Match Preview: Round 27 – Dolphins v Raiders
It’s a must-win game for the Dolphins on Sunday, but they’ll need more than just their own result to go their way.
Kristian Woolf’s side face the Minor Premiers, the Raiders, in front of a sold-out Kayo Stadium.
The Dolphins sit one place outside the top eight and know that victory alone won’t be enough; they’ll also need other results to fall in their favour to snatch the final finals spot.
The run home is tight but alive. The stage is set for the Dolphins’ final game of the season, a must-win clash.
Team Changes
The Dolphins will see forward Kulikefu Finefeuiaki back in the side after missing last week’s clash, replacing Connelly Lemuelu, who is out with a low-grade knee injury.
Herbie Farnworth has been included on the extended bench as he eyes a comeback from the hamstring injury that sidelined him in Round 22. The centre has spent four weeks on the sidelines and is pushing for a return in the final round.
For the Raiders, Head Coach Ricky Stuart is resting Kaeo Weekes, Jed Stuart, Ethan Strange, Jamal Fogarty, Joe Tapine, Tom Starling, Simi Sasagi, Josh Papalii, Zac Hosking and Hudson Young.
The squad will feature young guns, with Chevy Stewart at fullback, Adam Cook and Ethan Sanders in the halves, and Matty Nicholson in the back row. Winger Utuloa Asomua and bench players Manaia Waitere and Joe Roddy will make their NRL debut.
Clash of the Week
All eyes will be on the middle third, where the two number eights collide; Frank Molo for the Dolphins and Corey Horsburgh for the Raiders.
Molo has been a rock in the Dolphins’ pack this season, churning through 15 appearances with a 95.2% tackle efficiency, racking up 340 tackles and 667 post-contact metres. He also averages 119 running metres a game, giving the Dolphins consistent go-forward and a platform for their playmakers.
Across from him, Horsburgh returns to familiar territory, back on his old Redcliffe home turf. The Dolphins junior not only wears the No.8 jersey but also captains the Raiders this week. He’s put together a standout season with 22 appearances, producing 750 tackles at 95.7% efficiency, 1158 post-contact metres, and an average of 133 running metres per game. His aggression and motor make him the tone-setter for Canberra’s young forward pack.
It’s the ultimate showdown of grunt and grit: Molo driving the Dolphins forward in a must-win contest, while Horsburgh leads from the front. Whichever big man wins this battle in the middle could tilt the balance of Sunday’s high-stakes clash.
The Run Home
The Dolphins face the challenge of taking on the ladder-leading Raiders, who sealed the minor premiership last week.
For Kristian Woolf’s men, the equation is simple but brutal: hope and win.
The Dolphins sit ninth on 28 points, just two points shy of the Roosters, who occupy the final spot in the top eight.
Friday night’s clash between the Roosters and Rabbitohs will set the stage. If the Roosters lose at home, they’ll remain on 30 points and open the door for the Dolphins. That would make Sunday’s showdown with the Raiders at Kayo Stadium a must-win to draw level on competition points.
If both teams finish on 30 points, it all comes down to points differential. As it stands, the Roosters hold a +102 advantage, while the Dolphins sit at +87.
That means not only do the Dolphins need the Roosters to fall, they must also overcome the Raiders and close any remaining differential gap to keep their finals dream alive.
It’s a high-stakes equation and one that will ensure every point on Sunday counts.
