DOLPHINS 30 PENRITH PANTHERS 12
CALLUM WALKER, Suncorp Stadium, Thursday
PENRITH’S 2025 campaign is already hanging by a string as a Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow hat-trick helped the Dolphins to a remarkable win over the reigning premiers.
The Panthers have now lost five of their opening six games – and they never looked like winning here after trailing from the third minute.
Tabuai-Fidow, who enjoyed a man-of-the-match performance, kicked things off on four minutes before Casey McLean levelled for the visitors.
However, that was as good as it got for the Panthers with Tabuai-Fidow getting his second off a lovely Jake Averillo break, with Paul Alamoti in the sin bin for a shoulder charge.
Averillo himself then got in on the act on the half-hour with a delightful dummy and finish as Jamayne Isaako converted all three first-half tries.
Penrith, 18-6 down at half-time, were simply outgunned and outmuscled at the start of the second half, too, Josh Kerr supplying Connelly Lemuelu with a delicious offload.
Try as they might, it took the Panthers until the final ten minutes to finally breach the Dolphins’ defence for a second time – and it came off the back of a mistake.
A Nathan Cleary kick was hoofed by Jack Bostock into the path of Moses Leota for a quite bizarre four-pointer, but Tabuai-Fidow roudned things off with a spectacular 70-metre dash on the hooter.
DOLPHINS: 1 Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow, 2 Jamayne Isaako, 3 Jake Averillo, 4 Herbie Farnworth, 5 Jack Bostock, 6 Kodi Nikorima, 7 Isaiya Katoa, 8 Daniel Saifiti, 9 Jeremy Marshall-King, 10 Felise Kaufusi, 11 Kulikefu Finefeuiaki, 12 Tom Gilbert, 13 Max Plath. Subs (all used): 14 Kurt Donoghoe, 15 Mark Nicholls, 16 Connelly Lemuelu, 17 Josh Kerr
Tries: Tabuai-Fidow (4, 23, 80), Averillo (29), Lemuelu (43); Goals: Isaako 5/5
PANTHERS: 1 Dylan Edwards, 2 Paul Alamoti, 3 Izack Tago, 4 Thomas Jenkins, 5 Casey McLean, 6 Blaize Talagi, 7 Nathan Cleary (C), 8 Moses Leota, 9 Luke Sommerton, 15 Isaiah Papali’i, 11 Scott Sorensen, 12 Liam Martin, 13 Isaah Yeo. Subs (all used): 10 Lindsay Smith, 14 Brad Schneider, 16 Liam Henry, 17 Luke Garner
Tries: McLean (11), Leota (73); Goals: Cleary 2/2; Sin bin: Alamoti (26) – shoulder charge
SCORING SEQUENCE: 6-0, 6-6, 12-6, 18-6; 24-6, 24-12, 30-12
Rugby Leaguer & League Express Men of the Match
Dolphins: Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow; Panthers: Isaah Yeo
Penalty count: 6-6; Half-time: 18-6; Referee: Grant Atkins; Attendance: 19,103
