Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow shines as former North Queensland players lead Redcliffe to 36-16 victory
Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow has slowly looked to develop his game to establish his name among the NRL’s top tier full-backs, and the Dolphins superstar added another chapter to that task in style on Sunday afternoon.
Against his former North Queensland Cowboys team-mates, ‘The Hammer’ led his team to a 36-16 victory at Suncorp Stadium to jettison his former life as a lethal running threat who did not have the same work rate and playmaking ability as his opponents.
The Queensland Maroons flyer was instrumental in the Dolphins’ first try; He guarded Selwyn Cobbo’s pass enough to give Jamayne Isaako enough space to tiptoe around the byline and complete a remarkable finish in the corner.
But in the second half, Tabuai-Fidow showed how far his playmaking had come; He protected his pass brilliantly with a double pump, giving Isaako the chance to once again score a miraculous strike in the corner.
He finished with 234 running metres, two line breaks and nine tackle busts.
It was the desire to become one of rugby league’s leading full-backs that forced Tabuai-Fidow to leave North Queensland for Redcliffe after the Cowboys deployed Scott Drinkwater as their No.1 kicker.
The latter has now moved on to the Dragons, with Jaxon Purdue now seen as the long-term future of the club.
But at just 24 years old and well on his way to becoming the best try scorer in State of Origin history, Tabuai-Fidow has become one of the game’s most comprehensive defenders; He has shown a knack for both coming up with spectacular try-saving tackles and developing playmaking power.
His eight try assists this year are already some of the best stats for his career.
Tabuai-Fidow was joined by old cowboy friends Tom Gilbert, Felise Kaufusi, Kulikefu Finefeuiaki and Connelly Lemuelu in producing the stunning performances.
Both Gilbert and Kaufusi – who have never played in the NRL for North Queensland but come with their own development system – scored thanks to silky passing from Kurt Donoghoe, with Gilbert producing his best performance since returning from a ribcage tear this year.
The Dolphins vice-captain looked dejected and embarrassed after last week’s 66-0 capitulation against Cronulla, but he took his revenge with 148 rushing meters from 17 deliveries.
Finefeuiaki (159 meters, a line break) and Lemuelu (190 meters) were also allowed to leave the Cowboys due to the emergence of Jeremiah Nanai and Heilum Luki. However, the pair outpaced their former team-mates and Lemuelu scored the final try with a short pass from Kodi Nikorima.
Dearden’s signs of life amid harsh call
His comeback came at a brutal expense, but returning Tom Dearden has signaled to the NRL that the North Queensland Cowboys could be real smokers to clinch the NRL premiership if they can fix the ball control that cost them on Sunday.
Dearden, who has been sidelined since round 10 after suffering a syndesmosis injury (a setback that cost him a place in Queensland in the State of Origin series) was quick to remind us of the threat he has, scoring the first try of the afternoon and setting up the second try with a deft tackle for Nanai.
The 2025 Wally Lewis Medal always guaranteed its place on the Cowboys team, but the fact that it cost Jake Clifford was perhaps the toughest call coach Todd Payten had to make this season.
Payten’s decision to partner Dearden with junior Jaxon Purdue, who has been featured mostly at centers despite being featured up at halves, appeared to be a hint at the future of the Cowboys’ long-term playmaking partnership.
But this may have backfired as North Queensland struggled to adjust after the fast start and were unable to run the contest once the Dolphins’ offense started to kick into gear.
invalidity of katoa
While the Dolphins escaped with the result, serious attention needs to be paid to their fifth tackle options due to the continued absence of halfback Isaiya Katoa.
Mistakes had already cost them dearly defensively – Brad Schneider’s wayward pass intercepted by Cowboys winger Murray Taulagi ahead of Dearden’s try – and Kristian Woolf’s men were guilty of slaughtering five chances deep in North Queensland territory during the first 40 minutes.
Three of those came from poor fifth tackle options; Schneider, Kodi Nikorima and Jeremy Marshall-King chose to run without dribbling the ball too far rather than look for a strike, while the other two chances were curtailed by simple errors.
It was initially hoped that Katoa would return to take on the Dragons after their bye next week. But he now looks more likely to make a comeback in the 23rd round against the Broncos.
Fortunately, the Dolphins’ defense gave them enough time to prepare for the contest, missing only 24 tackles compared to the Cowboys’ 55.
Although that desperation threatened them late on, with Morgan Knowles clearing the ball from Soni Luke’s arms and Scott Drinkwater scoring, this was a far cry from the team that collapsed in a display against the Sharks a week earlier that dented their premiership credentials.
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