Round 27 v Newcastle Knights the Must win

[midlands hobo]

4 teams on 28 points and by scheduling genius playing each other. Dolphins must win to guarantee a spot, the only way we win and don't make the 8 is St George or Canberra doing a deal and allowing the other to win by 150.

 

[Equaliser]

4 teams on 28 points and by scheduling genius playing each other. Dolphins must win to guarantee a spot, the only way we win and don't make the 8 is St George or Canberra doing a deal and allowing the other to win by 150.

Winner of Dolphins-Newcastle will go through and if we play half as well as last night, it'll be us comfortably.

 

[Phins Phan]

4 teams on 28 points and by scheduling genius playing each other. Dolphins must win to guarantee a spot, the only way we win and don't make the 8 is St George or Canberra doing a deal and allowing the other to win by 150.

Or Dolphins and Newcastle play a draw to both end on 29 points, meaning the winner of Dragons v Raiders finishes in eighth - now wouldn’t that be a story

 

[Blockade]

Or Dolphins and Newcastle play a draw to both end on 29 points, meaning the winner of Dragons v Raiders finishes in eighth - now wouldn’t that be a story

It could happen but unlikely. But this game will be painfully close. Projections of another Dolphin master class are way off mark. This will be a very tough match to win.

 

[Jetty]

Jesse Bromwich will come in for Kenny or Hubner? Then there is Kodi. I don't think he's going to be 5/8 with the way Averillo, Fuller and Hammer played.

 

[Blockade]

Jesse Bromwich will come in for Kenny or Hubner? Then there is Kodi. I don't think he's going to be 5/8 with the way Averillo, Fuller and Hammer played.

Hubner will be odd man out. Kodi will be partnering Averillo. SOS will be dropped. IMO.

 

[Jetty]

Hubner will be odd man out. Kodi will be partnering Averillo. SOS will be dropped. IMO.

Doubt it. Kodi is a good player but not a halfback.

 

[mr_c]

Doubt it. Kodi is a good player but not a halfback

kodi be 14 , i think izzy be left out you wouldnt be changing to much of the starting line up

 

[Chris]

Team Tips: Wayne Bennett sprung a host of changes ahead of the Battle of Brisbane, and they worked. Jesse Bromwich will return to the forward pack and shift Tevita Pangai Junior to the bench, with Oryn Keeley likely making way. But the halves situation could become messy, with Kodi Nikorima also due to return. It remains to be seen whether Bennett will split up a winning pairing and Averillo had a huge game against the Broncos. Isaiya Katoa featured off the bench, however due to Nikorima’s versatility, the young gun could be squeezed out of the 17 altogether, with the returning playmaker on the pine.

 

[Josh]

Team Tips: Wayne Bennett sprung a host of changes ahead of the Battle of Brisbane, and they worked. Jesse Bromwich will return to the forward pack and shift Tevita Pangai Junior to the bench, with Oryn Keeley likely making way. But the halves situation could become messy, with Kodi Nikorima also due to return. It remains to be seen whether Bennett will split up a winning pairing and Averillo had a huge game against the Broncos. Isaiya Katoa featured off the bench, however due to Nikorima’s versatility, the young gun could be squeezed out of the 17 altogether, with the returning playmaker on the pine.

That'll be harsh for Katoa but he has gone off the boil over the second half of the season and I don't think SOS is getting dropped after that game.

 

[mr_c]

That'll be harsh for Katoa but he has gone off the boil over the second half of the season and I don't think SOS is getting dropped after that game.

thats the key cant go off the boil , it be up to izzy to show hes ready to be back in squad how ever long that takes guess we will know after the off season

 

[Dolph]

thats the key cant go off the boil , it be up to izzy to show hes ready to be back in squad how ever long that takes guess we will know after the off season

Katoa is only 20. Hard for a 20 year-old to be the main playmaker for a season non-stop. And did it without a few big gun forwards. Done well to make it as far as he has. Not sure what is going to happen for the remainder of this year but next year, no doubt at all he'll be back and will be the halfback for the entire season barring injury.

