Origin duo backed to go full-throttle in Perth
The Dolphins' and Newcastle Knights' respective coaches have vowed their State of Origin stars will be in full flight for Saturday's NRL clash at HBF Park.
In the battle of sixth vs 15th, both Dolphins coach Kristian Woolf and his Newcastle counterpart Adam O'Brien backed their Queensland Origin starters Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow and Kalyn Ponga to back up after their mid-week heroics against NSW.
Woolf said Tabuai-Fidow, who scored two first-half tries in the Maroons' heart-stopping 26-24 win at Optus Stadium, had been bouncing off the walls after linking up with his club teammates in Perth.
'He came into camp with a real smile on his face and that's always a great sign for 'Hammer',' he said.
'I liked the way he was moving out there as well, I probably expected him to be a little bit tentative but he's moving around really quick and he's ready to go.
'They performed really well and made some real improvements from what they did in the first game. They all looked like a really happy group; he's certainly come into camp that way and it's great for us.'
Ponga started at full-back for the Maroons and O'Brien said the Port Hedland-born star had pulled up well following the grueling clash. Kalyn Ponga. Credit: Scott Gardiner / Getty Images
'Kalyn will play. He looks great. It's an extra day from what it was from Origin one, so that helps, and then he just stayed on, didn't have to travel.'
The Knights will bring back Bradman Best, Fletcher Sharpe and Tyson Frizell following injuries and O'Brien said his side needed to be prepared for the exciting Tabuai-Fidow and his fellow Dolphins outside backs.
'They move the ball great, they play to their strengths. With a few of their forwards out, they rely on getting the ball to their outside backs, who are quite athletic,' he said.
'We understand we have to be very good defensively because you're going to face a lot of shift, a lot of shape, particularly in parts of the field you're not normally used to.'
Following their thumping 58-4 win over North Queensland last week, Woolf said his team could not afford to put the cart before the horse ahead of the Newcastle match.
'We've just got ourselves into the top eight and we've had to work really hard to do that after a slow start,' he said.
'More concerning for us at the moment is the week-to-week performance and making sure we continue on the right direction.'
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Perth Now
5 hours ago
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Origin duo backed to go full-throttle in Perth
The Dolphins' and Newcastle Knights' respective coaches have vowed their State of Origin stars will be in full flight for Saturday's NRL clash at HBF Park. In the battle of sixth vs 15th, both Dolphins coach Kristian Woolf and his Newcastle counterpart Adam O'Brien backed their Queensland Origin starters Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow and Kalyn Ponga to back up after their mid-week heroics against NSW. Woolf said Tabuai-Fidow, who scored two first-half tries in the Maroons' heart-stopping 26-24 win at Optus Stadium, had been bouncing off the walls after linking up with his club teammates in Perth. 'He came into camp with a real smile on his face and that's always a great sign for 'Hammer',' he said. 'I liked the way he was moving out there as well, I probably expected him to be a little bit tentative but he's moving around really quick and he's ready to go. 'They performed really well and made some real improvements from what they did in the first game. They all looked like a really happy group; he's certainly come into camp that way and it's great for us.' Ponga started at full-back for the Maroons and O'Brien said the Port Hedland-born star had pulled up well following the grueling clash. Kalyn Ponga. Credit: Scott Gardiner / Getty Images 'Kalyn will play. He looks great. It's an extra day from what it was from Origin one, so that helps, and then he just stayed on, didn't have to travel.' The Knights will bring back Bradman Best, Fletcher Sharpe and Tyson Frizell following injuries and O'Brien said his side needed to be prepared for the exciting Tabuai-Fidow and his fellow Dolphins outside backs. 'They move the ball great, they play to their strengths. With a few of their forwards out, they rely on getting the ball to their outside backs, who are quite athletic,' he said. 'We understand we have to be very good defensively because you're going to face a lot of shift, a lot of shape, particularly in parts of the field you're not normally used to.' Following their thumping 58-4 win over North Queensland last week, Woolf said his team could not afford to put the cart before the horse ahead of the Newcastle match. 'We've just got ourselves into the top eight and we've had to work really hard to do that after a slow start,' he said. 'More concerning for us at the moment is the week-to-week performance and making sure we continue on the right direction.'
