Key Katoa quality Dolphins will build club around
The Dolphins have identified half Isaiya Katoa as the man they will build a premiership force around and it is not just because of his on-field class.
The 22-year-old had his best performance in the NRL in the 42-22 win over Melbourne last round when he had five try assists against one of the NRL's heavyweights. It was close to a 10 out of 10 display.
Instead of being happy with that, Katoa was more interested in detailing where he needed to improve.
It is that quest to be the best of the best that sets him apart from other young playmakers. The honesty is startling.
"I look at all the things I have done wrong in a game before I look at what I did well," Katoa told AAP.
"There is so much improvement in my game.
"There were two early (40/20 attempts) that I thought I could have pulled off better.
"It is not that it was wrong to try it but if we play the set out I probably get a deeper kick down on their 10m line, whereas if I go for a 40/20 (and don't nail it) it gives someone like Ryan Papenhuyzen, who can read it well, the chance to catch the ball and get to the 30 or 40m line.
"It's just about better game management from me.
"When I don't pull it off the opposition gets to play better good-ball footy.
"Individually in defence … I let Papenhuyzen score down the short side. Those are the things to work on."
There has been a lot of speculation about whether Manly captain Daly Cherry-Evans will join the club next year and what that might mean for the current halves.
Dolphins boss Terry Reader clarified where Katoa stood in future plans.
"He's one of the most exciting young players in the game. We've signed him through to 2028 and our club is going to be built around Izzy," Reader said.
"Our coach Kristian Woolf has had Izzy in the Tongan side, and he's leading the Tongan team around as well, so we've got a lot of faith in him.
"No matter who comes to our club, he's our halfback. You've heard our coach say that as well, and I think that's a great show of confidence."
Katoa's humility is sincere but it is also tinged with a steely determination.
He outplayed Storm half and 2024 Dally M medal winner Jahrome Hughes, but he was most interested in what he could learn from him.
"It is probably Jahrome's running game and how good he is at taking the line on," Katoa said.
"Because he is such a good runner it creates space for his outside men. That is something I have tried to add to my game, running a bit more and creating those opportunities and space on the outside."
Isaiya Katoa scores his first NRL try! 🐬#NRLSharksDolphins pic.twitter.com/deUo6Jm6aZ
— NRL (@NRL) May 6, 2023
The Dolphins play in Canberra on Sunday full of belief after three consecutive wins.
"The win (over Melbourne) gave us a lot of confidence after we went behind (16-2) after 20 minutes," Katoa said.
"We were able to turn it around and defend our tryline. When we defend like that it gives us a lot of confidence to go into our attack."
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
Blues hold off Bombers fightback for crucial win
Carlton have beaten arch-rivals Essendon by eight points in a pulsating duel, finally holding on when threatened in the second half. The Blues' handling of a high hit to Adam Cerra will be a major talking point after the 11.12 (78) to 11.4 (70) win on Sunday night at the MCG. After a hot start that proved decisive, Carlton were in all sorts of trouble in the second half before steadying, partly thanks to an effusive three-quarter-time spray from coach Michael Voss. Blake Acres kicked a booming goal from an acute angle at the start of the last term to fortify Carlton, before Zac Williams added another that gave them crucial breathing space. Just like last week against Brisbane, the Bombers paid dearly for a woeful first term. Blues defender Jack Silvagni was outstanding, keeping Essendon young gun Nate Caddy goal-less, while midfielder Darcy Parish had 10 clearances in his return from injury. The Blues were missing key forward Harry McKay with a knee ailment, but his replacement Hudson O'Keeffe made an excellent AFL debut. Carlton looked like enjoying a night out when they kicked the first four goals in 14 minutes. Bombers debutant Luamon Lual briefly stemmed the onslaught when he joined the "first kick, first goal" club. But the Blues kicked another two goals to close out the first term and broke out to a 38-point lead 10 minutes after the first break. As soon as De Koning laid the tackle, Williams was GONE 💨#AFLBluesDons — AFL (@AFL) June 8, 2025 Two minutes into the second term, Sam Durham collected Cerra with a high bump that looks certain to earn the Essendon on-baller a suspension. Cerra was left with a black eye and was assessed on the ground, but surprisingly did not come off for a HIA. Carlton medical staff reviewed the incident on boundary-line video and finally, after 14 minutes, Cerra was taken off the ground for the HIA, which he passed. It is unclear whether there was any AFL intervention before the Blues decided to take Cerra to the rooms. Meanwhile, the Bombers rallied from their dismal first term and steadily worked into the game. They reduced the margin to 28 points at the main break and went on the attack in the third, kicking four goals to one. Remarkably, Carlton captain Patrick Cripps went stat-less in the third as Essendon surged. The Bombers could have closed to within a goal late in the third, but a desperate tackle from Adam Saad stopped Xavier Duursma from having a shot. Sam Walsh was instrumental again for Carlton, with an equal game-high 32 disposals.
