Round 1 vs Sydney Roosters

[Axel]

Impressed with Lemuelu.

 

[Red]

Stone unlucky. I thought he took an arm around the face then had the ball slapped out

Me too. Thought he was slapped around the head and then had the ball slapped out.

 

[Red]

This is unbelievable............. It might turn out to be a flogging in our favour.

 

[midlands hobo]

How glad am I I got up to watch this!

 

[midlands hobo]

Anyone remember mortal combat?

FINISH THEM!

 

[Red]

How glad am I I got up to watch this!

What time is it there?

 

[Axel]

Rush of blood from Katoa there. No one anywhere near him.

 

[midlands hobo]

What time is it there?

6:46. I was up at 4.55 to get the stream on the tv

 

[Red]

Rush of blood from Katoa there. No one anywhere near him.

12 point turn around..... While they are a player down. Benny won't be happy about that.

 

[Jetty]

Get JMK back on!!

 

[midlands hobo]

Get JMK back on!!

I think they've shut up shop to manage it out.

 

[midlands hobo]

🎆🎉🎉🎆🎆🎆

 

[Axel]

Would have been nice to run away with it but can't but be very happy with that.

 

[Jetty]

Let's keep in mind, Roosters are supposed to be among the top teams.

 

[Equaliser]

Really didn't expect that. JMK and Jesse Bromwich were standouts.

 

[treadstone]

I would have been happy to keep the score respectable but wow what a game from the boys.

JMK was my best on ground, was very creative out of dummy half.

What a start to our first season.

 

[Axel]

I would have been happy to keep the score respectable but wow what a game from the boys.

JMK was my best on ground, was very creative out of dummy half.

What a start to our first season.

I was thinking at the end of the game, when I was slightly let down by the final 20min, if someone had guaranteed 24 hours ago a loss by only 10 points, I would have accepted it.

 

[Red]

Felise Kaufusi - Dolphins ​

Kaufusi went whack on Brandon Smith, then whack again on Egan Butcher. And with the biggest bone crunching hits of the first round, the veteran forward swung the momentum in his side’s favour. It also inspired the rest of the outfit to muscle-up in defence. He showed the value of his experience in attack too, when young five-eighth Isaiya Katoa shaped to kick, he stepped in demanding a pass that led to a Jamayne Isaako try.

Rating: 10

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He pulled off those two big hits and was good in attack as well but for me, he was 4th best on the field. Had a great game but one among many.

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Jeremy Marshall-King - Dolphins ​

If Marshall-King can make inroads through the Roosters’ middle, he can do it against other heavyweights. No longer a makeshift hooker, Marshall-King announced himself as a genuine dummy-half, racking up 105 running metres, two try assists and a line break and totally outplaying the Roosters’ high-profile recruit and opposite number Brandon Smith. Also got the points for the opening round over other more fancied hooking recruits such as Canterbury’s Reed Mahoney and Parramatta’s Josh Hodgson.

Rating: 8

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I'm surprised he only got 8. It wasn't only the breaks and half breaks he made but look what happened when he went off. The ship wasn't righted until he came back on. I think the plan was to give him a longer rest but it looked liked the team was going to run aground every minute he was off.

 

[Red]

This probably was the highlight of the year. In that second half, I was waiting for a collapse but they just kept surging ahead. Considering the Roosters were the preseason premiership favourites.

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23 biggest NRL moments in ‘23​

22. PHINS UP IN ROUND 1 ​

Entering the Dolphins’ debut NRL clash against the Roosters at a near-capacity Suncorp Stadium, no one gave Wayne Bennett’s men much of a chance. Bookmakers labelled them a $4 hope, big odds in a two-horse race.

Not only were the Dolphins billed as a new side, a mix of journeyman veterans, inexperienced youngsters as well as the glaring lack of ‘star power’, they were taking on the Roosters, who many thought would end up in a grand final.

No one told the Dolphins they weren’t supposed to win though, with the NRL’s newest club proving far too good for their more fancied opponents in a 28-18 win.

The performance started a groundswell of support for the Dolphins and the catchphrase ‘Phins Up’ was heard ad nauseam in nearly every licenced venue in Queensland.