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The Dolphins' and Newcastle Knights' respective coaches have vowed their State of Origin stars will be in full flight for Saturday's NRL clash at HBF Park. In the battle of sixth vs 15th, both Dolphins coach Kristian Woolf and his Newcastle counterpart Adam O'Brien backed their Queensland Origin starters Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow and Kalyn Ponga to back up after their mid-week heroics against NSW. Woolf said Tabuai-Fidow, who scored two first-half tries in the Maroons' heart-stopping 26-24 win at Optus Stadium, had been bouncing off the walls after linking up with his club teammates in Perth. 'He came into camp with a real smile on his face and that's always a great sign for 'Hammer',' he said. 'I liked the way he was moving out there as well, I probably expected him to be a little bit tentative but he's moving around really quick and he's ready to go. 'They performed really well and made some real improvements from what they did in the first game. They all looked like a really happy group; he's certainly come into camp that way and it's great for us.' Ponga started at full-back for the Maroons and O'Brien said the Port Hedland-born star had pulled up well following the grueling clash. 'Kalyn will play. He looks great. It's an extra day from what it was from Origin one, so that helps, and then he just stayed on, didn't have to travel.' The Knights will bring back Bradman Best, Fletcher Sharpe and Tyson Frizell following injuries and O'Brien said his side needed to be prepared for the exciting Tabuai-Fidow and his fellow Dolphins outside backs. 'They move the ball great, they play to their strengths. With a few of their forwards out, they rely on getting the ball to their outside backs, who are quite athletic,' he said. 'We understand we have to be very good defensively because you're going to face a lot of shift, a lot of shape, particularly in parts of the field you're not normally used to.' Following their thumping 58-4 win over North Queensland last week, Woolf said his team could not afford to put the cart before the horse ahead of the Newcastle match. 'We've just got ourselves into the top eight and we've had to work really hard to do that after a slow start,' he said. 'More concerning for us at the moment is the week-to-week performance and making sure we continue on the right direction.'
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Young leader: Dolphins gun equals idol Cleary's record
Isaiya Katoa will become the youngest NRL captain since his idol Nathan Cleary in 2019, having given Dolphins coach Kristian Woolf the ultimate accolade as he prepares to step up. The 21-year-old will lead the Dolphins for the first time on Saturday, when they face Newcastle in Perth without suspended acting captain Felise Kaufusi. The Dolphins expect to have Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow on deck for the clash after he made it through Queensland's game-two State of Origin win, while Knights skipper Kalyn Ponga is also set to back up. Katoa, at just 21 years and 123 days, will be the youngest player to captain an NRL side since Cleary did so at the exact same age when he co-captained Penrith in round one of 2019. Katoa, who came through the Panthers system with Cleary as a role model, has been the catalyst for the Dolphins winning their past three games in emphatic fashion and surging into sixth position. The superstar is the player former greats Andrew Johns and Cooper Cronk wax lyrical about most weeks for his elite playmaking ways. The Tongan international has engaged the line 161 times this year, the best in the NRL, while he has the most kick metres (6254m) and is equal second for try assists (13). He played his first two seasons of NRL under master coach Wayne Bennett but has gone to another level under Woolf in 2025. "'Woolfy' has been awesome for me and has probably had the biggest impact on my footy career so far," Katoa said. "I've had him as a coach since I was 18 years old in the Tonga team. He knows how to bring me right back to square one when I need it and at the same time he gives me praise when I need it as well. "That balance has been awesome and is what I do love about him … just the way he can connect with everyone on a personal level and instil a lot of confidence into you." Despite missing four of their best forwards, the Dolphins have won their past three games against Canterbury, St George Illawarra and North Queensland with a combined tally of 158-18. "I think we understand our DNA as a team," Katoa said. "We now know we can base our game off hard work, winning the tough stuff first and then we get the joy to play a bit of footy towards the back end of the halves. "If we can keep the balance right with that and go after teams physically and win games with our