Miami Herald
2 hours ago
- Miami Herald
Legendary lineages: Have the Panthers' joined South Florida's sports dynasties from the past?
For South Florida sports fans, few moments are as iconic as Don Shula hoisted above his undefeated 1972 Dolphins, LeBron James and the Big Three delivering back-to-back titles to the Miami Heat in a dramatic Game 7 run in 2013, or the underdog Miami Hurricanes stunning Nebraska in the 1984 Orange Bowl. Now — a new moment emerges, as the Florida Panthers claw their way into this legendary lineage. With a third straight trip to the Stanley Cup Final, the Florida Panthers are crashing the conversation of South Florida's greatest sports runs. What was once unthinkable in Sunrise is now undeniable: the Cats are chasing history. For lifelong Panthers fans, it's been a long time coming. Florida's meteoric rise to being one of the standard bearers of the National Hockey League is something few could have foreseen. Before general manager Bill Zito took over ahead of the 2020-21 season, Florida was in the midst of a 23-year drought without winning a playoff series and had made the postseason just five times total in that span. 'They broke everything down and started from scratch,' Dana Ross said to the Miami Herald before Thursday's Game 1 Watch Party at Amerant Bank Arena. Ross said she's been a fan of the team for 31 years, and her family were original season-ticket holders back in 1993. 'Most teams don't ever experience this,' They do in South Florida. The Miami Herald takes a look at these past South Florida sports dynasties, and what the 2023 to 2025 Panthers have done to join the ranks. Miami Dolphins No football franchise has been able to do what the early 1970s Miami Dolphins accomplished — from 1971 to 1973, the Dolphins went to three straight championship games, went undefeated in '72 and won back-to-back Super Bowls. For revered Dolphins guard Larry Little, he believes the team of the early '70s had not only the best three-year run in South Florida professional sports history, but in all of athletics. 'I know the Heat did something great, I know what the Panthers are doing now will be something great but when you lose only five games in three years, I don't think that can be comparable to anything,' Little said. 'We lost three games in 71. We were undefeated in '72. In '73, we lost two games. That's a great run for anyone.' The pressure, he continued, was different back then in a professional athletics landscape that looks entirely different from the one in the Sunshine State today. In the early '70s, the Dolphins happened to be not just the only show in South Florida but in the entire state itself. There was no Heat, no Panthers, no Buccaneers, no Magic, no Jaguars. Although the team itself didn't necessarily think about that at the time, it made their run that much sweeter. 'We were the only game in the whole state,' Little said, later adding that 'we were the only team that people could really identify with during that time.' The recipe to success, another Dolphins linebacker Larry Ball said, is all about the perfect storm: off-the-charts talent, an unrelentingly focused mind-set, and dedicated management. But, 'continuity' is also key. For a winning season to become a generational run, you've got to keep the pedal to the medal. With NFL salary caps and free agents, it's almost impossible in today's day and age. For the 2025 season, the hard cap for the league is $279.2 million per team. 'As you win more, all of a sudden you can't afford all the players you have, so you're gonna lose some players,' Ball said. 'You gotta replace them with players who can fill the void and play at the same level, which is very difficult. That's why three, four year runs are just really phenomenal.' Of course, a winning mind-set is also a crucial component of success. Both Little and Ball noted a focused, 'no mistakes' attitude for the team. 