Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow produced one of the highlights of the season on Thursday night, scoring a match-deciding 90-metre try for the Dolphins in a tight clash with Cronulla.
The dazzling State of Origin superstar was left reeling in the 52nd minute when opposition fullback Will Kennedy brushed him off for a try to put the Sharks ahead.
However, it would be “The Hammer” who got the last laugh, bursting his way past a plethora of defenders, before getting even with Kennedy to help regain the lead.
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A late flurry from the hosts at PointsBet Stadium was all in vain when Nicho Hynes missed a sideline conversion after the full-time siren, allowing the Dolphins to hold on 30-28 and make history in the process with their first-ever win in Sydney.
Speaking to Nine after the victory, Tabuai-Fidow admitted his earlier miss on Kennedy prompted him and it was all about getting his team back into the contest.
“He got that try on me and I was pretty off myself,” the Dolphins speedster said.
“I knew I had to get one back on him, he made me work for it and I got there at the end. All I wanted to do was lift the boys and get a try – I backed myself and got a try.
“I was pretty gassed after that. We just go away with the win. We’ve still got a lot to go.
“We showed in the second half that we have heaps of improvement all around the park, but I think we’re a big contender and we can go with the top sides.”
The play was so impressive, Dolphins coach Wayne Bennett said it will stay with him forever.
“It’s in the top two or three, Steve Renouf scored a try I’ll never forget and I’ll never forget this one either,” Bennett said.
“We’ve very lucky to have him.”
Sharks coach Craig Fitzgibbon lamented the result in the end, saying: “One moment with Hammer, game over”.
The Dolphins flew out to a 22-0 lead early in the match, before the Sharks bounced back to take the lead on either side of half-time.
But it was the magic of Tabuai-Fidow which truly turned the clash on its head.
“This is like the big kid in under 6s, how good is that,” Paul Gallen said on Nine.
“That totally changed the momentum and gave the Dolphins a lot of confidence.”
Phil Gould was left in awe of the effort from the 22-year-old on commentary.
“This is why kids fall in love with footballers … this is just astonishing,” he said.
“Kennedy gets to him and Hamiso does exactly what Kennedy did to him at the other end of the field moments ago. He runs with a smile on his face. Kennedy thought he had him, Hamiso surges again … that is just awesome.”
Tabuai-Fidow has scored nine tries in eight NRL games this season, as well as crossing for a hat-trick in the Origin opener for the Maroons.