A 30-metre sideline penalty goal from Api Koroisau that hit the cross bar and went over has helped Wests Tigers snap a 10-game losing streak to beat the Dolphins 24-23 on Saturday.
In a see-sawing contest that built up to an even scoreline in the final stages, a Jamayne Isaako field goal with four minutes remaining appeared to give the Dolphins victory before Koroisau provided a short kick-off to get the ball back.
When Isaako and Tesi Niu were penalised for taking Junior Tupou into touch it was Koroisau who put his hand up to take the unlikeliest of penalty goals from out wide – a 40-metre effort from the 30-metre line on the left sideline.
His strike curved in before hitting the crossbar and bouncing over in a result that summed up the captain’s performance after he switched to the halves following the withdrawal of Luke Brooks due to a calf injury.
Koroisau’s switch to the halves paid early dividends with the skipper placing a pinpoint kick in the air for Jack Bostock to spill and allow Stefano Utoikamanu and Fonua Pole to combine and score early.
The Dolphins struck back shortly after with Isaako finishing off a bullet pass from Kodi Nikorima to go over on the right edge for his 21st try of the season.
Jahream Bula’s rookie of the year credentials were on full display in the 23rd minute when he slid through a hole to send Asu Kepaoa over with an inside ball close to the line.
Dolphins halfback Sean O’Sullivan sold some candy to help the visitors to their second of the afternoon as the back-and-forth tries continued with a dummy to split past John Bateman and find Euan Aitken for a 12-10 scoreline.
The Dolphins broke the pattern four minutes after half-time to go in again when O’Sullivan provided the cross-field kick for Jack Bostock to pluck out of the air for his first NRL try.
That lead though evaporated quickly as the home side crossed twice in four minutes to stretch out to an eight-point advantage through tries to Alex Seyfarth and Jake Simpkin.
The Dolphins needed a spark with the injection of Trai Fuller providing it immediately with the NRL debutant weaving his way over the line on the right edge for a four-pointer that even got a smile out of coach Wayne Bennett.
A blunder at the scrum while in possession proved costly for Wests Tigers as the Dolphins opted for a penalty goal to level the scores and bring the match to a grandstand finish.
Wests Tigers winger David Nofoaluma went close to scoring a try late but was denied in a tackle by Tesi Niu deemed high but only sufficient of a penalty – the home side unable to capitalise in the following play.
An effort from Fuller to get the ball out of his own in-goal continued an impressive debut for the Dolphins rookie but the final stages went the way of Benji Marshall in his first game officially in charge of the club.
Source: NRL. com