Origin race heats up as Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow scores four tries in Dolphins’ 38-16 win over Rabbitohs

The battle for the Maroons No.1 jersey has taken another stunning turn, as Dolphins star Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow blew the Rabbitohs away with four tries in his 100th NRL match.

Wayne Bennett believes Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow will miss out on Queensland’s No. 1 jersey despite his fantastic four-try haul as the Dolphins continued their stunning resurgence with a 50-28 trouncing of South Sydney.

Bennett’s Rabbitohs are in crisis after five straight losses and a 22-point flogging at Suncorp Stadium on Saturday night that consigned Souths to second last on the NRL ladder.

The Rabbitohs had no answers for the Dolphins and their untouchable fullback Tabuai-Fidow.

While Broncos whiz Reece Walsh earlier presented his case for a Maroons recall in place of injured fullback Kalyn Ponga, Tabuai-Fidow delivered a knockout blow in his 100th NRL appearance.

Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow celebrated his 100th NRL game with three tries. Picture: Getty Images

Taking his season tally to an NRL-leading 15 tries in 14 games, ‘The Hammer’ burnt the Bunnies with his blistering speed.

But former Maroons coach Bennett believes it won’t be enough to lockup his first Origin start at fullback in Wednesday week’s series decider in Sydney.

“Probably not, he’s too valuable in other places,” Bennett said.

“(He can play) centre or wing. They (Queensland selectors) can fill the fullback position, but there’s other places they have difficulty filling.”

DOLPHINS DUO SHINES

Dolphins duo Isaiya Katoa and Tabuai-Fidow have developed the NRL’s most lethal combination.

Rabbitohs prop Sean Keppie thought he was playing touch football when he allowed the Dolphins halfback to burst through the line and set up Tabuai-Fidow’s first try.

By halftime Katoa had three try-assists to his name as the Dolphins opened up a matchwinning 30-6 lead. He had four by full-time and a competition-leading 25 try-assists for the season.

A hamstring injury to in-form five-eighth Kodi Nikorima was the only sour note to a near perfect 40 minutes for Redcliffe.

Tabuai-Fidow iced his quartet of four-pointers in the 64th minute with a 70m solo effort, although his defence was exposed in a couple of Rabbitohs tries and he may remain on Queensland’s wing.

“It’s pretty special to get 100 games, I’m super grateful to be here,” Tabuai-Fidow said.

“All the boys are connected and we’ve built trust in the pre-season. We’ll stick together and see what type of season we’re having.

“I saw (Ponga’s injury) and that’s a big blow for us and Kalyn but it wasn’t on my mind. I just wanted to come out and play good footy and I feel like I did.”

Hammer time try fourth try vs. Rabbitohs

SOUTHS STINK

The Rabbitohs looked set for a big night when Latrell Mitchell linked with Jack Wighton for the opening try in just the fourth minute down South Sydney’s deadly left edge.

But that’s where Souths’ joy ended. They were simply insipid with and without the ball in a first half debacle.

The Bunnies missed 23 first half tackles on their way to conceding five tries and essentially any chance of winning.

Bennett would have been furious watching Souths produce such a limp effort against his former club.

Souths are sitting in the NRL’s bottom four and looked very much like a cellar dweller that doesn’t deserve to be anywhere near finals contention.

Returning five-eighth Cody Walker orchestrated a double for Tallis Duncan before leaving the field in the second half with a hamstring complaint.

“We lost control of it totally,” Bennett said.

“We don’t have enough confidence in ourselves.

“It’s a battle and journey. I’m up for it, I know what it is. They don’t believe enough.

“There’s challenges on our doorstop every day. I’m not frustrated or angry, it’s the reality.

“I’m trying to build a team that believes in itself and we’re not there yet.”

Kodi Nikorima could be in for a lengthy stint on the sidelines after suffering a hamstring injury. Picture: Getty Images

HUNGRY WOOLF

Kristian Woolf has emerged as a shock contender for Dally M coach of the year in his first NRL campaign.

The Dolphins are somehow in the NRL’s top eight despite having arguably the game’s worst injury toll.

Nikorima joined a bulging casualty ward that has already seen Tom Flegler, Tom Gilbert, Max Plath, Daniel Saifiti and Jack Bostock ruled out for the season. Felise Kaufusi is also sidelined for a month.

But somehow the Dolphins have found a way to keep winning as they chase a maiden NRL finals appearance and they have done it in style, registering 50 points in three of their past four starts.

If Woolf can deliver the Dolphins a play-offs berth then he has to be in contention for the coaches’ top gong.

He has also won matches against the game’s top coaches this year in Craig Bellamy (Storm), Ivan Cleary (Panthers) and now Bennett, his former mentor at Redcliffe.

“I’m very happy, we’re playing with some confidence and overcoming adversity,” Woolf said.

“The feeling of going into a winning dressing room and knowing you can relax for a week (bye) is great.”

Originally published as Origin race heats up as Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow scores four tries in Dolphins’ 38-16 win over Rabbitohs