Indigenous round continues with a blockbuster matchup as the Dolphins host the Melbourne Storm at Suncorp Stadium on Saturday night with a top 4 spot potentially up for grabs.
MATCHDAY NEWS
MATCHDAY SCHEDULE
Dolphins Vs Melbourne Storm
Venue: Suncorp Stadium
Date: Saturday May 20, 7:35pm
MATCHDAY TEAM NEWS
Dolphins: 1. Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow 2. Jamayne Isaako 3. Euan Aitken 4. Brenko Lee 5. Tesi Niu 6. Kodi Nikorima 7. Isaiya Katoa 8. Jesse Bromwich 9. Jeremy Marshall-King 10. Kenny Bromwich 11. Felise Kaufusi 12. Connelly Lemuelu 13. Tom Gilbert 14. Jarrod Wallace 15. Anthony Milford 16. Ray Stone 17. Herman Ese’ese 18. Mark Nicholls 19. Kurt Donoghoe 20. Edrick Lee 21. Valynce Te Whare 22. JJ Collins
Storm: 1. Nick Meaney 2. William Warbrick 3. Reimis Smith 4. Justin Olam 5. Xavier Coates 6. Cameron Munster 7. Jahrome Hughes 8. Nelson Asofa-Solomona 9. Harry Grant 10. Christian Welch 11. Trent Loiero 12. Eliesa Katoa 13. Josh King 14. Bronson Garlick 15. Aaron Pene 16. Tom Eisenhuth 17. Tui Kamikamica 18. Grant Anderson 19. Tariq Sims 20. Tepai Moeroa 21. Tyran Wishart 22. Jayden Nikorima
Referee: Grant Atkins
Embed from Getty ImagesMATCHDAY PREVIEW
The Dolphins enter this match fresh off their bye on equal points with the Storm and just one win off the top of the ladder, shaping up as an important and historical indigenous round clash. The home side will also come in with renewed confidence with the return of captain Jesse Bromwich to play his former club.
It will also be the first career game against the Storm after departing for the likes of Kenny Bromwich and Felise Kaufusi. No doubt the former Storm trio will have a lot to prove against their former teammates. They will desperately want bragging rights over coach Bellamy as well, for whom they’ve played their entire careers under until 2023. It all culminates in a very competitive forward battle that the Dolphins will need to win if they are to give the unheralded, yet in form backline, a chance to snatch an upset.
The Dolphins, after kicking the season off with a surprising three consecutive wins have not experienced back-to-back wins since. Consistently following up every win with a loss for the last two months of football. Before last rounds bye they had a surprising, but emphatic win over the Sharks 36-16. They’ll need to buck their current trend and gain some consistency to continue to compete with the more favoured sides of the competition but the result over the Sharks was certainly a start.
The creative spark of Nikorima as well as the continued week on week improvement of young half Katoa, were big factors in the Sharks victory. The Storm is renowned for putting pressure on playmakers so the quality of the Dolphins halves is sure to be put to the ultimate test and how the 6 and 7 handle that will go a long way to determining the victor.
Meanwhile down south Craig Bellamy has just extended his contract for another year and the Storm machine keeps changing its gears week by week. Against the league leading Broncos last week, the Storm battled in a bruising and sometimes spiteful encounter, to get a statement win that should put the league on notice.
Their dominant record over the Queensland teams and the fact they will be looking to celebrate Craig Bellamy’s extension in style should worry the Dolphins. It’s a matchup that does always have a coach centric focus with Bellamy long forgotten as Wayne Bennett’s one time apprentice. Two master coaches go head-to-head once more but it is actually Bellamy that holds bragging rights with a dominant 29-10 lead over Wayne Bennett.
Another fascinating soap opera storyline is Wayne Bennett and his Dolphins facing Cameron Munster for the first time since Munster spurned the Dolphins massive contract offer to remain at the Storm. Both men traded some veiled barbs in the media, and it seems Munster has extra ammunition in his arsenal this round to make a statement. Expect a motivated and possible man of the match performance from the Storm 6 which often puts his team across the victory line.
The Storm will be unchanged aside from Nelson Asofa-Solomona moving back into the starting 13, swapping with Tui Kamikamica. Like the Dolphins, they have also struggled to string together back-to-back wins but if anything is certain that is about to change in round 12 for one of them.
LAST TEN MATCHES
First meeting.
MATCHDAY PREDICTION
Storm by 12 points.
Follow Nothing But Rugby League on Facebook
