How Dolphins star Katoa is living up to Immortal praise
Joel Gould |
Isaiya Katoa is showcasing more reasons why he is one of Andrew Johns’s favourite players to watch as the Dolphins aim to take down the high-flying Warriors.
Katoa, 21, is not just setting up tries and managing games with maturity beyond his years, but is also driving standards on and off the field with his leadership ahead of Saturday afternoon’s home clash with the Warriors.
This week several of the modern era’s greatest playmakers such as eighth Immortal Johns, Johnathan Thurston and Cooper Cronk have waxed lyrical about a try Katoa set up in the vital 20-16 win over Parramatta last week.
He ran the ball deep into the line, looked to his right and appeared set to pick up inside runner Connelly Lemuelu. The Eels fell for it and at the last moment Katoa threw a pinpoint pass to his outside left and the Dolphins scored a cracking try in the corner.
“Often times with Isaiya Katoa we talk about telling a lie with the football when he is looking in and playing out and why exactly that works,” Johns said on Channel Nine.
“That’s as good as it gets. You don’t get better than that, just incredible.”
Cronk was equally as impressed.
“I don’t think we have seen better ball playing than that in a long time,” he said on the Fox League show ‘Matty and Cronk’.
Katoa is also helping those around him get better, including back-rower Kulikefu Finefeuiaki who had one of his better matches against the Eels.
“The boys give me the heads up, especially Izzyy Katoa,” Finefeuiaki said.
“He’s always communicating with me what he wants from me and what he needs me to do. He’s pretty good at giving me the heads up on what’s happening and what plays he’s going to run.
“We went through a few plays in Tongan camp with what he wanted from me and what he wants at or before the line, just to flow with my lines.”
Katoa told AAP recently he does not like self praise for the good things he does in a match. Each game review video session for him is about pinpointing the areas he must improve on.
Dolphins coach Kristian Woolf said Katoa was “exceptional in every way”.
“The way he carries himself off the field and the way he wants to learn and be the best player he can be,” Woolf said.
“He is developing into a leader on and off the field and has a skillset to match that.
“He’s only going to keep getting better.
“He is physically getting better and more confidence with some things this season compared to the last one.
“It’s no surprise he’s helping other players. He reads the game and is very smart.
“That’s what you want from your halfback.”
The Dolphins are on eight points, just two points outside the top eight, but face a stern test against the second-placed Warriors and are then away to table-topping Canterbury the following week without their State of Origin representatives.
AAP
