The Dolphins pulled off a miraculous 80th-minute try to stun the Warriors 18-20 and claim a crucial two competition points.
Trailing by two and down to 12 men after Felise Kaufusi’s late sin-binning, the Dolphins kept the ball alive on the final play of the game. A series of desperate offloads eventually opened space down the right edge, where Jamayne Isaako finished in the corner with no time left on the clock. The conversion wasn’t needed — the try sealed the comeback and broke Warriors fans’ hearts.
The Dolphins had taken the lead early, with tries to Herbie Farnworth, Jeremy Marshall-King, and Oryn Keeley, but were on the back foot for much of the second half. Farnworth’s night ended abruptly after a 60-metre break ended in a hamstring injury, forcing a backline reshuffle.
The Warriors, led by a double from Dallin Watene-Zelezniak and a go-ahead try from Leka Halasima in the 59th minute, had seemingly done enough. Their defence held firm during repeated late assaults — including a disallowed try in the 73rd — until the final moment.