'It takes belief, believing in one another and every time you go out on that field, no matter who that opponent is, you have a chance to win that football game,' Little said. Miami Hurricanes For years, Miami was a football-firstof town. The Miami Hurricanes were one of college football's biggest powerhouses in the late 1980s and into the early 1990s, winning three national championships in a span of five years — 1987, 1989 and 1991 — and went a nearly flawless 56-4 in that span. Only two other teams since have claimed at least three national titles in a five-year span — Alabama (2009, 2011, 2012) and Nebraska (1994, 1995, 1997). Miami's half-decade run of dominance spanned its final four years as an independent and their first as a member of the Big East. The Hurricanes had 13 players earn All-America honors in that span and had 43 players from those five teams selected in the NFL Draft, including eight first-round picks — Bennie Blades and Michael Irvin in 1988, Bill Hawkins and Cleveland Gary in 1989, Cortez Kennedy in 1990, Russell Maryland and Randal Hill in 1991 and Leon Searcy in 1992. They went a perfect 12-0 in 1987 under Jimmy Johnson, outscoring opponents by an average of 20.75 points and beating six ranked opponents, capped off by a 20-14 win over then-No. 1 Oklahoma in the Orange Bowl to secure the national championship. After going 11-1 and finishing No. 2 nationally in 1988 in their final season under Johnson, their lone loss that season being a 31-30 defeat at Notre Dame, the Hurricanes reclaimed their championship form under coach Dennis Erickson. They went 11-1 again in 1989 and claimed the national title after a 33-25 win over Alabama in the Sugar Bowl. Miami went 10-2 in 1990 and ended the season ranked No. 3 in its final season as an independent before joining the Big East. In their first season affiliated with a conference, the Hurricanes went a perfect 12-0, wrapping the season with their third national championship in a five-year span following a 22-0 win over No. 11 Nebraska in the Orange Bowl. The Miami Heat Few runs in NBA history can match the sheer dominance and spectacle of the Miami Heat's Big 3 era from 2010 to 2013 — a stretch that delivered three straight Finals appearances, two championships, and a cultural tidal wave that reshaped the league. With LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, and Chris Bosh at the helm, the Heat were an unstoppable force, racking up a 170-60 record across those three regular seasons — a blistering .739 winning percentage. The pinnacle came in 2012-13, when Miami stormed to a 66-16 finish, the best mark in franchise history and one of the top 20 regular seasons ever recorded in the NBA. Just as Little and Ball said for their run some 40 years earlier across town, the difficulty in sustaining a long championship run over multiple seasons comes down to player mentality, team member and Miami Heat point guard Mario Chalmers said to the Herald. 'Your mind-set – you got to be ready for everybody's best shot every night you step on the court and you just got to be able to give it your all,' Chalmers said. Among the Heat's crowning achievements during these memorable three seasons came in the form of an incredible 27-game winning streak during the 2012-13 regular season. This went down as the third-longest regular-season winning streak in NBA history. But what's difficult, Chalmers said, isn't necessarily staying at the top, but striking the perfect balance to get there. 'It's harder to get to the first [championship] just because you're still trying to put all the ingredients together to learn how to get there,' he said. 'And then once you get there, you know what it takes to get there and keep going there and be successful in those moments.' The Heat lost to the Dallas Mavericks in the 2011 NBA Finals to begin this run, but bounced back to win back-to-back NBA titles in 2012 and 2013. They went 46-21 in the playoffs during these three seasons. 'If you're not prepared for it, you're going to miss the moment.' The Panthers' Bid Since the National Hockey League's expansion in 1967–68, only seven teams have reached three or more consecutive Stanley Cup Finals: the St. Louis Blues (1968–70), Philadelphia Flyers (1974–76), Montreal Canadiens (1976–79), New York Islanders (1980–84), Edmonton Oilers (1983–85), Tampa Bay Lightning (2020–22), and now the Panthers. Among them, Florida is the only team to do so after playing a full 82-game regular season in all three years, as Tampa Bay's first two seasons were shortened by the COVID-19 pandemic. By the time the Stanley Cup Final ends, the Panthers will have played anywhere from 312 to 315 games, breaking the record of 309 games over a three-season span, originally set by Dallas in the 1997-98 through 1999-2000 seasons and matched by Detroit in the 2006-07 through 2008-09 seasons. For the Panthers, their success has much to do with their management — the team knows it, and the fans know it. 