By Nick Wright
Dolphins veteran Mark Nicholls believes Isaiya Katoa is ready to answer a State of Origin SOS, and would rise to the occasion of filling Nathan Cleary’s void.
Cleary has been under an injury cloud ahead of the series decider on July 9, hampered by a groin concern which limited his output for New South Wales in game two.
He has been named to return for the Panthers this week in a Blues boost given Mitch Moses remains sidelined with a calf injury.
Isaiya Katoa has guided the Dolphins out of a winless opening month to the season, despite a plethora of season-ending injuries in the squad.Credit: Getty Images
Should the four-time premiership winner fail to get through his comeback, Katoa has emerged as a shock successor, with Luke Metcalf, Matt Burton, Nicho Hynes and Adam Reynolds other options.
Katoa has spearheaded Tonga since the 2022 World Cup, taking the island nation to the Pacific Championship final last year, while he assumed his club’s captaincy against Newcastle in the absence of Tom Gilbert and Felise Kaufusi, and will do so again on Saturday against the Rabbitohs.
While NRL Immortal Andrew Johns raised fears throwing the 21-year-old into the furnace could be detrimental to his development, Nicholls believed he had the fortitude to respond to the occasion.
“He could do the job for sure. I’d love to see him [do it] and it would be great for us if he could get that experience and come back to the club a better player,” Nicholls said.
“With the position he has played he has been our unnatural leader for three years now, that’s his job as the halfback to direct the team around. This year we have seen him play that 50th game milestone, [and] a lot of players say they don’t feel like a first-grader until they play 50.
“He has come through that now and is really starting to put his stamp on that halfback position in the competition.”
One inconsistency in Katoa’s game, however, has been in closing out tight contests and guiding the Dolphins home, a factor Blues hierarchy would need to consider if Cleary is ruled out.
Three of the club’s defeats this year have come by six points or less, while they squandered strong leads in 12-point losses to the Tigers and Raiders.
Katoa copped flack last year for opting against a late field goal against the Panthers, only to watch Cleary win it in golden point, before rebounding to kick the match-winning point for Tonga against New Zealand in the Pacific Championships.
When Nicholls was asked why Katoa and the side did not seek a field goal late on Saturday before Newcastle scored in the last minute, he threw the onus on the team’s ability to get into position for him.
Katoa will ultimately hold the key to the Dolphins’ hopes of a finals campaign, and he will be performing behind a forward pack decimated by injuries.
Max Plath (ACL), Gilbert (pectoral), Daniel Saifiti and Thomas Flegler (both shoulders) are all sidelined for the rest of the year, while winger Jack Bostock (ACL) joined them in that fate against the Knights.
“It’s obviously terrible, it didn’t look great when he did it so we kind of all knew that finishing the game,” Dolphins centre Herbie Farnworth said of his left-edge partner, Bostock.
“He’s had a great year so far, and knowing Jack he’s going to bounce back even better. I rang him when he got his scans, he’s actually handling it far better than anyone thought.
“He’s a very tough kid, he’s going to bounce back hard next year.”
For the past two seasons, the Dolphins have entered the second half of the year well-placed for the top eight, only to succumb to injury and suspension tolls and win just five of 20 games across that period.
But after overcoming an 0-4 start despite the carnage to be just a point off the top eight, Nicholls was adamant they remained on course for a deep run.
“We have still got a great spine that can create points and a lot of speed in the outside backs. The ingredients are there to play finals,” Nicholls said.
“We haven’t missed the guys who have got injured because of the way the young and inexperienced guys have come in. If we have to call in more guys that have played [Queensland] Cup for most of the year, they can take confidence from what some of those other players have done.
“You’ve got to overcome a lot of obstacles if you want to win in the NRL and get in position for grand final day in October.”