shoulders it is going to be great for us in the long run." Isaiya Katoa will become the youngest NRL captain since his idol Nathan Cleary in 2019, having given Dolphins coach Kristian Woolf the ultimate accolade as he prepares to step up. The 21-year-old will lead the Dolphins for the first time on Saturday, when they face Newcastle in Perth without suspended acting captain Felise Kaufusi. The Dolphins expect to have Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow on deck for the clash after he made it through Queensland's game-two State of Origin win, while Knights skipper Kalyn Ponga is also set to back up. Katoa, at just 21 years and 123 days, will be the youngest player to captain an NRL side since Cleary did so at the exact same age when he co-captained Penrith in round one of 2019. Katoa, who came through the Panthers system with Cleary as a role model, has been the catalyst for the Dolphins winning their past three games in emphatic fashion and surging into sixth position. The superstar is the player former greats Andrew Johns and Cooper Cronk wax lyrical about most weeks for his elite playmaking ways. The Tongan international has engaged the line 161 times this year, the best in the NRL, while he has the most kick metres (6254m) and is equal second for try assists (13). He played his first two seasons of NRL under master coach Wayne Bennett but has gone to another level under Woolf in 2025. "'Woolfy' has been awesome for me and has probably had the biggest impact on my footy career so far," Katoa said. "I've had him as a coach since I was 18 years old in the Tonga team. He knows how to bring me right back to square one when I need it and at the same time he gives me praise when I need it as well. "That balance has been awesome and is what I do love about him … just the way he can connect with everyone on a personal level and instil a lot of confidence into you." Despite missing four of their best forwards, the Dolphins have won their past three games against Canterbury, St George Illawarra and North Queensland with a combined tally of 158-18. "I think we understand our DNA as a team," Katoa said. "We now know we can base our game off hard work, winning the tough stuff first and then we get the joy to play a bit of footy towards the back end of the halves. "If we can keep the balance right with that and go after teams physically and win games with our shoulders it is going to be great for us in the long run." Isaiya Katoa will become the youngest NRL captain since his idol Nathan Cleary in 2019, having given Dolphins coach Kristian Woolf the ultimate accolade as he prepares to step up. The 21-year-old will lead the Dolphins for the first time on Saturday, when they face Newcastle in Perth without suspended acting captain Felise Kaufusi. The Dolphins expect to have Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow on deck for the clash after he made it through Queensland's game-two State of Origin win, while Knights skipper Kalyn Ponga is also set to back up. Katoa, at just 21 years and 123 days, will be the youngest player to captain an NRL side since Cleary did so at the exact same age when he co-captained Penrith in round one of 2019. Katoa, who came through the Panthers system with Cleary as a role model, has been the catalyst for the Dolphins winning their past three games in emphatic fashion and surging into sixth position. The superstar is the player former greats Andrew Johns and Cooper Cronk wax lyrical about most weeks for his elite playmaking ways. The Tongan international has engaged the line 161 times this year, the best in the NRL, while he has the most kick metres (6254m) and is equal second for try assists (13). He played his first two seasons of NRL under master coach Wayne Bennett but has gone to another level under Woolf in 2025. "'Woolfy' has been awesome for me and has probably had the biggest impact on my footy career so far," Katoa said. "I've had him as a coach since I was 18 years old in the Tonga team. He knows how to bring me right back to square one when I need it and at the same time he gives me praise when I need it as well. "That balance has been awesome and is what I do love about him … just the way he can connect with everyone on a personal level and instil a lot of confidence into you." Despite missing four of their best forwards, the Dolphins have won their past three games against Canterbury, St George Illawarra and North Queensland with a combined tally of 158-18. "I think we understand our DNA as a team," Katoa said. "We now know we can base our game off hard work, winning the tough stuff first and then we get the joy to play a bit of footy towards the back end of the halves. "If we can keep the balance right with that and go after teams physically and win games with our shoulders it is going to be great for us in the long run."
