Star playmaker returns with season on line for Dolphins
Joel Gould |
The Dolphins will officially face sudden-death football early as they aim to keep their finals hopes alive against Gold Coast.
Sydney Roosters’ stunning 40-10 win over Melbourne has them in eighth on 30 points, four clear of the Dolphins and with a +21 points differential in their favour.
There’s the potential for a romantic storyline to emerge should former Dolphins coach Wayne Bennett be able to conjure a South Sydney win over the Roosters next Friday night.
If the Dolphins beat the last-placed Titans on Sunday at Suncorp Stadium, a Rabbitohs win next week would result in Kristian Woolf-coached team being able to snatch eighth with a home win over Canberra at Redcliffe on the last day of the regular season.
All of that is a moot point if the Dolphins don’t prevail on Sunday.
“We’ve got two games left and we can only worry about what we can do and come up with performances we can be proud of,” Woolf said.
“We will see what happens at the end.”
The Dolphins started the season 0-4 and did a great job despite a plethora of injuries to get themselves back in the top eight.
Losses in the last three matches have hurt them. Defence has been a major issue with 160 points given up in those defeats, the most recent a 58-30 loss to Manly.
“For a lot of different reasons, a lot of disruption more than anything else, we have fallen away the last couple of weeks,” Woolf said.
“It is a little disappointing how we have done that and I thought the weekend’s game was the most disappointing. We have an opportunity as a group to show what we are made of and capable of.”
The Dolphins have a key inclusion with five-eighth Kodi Nikorima returning to partner Isaiya Katoa in the halves after missing last week with illness.
“It is a big boost with what he brings individually as obviously a great player,” Woolf said.
“Him and Isaiya complement each other. They enjoy playing together and it allows us to play blokes back in their best positions and it gives us more balance across the field.”
The Titans have plenty of incentive to avoid handing recently axed coach Des Hasler his first wooden spoon.
Hasler has two games left at the helm with Cronulla assistant Josh Hannay to replace him next year.
The Titans have lost centre Phil Sami to a groin strain and he will be replaced in the 17 by Tony Francis.
AAP
