Dolphins fight back to claim first win of the season in 18–14 victory

The Dolphins produced a determined second-half comeback to defeat the Titans 18–14 in a gritty contest after trailing at halftime.

Down 8–0 at the break, the Dolphins turned the momentum in the second half with three unanswered tries to secure their first win of the season.

Kulikefu Finefeuiaki sparked the fightback in the 52nd minute when he powered over for the Dolphins’ opening try.

Jake Averillo then crossed out wide to bring the Dolphins back within reach, before Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow delivered the decisive moment of the match.

With just six minutes remaining, Tabuai-Fidow soared above the contest to score the match-winning try, giving the Dolphins a four-point lead.

Jamayne Isaako was perfect with the boot, converting all three tries.

Tabuai-Fidow was electric at the back, finishing with 325 run metres, 186 kick return metres, six tackle breaks and a try in a dominant performance.

Head Coach Kristian Woolf said the difference came from the Dolphins’ ability to reset at halftime and play with greater control.

“I just thought we lacked a little bit of confidence in the first half,” Woolf said.

“It looked like every time we had the ball, we thought we had to score. We were only completing around 60 percent and doing a lot of tackling in our own end.

“But similar to last week, I liked the way we came out of the sheds with a real effort to turn it around.”

The Dolphins completed over 90 percent of their sets in the second half and dominated possession as they built pressure.

“We just played a bit of a tougher game with a tougher mindset,” Woolf said.

“We were willing to get through our sets, put the opposition in corners and work hard on those effort areas.”

Woolf also praised the defensive effort that kept the Titans from capitalising during the Dolphins’ slow start.

“I thought our defence won us the game tonight. That’s something we want to keep improving.”

Co-captain Isaiya Katoa said patience and discipline in the second half allowed the Dolphins to find their rhythm.

“In the first half, we were probably forcing things a bit too much,” Katoa said.

“As the halfback, I’ve got to drive those standards and keep us controlled.”

Katoa also backed Tabuai-Fidow to deliver when the moment arrived, setting up the match-winning try with a perfectly placed kick.

“When you’ve got someone like Hammer who’s so good in the air, you’ve got to use that,” Katoa said.

“I knew if I put the kick in the right spot, he’d do his thing. There aren’t many fullbacks that can do that.”