win at the first time of asking.

MATCHFACTS

WARRIORS
1 Taine Tuaupiki
2 Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad
3 Ali Leiataua
20 Adam Pompey
5 Alofiana Khan-Pereira
6 Chanel Harris-Tavita
7 Te Maire Martin
8 James Fisher-Harris
9 Wayde Egan
10 Mitch Barnett
11 Kurt Capewell
12 Jacob Laban
13 Erin Clark
Subs
14 Sam Healey
15 Tanner Stowers-Smith
16 Demitric Vaimauga
17 Jackson Ford
18 Eddie Ieremia-Toeava (not used)
21 Jett Cleary (not used)

Tries: Tuaupiki (16)
Goals: Tuaupiki 6/6
Sin bin: Pompey (29) – shoulder charge, Capewell (34) – fighting

DOLPHINS
1 Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow
2 Jamayne Isaako
3 Jack Bostock
4 Herbie Farnworth
5 Selwyn Cobbo
6 Kodi Nikorima
7 Isaiya Katoa
8 Thomas Flegler
9 Jeremy Marshall-King
10 Tom Gilbert
11 Max Plath
12 Kulikefu Finefeuiaki
13 Morgan Knowles
Subs
14 Kurt Donoghoe
15 Ray Stone
16 Francis Molo
17 Connelly Lemuelu
19 Brad Schneider (not used)
22 Tevita Naufahu (not used)

Tries: Cobbo (26), Farnworth (61), Tabuai-Fidow (67), Bostock (75)
Goals: Isaako 5/5
Sin bin: Cobbo (34) – fighting

SCORING SEQUENCE: 2-0, 2-2, 8-2, 10-2, 10-8, 12-8; 14-8, 16-8, 16-14, 16-20, 16-26

Rugby Leaguer & League Express Men of the Match
Warriors: Taine Tuaupiki; Dolphins: Herbie Farnworth

Penalty count: 9-4
Half-time: 12-8
Referee: Adam Gee
Attendance: 26,131