Throughout the Dolphins’ winless launch to 2025, Daniel Saifiti had played a lone hand – the only man among the forward pack to surpass 100 running meetings in consecutive weeks.
But even when he at last received support in the club’s first triumph of the season – a 36-10 win against the Gold Coast Titans – he still showcased that a State of Origin recall was within his grasp.
It has been four years since the former Knight played the last of his seven clashes for New South Wales, but the 28-year-old has been one of the form props in the competition, despite his new outfit losing their opening four encounters.
Daniel Saifiti celebrates with the Dolphins against the Gold Coast Titans.Credit: NRL Photos
The Titans had no answer for the 121kg wrecking ball – finishing with 149 running metres, four tackle busts and three offloads. His try carrying three defenders over the line – Titans skipper Tino Fa’asuamaleaui among them – demonstrated his power.
He was finally supported by Felise Kaufusi (136 metres), Kulikefu Finefeuiaki (110 metres), Kurt Donoghoe (100 metres) and Josh Kerr (96 metres, two offloads), taking the monkey off coach Kristian Woolf’s back for a first victory of the year.
’We haven’t changed anything, we’ve been really confident in what we’ve been doing throughout the preseason and the early games, I just think we had a bit more commitment to it. All blokes really owned their roles. We’ve certainly seen that defensive resolve throughout the preseason.”
Kristian Woolf
Support for Katoa must remain a template
With ball in hand, Isaiya Katoa had looked unsupported in attack to kickstart their campaign.
It was excessive pressure to expect of a 21-year-old, given the extra responsibility he took with the boot – the majority of the kicking coming from him to average 479 kick metres a game.
But when he received the backing of his five-eighth, Kodi Nikorima, Katoa looked far more threatening – only a desperate try-saver from Beau Fermor keeping him off the score-sheet.
Isaiya Katoa passes for the Dolphins against the Gold Coast Titans.Credit: NRL Photos
Nikorima, having averaged just 59 kick metres a game, proved a stronger supporting act for the Tongan halfback – laying on try assists with Max Plath and Connelly Lemuelu off the boot and through the hands respectively while kicking for 190 metres, compared to Katoa’s 290.
Without that frequent demand, Katoa ran the football at will – coming up with 192 metres from 23 runs to keep the Titans’ defence guessing.
There has long been a theory that Katoa – lauded by even the great Andrew Johns as the leading young playmaker in the game – would benefit greatly from being partnered with an experienced campaigner, heightening the links with Queensland Maroons champion Daly Cherry-Evans.
But if Nikorima can increase his involvement, that alleviation of pressure might just be what unlocks Katoa and takes from a talented rookie to one of the game’s elite No.7s.
“He’s been one of our best over the first five weeks, he’s been really good. You just see him growing in confidence, you can see him running the footy more and playing what he sees a little bit more. He’s an excellent player in the making and such a good young man to back that up. He’s very level-headed.”
Kristian Woolf
Titans inexperience exposed
They had triggered some momentary fanfare for the enigmatic brand of football their new-look halves pairing brought to the field, but the Titans’ lack of game management and experience was exposed on their home turf.
Jayden Campbell cuts a dejected figure as the Gold Coast Titans suffer defeat to the Dolphins.Credit: NRL Photos
When chasing a 28-point deficit late in the contest, Jayden Campbell and AJ Brimson showed some signs of life – the former orchestrating their first try to Phil Sami, while the latter grubber kicked for himself to score.
But by that stage, the game was decided. The Gold Coast needed one of their halves to stand up as the Dolphins extended their lead to manage the ship, build pressure on their rivals and not panic.
The Titans were missing hooker Sam Verrills ruled out with a minor hip strain and livewire fullback Keano Kini with a serious neck concern.
Gold Coast coach Des Hasler cut a frustrated figure, calling out the nature the sin binning of Fa’asuamaleaui – and a series of other calls – as against the game fans come to see when penalties were given due to perceived intent.
“People pay good money to come and see a game of footy, and I just think with this playing at the hand it interferes a bit with what the game is about. It’s just a really spoiling part of the game. I think it’s an area they’ve got to look at, the intention.”
Des Hasler
However, the bench’s inexperience was also an issue – Jaimin Jolliffe’s 87 NRL appearances offset by Sean Mullany (debut), Brock Gray (fourth game) and Arama Hau (second game).
That is where they needed their game managers to call the shots.
The Hammer makes a telling change
He may not have dominated proceedings, but Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow answered the calls to make himself more involved in the contest. He simply was not needed.
‘The Hammer’ had been kept quiet and seemed disinterested as he did not inject himself in the same manner as other fullbacks.
But on the Gold Coast, he looked eager, regularly appearing through the middle of the field desperate to latch onto a pass or offload and break into the clear. He just did not get it.
Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow on the charge for the Dolphins against the Gold Coast Titans.Credit: NRL Photos
At times, the 23-year-old was even popping up at first receiving, while his try to open the scoring was trademark support play off a Jake Averillo linebreak.
While Tabuai-Fidow’s 16 runs is still below the eagerness of some of his rivals, he made them count for 183 metres while coming up with a try assist for Jamayne Isaako to ice the win, as the playmaking spine clicked into gear.
“We’ve got a responsibility as a group to get him the ball, and we did that a little more tonight. You could see how dangerous he was with the ball and how well he was moving.”
Kristian Woolf
