NEW ZEALAND WARRIORS 18 DOLPHINS 20
TOM SMITH, Go Media Stadium, Friday
JAMAYNE ISAAKO’S 79th-minute winner stole a thrilling victory for the Dolphins over the Warriors – but it came at a massive cost, with strike centre Herbie Farnworth limping off midway through the first half with a hamstring injury.
The Warriors looked like claiming the two vital competition points after red-hot rookie back-rower Leka Halasima crossed for the fifth consecutive week midway through the second half.
And that result looked even more likely when referee Ashley Klein sin-binned Felise Kaufusi for a dangerous tackle that forced Jacob Laban from the field with six minutes on the clock.
But on the end of an audacious Jeremy Marshall-King cut-out, Isaako raced into the right corner for the go-ahead score.
The Warriors’ fourth defeat in their last five starts on home turf leaves their top-four spot teetering, whereas the Dolphins’ maiden victory in Auckland boosts their finals hopes.
With September looming, both these sides ran onto Go Media Stadium with plenty at stake.
The Warriors needed to bounce back from a shock loss to the Titans to cement their spot in the top four with the Panthers and Broncos breathing down their neck, whereas the Dolphins emerged from their round 21 bye clinging to eighth position.
In a big blow for New Zealand coach Andrew Webster, calf injuries ruled out key men Chanel Harris-Tavita and James Fisher-Harris, while Wayde Egan sat out with concussion.
And Webster reshuffled his deck on game day, shifting Taine Tuaupiki to fullback, Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad to centre and Kurt Capewell into the forwards, with Eddie Ieremia-Toeava making his first-grade bow off the bench.
Phins boss Kristian Woolf, on the other hand, regained experienced trio Kodi Nikorima (hamstring), Kaufusi (knee) and Mark Nicholls (concussion) in a major boost.
But Farnworth’s injury will give the first-year coach a headache for the remainder of the season.
Before he limped off, the England international opened the scoring by steaming onto a Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow short ball from close range.
The Warriors struck back when Dallin Watene-Zelezniak raced around Max Feagai to find the right-hand corner, and their problems compounded when Farnworth went down clutching his left hamstring on the end of a bust from deep inside his own territory.
However, the Queensland club rallied – first when Marshall-King darted over from dummy-half, then as a bouncing Isaiya Katoa pass put Oryn Keeley through.
Watene-Zelezniak’s second kept the hosts in touch at the break, with Tanah Boyd’s sideline conversion shaving the margin to four.
Tuaupiki pulled off a stunning try-saver on Jake Averillo to stop the deficit growing larger – and it was eventually erased by Halasima, who flew over a web of red jumpers to snaffle a Boyd bomb and crawl over the whitewash.
Boyd’s boot gave New Zealand a two-point buffer that seemed certain to become the final margin after Nikorima bobbled the grounding of a Katoa grubber and Kaufusi was punished for targeting Laban’s legs.
But with little more than 60 seconds on the clock, the undermanned Phins put the ball through ten pairs of hands to send Isaako in for the winner.
GAMESTAR: Jeremy Marshall-King was a constant threat from dummy-half, bagging a try for his troubles.
GAMEBREAKER: On the end of ten passes from sideline to sideline, Jamayne Isaako registered the winner with 60 seconds remaining.
MATCHFACTS
WARRIORS
14 Taine Tuaupiki
2 Dallin Watene-Zelezniak
1 Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad
3 Adam Pompey
5 Roger Tuivasa-Sheck
6 Te Maire Martin
7 Tanah Boyd
10 Jackson Ford
9 Samuel Healey
12 Marata Niukore
4 Kurt Capewell
11 Leka Halasima
13 Erin Clark
Subs (all used)
15 Jacob Laban
16 Freddy Lussick
17 Tanner Stowers-Smith
18 Eddie Ieremia-Toeava
Tries: Watene-Zelezniak (10, 36), Halasima (59)
Goals: Boyd 3/3
DOLPHINS
1 Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow
2 Jamayne Isaako
3 Max Feagai
4 Herbie Farnworth
5 Jake Averillo
6 Kodi Nikorima
7 Isaiya Katoa
8 Francis Molo
9 Jeremy Marshall-King
10 Felise Kaufusi
11 Connelly Lemuelu
12 Oryn Keeley
13 Kurt Donoghoe
Subs (all used)
14 Ray Stone
15 Aublix Tawha
16 Mark Nicholls
17 Josh Kerr
Tries: Farnworth (5), Marshall-King (26), Keeley (30), Isaako (79)
Goals: Isaako 2/3, Katoa 0/1
Sin bin: Kaufusi (74) – dangerous tackle
SCORING SEQUENCE: 0-6, 6-6, 6-12, 6-16, 12-16; 18-16, 18-20
Rugby Leaguer & League Express Men of the Match
Warriors: Dallin Watene-Zelezniak; Dolphins: Jeremy Marshall-King
Penalty count: 6-5
Half-time: 12-16
Referee: Ashley Klein
Attendance: 23,012