'When you have ownership that wants to win, you win, and we are lucky enough right now to have that,' season-ticket holder since 2007 Matt Swenson said to the Herald. Both GM Zito and chairman Vincent Viola have helped to turn the team around. When Zito joined the helm in 2020, he began working his front-office magic — retooling the Panthers' roster bit by bit and hiring Paul Maurice as head coach ahead of the 2022-23 season. All this tinkering eventually turned them into the juggernaut they are today. Only four players — captain Aleksander Barkov, top-pair defenseman Aaron Ekblad, star goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky, and third-line winger Eetu Luostarinen — remain from the pre-Bill Zito era. While the blockbuster trade for Matthew Tkachuk ahead of the 2022–23 season is often seen as the defining move of Zito's tenure, it's just one of many. He snagged Gustav Forsling off waivers, turning him into one of the league's top defensemen; signed Carter Verhaeghe after Tampa Bay let him go, then extended him twice; traded for key forwards Sam Reinhart and Sam Bennett; drafted Anton Lundell in the first round in 2021, who has since emerged as a premier young two-way center; and this season, added Brad Marchand and Seth Jones at the trade deadline to bolster an already loaded roster. 'In the market that we're in now, it's unheard of with the salary cap and the 82-game season,' said Swenson. And he's right — the Panthers are the first to reach the Stanley Cup finals for three consecutive years, playing an 82 game season and navigating the $88 million salary cap. And there's no telling when this might feasibly end. The Panthers have seven of their top nine forwards and four of their top six defensemen under contract after this season — with seven of those 11 under contract through at least the 2027-28 season. 'I'm ready for another parade!' Ross said. Miami Herald sportswriters C. Isaiah Smalls, Jordan McPherson and Anthony Chiang contributed to this report.
Yahoo
6 hours ago
- Yahoo
Panthers have last laugh over Jarome Luai
Penrith have had the last laugh over Jarome Luai, edging Wests Tigers for an 18-14 win in the four-time premiership hero's first game against his old side. Luai had a mixed reunion with the Panthers, playing a hand in all of the Tigers' three tries but gifting Penrith penalties ahead of two game-defining scores in Sunday's second half at CommBank Stadium. The Tigers' co-captain almost helped his team to victory in the final 10 minutes when Jack Bird regathered his bomb close to the line and offloaded to Jahream Bula. But a miraculous cover tackle from Scott Sorensen and Nathan Cleary stopped the fullback inches short of the line and the Panthers held on. THE TRY SAVER! 🤯#NRLTigersPanthers — NRL (@NRL) June 8, 2025 Marking the Tigers' other ex-Panther in Sunia Turuva, left winger Tom Jenkins scored his first hat-trick in a win that keeps Penrith's mid-season resurgence humming. An away clash against the Warriors is set to prove a litmus test in a fortnight, with Penrith only able to lose four more games this season to finish with a 50 per cent winning record. Three-time reigning wooden spooners the Tigers head into their bye on a four-game losing streak that threatens to undo their improved start to the season. After the teams were locked at 10-10 at halftime, Cleary kicked for goal to put Penrith ahead after Luai tackled Penrith's new five-eighth Blaize Talagi. Jenkins completed his hat-trick, crossing just after Luai was cited for collecting Liam Martin on a kick chase. But Luai had been involved in everything the Tigers did well in a better first half for Benji Marshall's side. He first put boot to ball from his non-preferred right foot ahead of Starford To'a's try before again swinging to the right side as the Tigers shifted for Turuva to score. The 28-year-old was at the centre of another memorable moment early in the second half, flooring opposite man and long-term teammate Cleary in a bone-crunching one-on-one tackle. In his first game back from a hamstring injury, Jeral Skelton gave the Tigers a sniff with 10 minutes to play as Luai and Adam Doueihi found him on the left wing. But for a second consecutive week, the Panthers rediscovered their gritty best to hit their second bye in form.
