Live stream: Shalom College v Rockhampton Grammar School, Dolphins Cup, Round 3

Shalom College have answered the challenge laid down by their coach with a gripping Dolphins Cup win, but it didn’t come easy for the Bundaberg nursery. Watch the REPLAYS.

Shalom College were handed a challenge by coach Antonio Kaufusi, and they rose to meet it proving just how tight the Dolphins Cup competition is in the process.

The Bundaberg nursery scored three unasnwered first-half tries, and then held on by their fingernails through a Rockhampton Grammar School fight back to score a 24-18 win.

Shalom College managed to get themselves up by four tries on the scoreboard, before Rockhampton Grammar School scored three tries in 10 minutes to set up a grand stand finish.

In the end it was a brilliant solo try to hard-running fullback Parkka Perrotta-Dowling, only minutes into the second half, which ultimately proved the difference between the two sides.

Having created the extra man in the attacking line, Perrotta-Dowling slipped through a small gap before exploding into the backfield.

WATCH THE DOLPHINS CUP REPLAY ABOVE, SCROLL DOWN FOR THE DOLPHINS CHALLENGE

The athletic fullback then put his palm into the chest of rival fullback Mason Broadhurst and sent him flying before diving full stretch across the line in style.

It was a highlight moment in a match full of them for the Shalom side, who had been accused of lacking effort in their opening round loss to St Brendan’s College.

They weren’t lacking any of it in a blistering first half with Cowboys junior halfback Preston Walsh playing conductor off the back of a barnstorming poerformance from lock forward Reghan Fischer and prop Billy McDonald.

Walsh set up two tries, including a slick short ball to runaway backrower Oscar Dotter, which will have Cowboys fans reminiscing of the great Thurston-Cooper combination that played a key role in the club’s 2015 NRL premiership.

Rockhampton Grammar had scored all their tries off kicks in their previous round win over The Cathedral College, but it appeared Shalom had that tactic well scouted.

Instead what they had forgotten to do was shore up the front door.

When they got a sniff of a comeback, thanks to poor discipline from Shalom College, Rockhampton Grammar went the direct route with Cooper Brodhurst and Henry Kallquist scoring back-to-back tries from tough one-out carries off the restart.

It was almost too easy for the visitors, and when dummy-half Riley Sullivan scored off the back of a never-say-die final play with three minutes to go, it appeared the heist was on.

But Shalom College held strong in the final minutes to record a big first win of the Cup.

Replay: Shalom College v Rockhampton Grammar - Dolphins Challenge

In eerily similar scenes, Rockhampton Grammar fought back from a 12-0 deficit in the second half to rescue a point from the earlier Dolphins Challenge clash against Shalom College.

The Bundaberg school had exploded out of the blocks with two tries in the opening 15 minutes of the game before their Rockhampton rivals seemed to come alive.

Two second half tries for the visitors meant they held on for a 12-12 draw.

PREVIEW

Shalom College coach Antonio Kaufusi has asked his team to bring more effort as they aim to correct the course of their Dolphins Cup campaign.

The Bundaberg nursery will run out in front of a staunch home crowd as they host Dolphins Cup dark horses Rockhampton Grammar in a Round 3 showdown on Tuesday.

The action will be exclusively live streamed on KommunityTV and the Courier Mail, kicking off with the Dolphins Challenge (Year 10) clash between the schools at 2pm.

Kaufusi said he was confident his side could put a better performance on the field against the Rockhampton side after a ‘disappointing’ performance against St Brendan’s College in Round 1.

Shalom College skipper Joe Doyle.

The Shalom College squad spent last week off the field on the bye, and while the load might have been lightened, the players were still trained hard as they aim to improve.

“For me, being a coach, you have to show the guys where we think we need to be better,” Kaufusi said.

“For me it was just our intent and our effort (that let us down). We got overawed a little bit. It is always a tough opening your season by going up to Yeppoon.

“I was pretty disappointed with that game. I just know from what we have been doing (that we can be better). I have seen the work the boys have put in. It is about getting in the contest straight away.”

Check out the full Queensland round 2 LIVE STREAM schedule below. Click links to watch games LIVE

Rockhampton Grammar School shocked plenty of onlookers last week when they opened their Dolphins Cup campaign with a confident three-try win over one of the competition’s most successful schools, The Cathedral College.

It came after a year of tough knocks for the RGS side last season, where they failed to win a match despite several close calls.

Rockhampton Grammar halfback Callum Denman (centre).

The Rockhampton win was built off the back of the strong kicking game from new halfback Callum Denman, who set up all three tries with his left boot while also constantly turning around The Cathedral College forwards.

Kaufusi said the onus would be on his side to put pressure on the halfback, while fullback Parkka Perotta-Dowling will need to be on his game out the back.