Katoa gives Dolphins boost after Blues camp release

Joel Gould |

Isaiya Katoa is back to lead the Dolphins after being on the cusp of making his NSW debut.
Isaiya Katoa is back to lead the Dolphins after being on the cusp of making his NSW debut.

It has been a whirlwind week for Dolphins co-captain Isaiya Katoa, but coach Kristian Woolf insists he is right to lead the team after being on the cusp of a NSW debut.

Katoa, one of the game’s best young halfbacks, spent most of this week in Blues camp on standby for NSW playmaker Mitchell Moses.

Moses was going through the final stages of his rehab from a hamstring injury that kept him out of game one of the State of Origin series.

Katoa would have slotted in on the bench for a Blues debut, but when it became clear on Wednesday afternoon that Moses, barring a mishap, would play at the MCG in game two of the Origin series, the Dolphins half flew back home.

Isaiya Katoa (right)
Isaiya Katoa (right) trained with the NSW team on Wednesday before flying home to the Dolphins. (Dan Himbrechts/AAP PHOTOS)

He trained with the Dolphins team on Thursday and will lead them in Friday night’s clash with Sydney Roosters at Suncorp Stadium.

“I couldn’t give the guys in the NSW camp enough of a wrap with their communication and the way they were really up front with the whole situation,” Woolf said.

“They were really good to deal with and we knew what was happening the whole way along. They were always confident with Mitchell and we knew that.

“There are no concerns from our point of view. If Isaiya gets to go into an Origin camp and play or be a 19th man we are really proud of him and happy for him.”

Woolf said the NSW camps Katoa had attended had been good for him.

“It is not something you see immediately, but I have seen him grow in confidence the last 12 months being around those camps,” the coach said.

“He might only pick up one or two things, but they are all things that help us.

“He gets to hang around guys like Nathan Cleary and Mitchell Moses, and that is all part of his development and great for him.”

Mitchell Moses
Mitchell Moses was put through his paces at Blues training ahead of the second Origin clash. (Dan Himbrechts/AAP PHOTOS)

Both sides on Friday night are understrength, with the Dolphins providing five players to Origin, all with the Maroons, and the Roosters giving up seven across both state sides.

It is another reason having Katoa back to lead the spine of fullback Trai Fuller, in for Maroons outside back Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow, and regular hooker Jeremy Marshall-King and five-eighth Kodi Nikorima.

“It is great to get him back,” Woolf said.

“We’ve had disruption in other areas. Just to get that bit of a combination around those guys is important this week.”

AAP