 

[Liverbird with Phins up]

Katoa is only 20. Hard for a 20 year-old to be the main playmaker for a season non-stop. And did it without a few big gun forwards. Done well to make it as far as he has. Not sure what is going to happen for the remainder of this year but next year, no doubt at all he'll be back and will be the halfback for the entire season barring injury.

I am glad I have ignored him. So can’t see his comment.

Katoa is a gun, and hasn’t had a break which is vital in young players. He has been playing tired, which I have mentioned elsewhere. Watching NRL360 last night, they backed up this point, and Cooper Cronk has been a massive supporter of his play.

He is a gun, and will get better to the point where he will be a rep player.

It’s been a heavy work load for 2 years, for a player of his age. And he has over performed, to the point of being impressive

 

[Dolph]

I am glad I have ignored him. So can’t see his comment.

Katoa is a gun, and hasn’t had a break which is vital in young players. He has been playing tired, which I have mentioned elsewhere. Watching NRL360 last night, they backed up this point, and Cooper Cronk has been a massive supporter of his play.

He is a gun, and will get better to the point where he will be a rep player.

It’s been a heavy work load for 2 years, for a player of his age. And he has over performed, to the point of being impressive

Wasn't anything bad. Just saying he has to work hard to get back in the team and has to be consistent for the whole year. Not bad but I think him being back in the team from round 1 next year is a forgone conclusion unless he's injured. As for this year, hard to say. He has looked mentally and physically tired over the last 6 weeks or so. Was never "bad" but was really good in the first half of the season.

Also remember he's doing it without our best 2 forwards and most consistent (Aitken) and without JMK. Been a really hard second of the season for him.

 

[mr_c]

intresting that waynes never lost a final round game in lead up to getting a team into the final 8

 

[mr_c]

as i expected izzy the one left out

 

[Chris]

Dolphins team: ​

1. Trai Fuller
2. Jamayne Isaako
3. Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow
4. Herbie Farnworth
5. Jack Bostock
6. Jake Averillo
7. Sean O’Sullivan
8. Jesse Bromwich
9. Max Plath
10. Tevita Pangai Junior
11. Felise Kaufusi
12. Connelly Lemuelu
13. Kenny Bromwich
14. Jeremy Marshall-King
15. Ray Stone
16. Mark Nicholls
17. Kodi Nikorima
18. Lachlan Hubner

No surprises.

 

[Liverbird with Phins up]

Kaufusi cleared to play. Charge downgraded

 

[Equaliser]

Kaufusi cleared to play. Charge downgraded

Finally one goes our way.

 

[Dolph]

BIG CALLS IN FINAL PRE-CURSOR​

A lot can change in a week. Kodi Nikorima has been one of the Dolphins best all season, but he’ll be forced to make his return from a head knock via the bench in Sunday’s must-win clash with the Knights.

Nikorima was sidelined in Round 26 under the NRL’s concussion protocols. Instead of just replacing him with Sean O’Sullivan, coach Wayne Bennett completely rejigged his backline following a shellacking from the Storm in Round 25.

O’Sullivan was brought into the halves, but he partnered Jake Averillo, who shifted from the centres. Isaiya Katoa was benched, Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow moved to centre and fan favourite Trai Fuller played fullback.

It was a masterstroke by Bennett with the Dolphins smashing the Broncos 40-6. Averillo starred at five-eighth two tries, two try assists and three linebreak assists, Tabuai-Fidow also bagged a double and set up a try, while Fuller made just under 200 metres and had 13 tackle busts.

Bennett simply couldn’t change a winning formula like that so has stuck loyal with that combination. That means Nikorima will start on the bench and Katoa has been dropped completely.

Captain Jesse Bromwich also returns after missing last week and has been named to start at prop with Mark Nicholls dropping back to the bench. The Dolphins will head to Newcastle to battle it out with the Knights for the final spot in the top eight.