The Dolphins have stunned the Melbourne Storm, scoring seven unanswered tries to turn a 16-2 deficit into a 42-22 victory at Lang Park on Good Friday.
The Storm's night was made even worse by the pre-match revelation that Origin hooker Harry Grant is likely to be out for between four and six weeks with a hamstring injury.
"It was pretty innocuous, during the captains run, just pulled up lame," Storm coach Craig Bellamy said pre-game on Fox Sports.
"He went for a scan and it wasn't great news."
If Grant's injury is as bad as feared, he will miss Origin I in Brisbane on May 28.
Despite the loss of Grant, things started well for the Storm with Kane Bradley, Xavier Coates and Ryan Papenhuyzen all scoring as the side leaped into a 16-2 lead after 21 minutes.
However, soon after, winger Jack Howarth left the field with a dislocated shoulder, while the Dolphins lost Max Plath to a foot injury as well as veteran Felise Kaufusi.
Both Howarth and Plath are Queensland Origin hopefuls, adding more problems for the Maroons camp.
Those injuries indirectly changed the entire complexion of the game, with the Dolphins scoring an increasingly impressive array of tries through Josh Kerr, Jack Bostock, Ray Stone (twice), Connelly Lemuelu, Kodi Nikorima and Herbie Farnworth.
Stone in particular impressed off the bench, picking up the mantle from Kaufusi with 124 running metres from 12 carries.
Isaiya Katoa had four try assists in a staggeringly good display at halfback as the Dolphins claimed a third-straight NRL victory.
Bulldogs star in front of record crowd
Earlier, Canterbury Bankstown hammered South Sydney Rabbitohs 32-0 in front of a record regular season NRL crowd of 65,305 at the Sydney Olympic stadium, after which Jai Arrow was seen arguing with supporters.
Nothing can take away from the performance of the Bulldogs though, whose dogged defence was matched by their impressive attack.
Josh Curran, Max King and Sitili Tupouniua all scored in a dominant first half — aided in part by a sin binning for Euan Aitken — as the Bulldogs dominated up the middle.
King's try was particularly notable, given it ended an 80-game try-scoring drought stretching back to round five of 2019, the longest such run of any player in the NRL.
It was fitting reward too — the 27-year-old ran for a game-high 232 metres from 25 runs, over 103 of those metres coming post-contact. He was one of three Bulldogs to run over 200 metres.
Jacob Preston and Bronzon Xerri added tries in the second period, but more pleasing for Cameron Ciraldo will be how the Bulldogs defended despite being in such a dominant position.
Roared on by what was a new regular season crowd record, every tackle during the closing stages was met with a surge of noise.
As Souths endeavoured to make the game scrappy, the Dogs met that challenge head on.
The mindset was apparent when Tevita Tatola was denied a try thanks to a brilliant tackle by Viliame Kikau in the closing stages, while Marcelo Montoya was in the sin bin for slapping Sean Keppie in one of a number of small melee's as the Bulldogs lived up to their Dogs of War moniker.
By contrast, Souths' big-name players were absolutely anonymous, Latrell Mitchell making just 10 runs, none of them meaningful, while Cody Walker was brought off after 51 minutes.
It is the first time since 1938 that the Bulldogs have started a season 6-0 and the first time they have ever held consecutive opponents scoreless, albeit either side of the bye.
That 1938 Bulldogs team went on to win the Premiership, and although it's far to early to talk of such prizes for the 2025 crop, there will be few teams who would fancy themselves against a team as cohesive as this.
Look back on how all the action unfolded in our live blog.
Key Events
FT: Dolphins claim 42-22 victory over the Storm
HT: Dolphins fight back but Storm lead
25' Jack Howarth and Max Plath both ruled out
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Live updates
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Live updates: Dolphins vs Storm
By Simon Smale
By Simon Smale
A Good Friday for Bulldogs and Dolphins for sure
By Simon Smale
By Simon Smale
Now that was a Good Friday ! Thanks heaps Simon et al. Enjoyed it no end !
- Old timer
And perhaps a good Friday for all of us too.
That's where we'll wrap up our coverage of tonight's matches.
There will be more fall out, and more football, tomorrow on the ABC Sport website.
But from me, it's good night and a Happy Easter to one and all.
Daniel Saifiti praises Isaiya Katoa
By Simon Smale
By Simon Smale
Daniel Saifiti has also been speaking to ABC Sport, praising his young half Isaiya Katoa.
"I can’t remember when I’ve been impressed by a young player like him,' he says.
"The way he talks around the team, he’s super impressive … The world’s at his feet."
Kerr 'so proud' of try in 100th game
By Simon Smale
By Simon Smale
Josh Kerr celebrated a try in his 100th NRL game, and it's safe to say he was pretty happy about it/
"I cannot believe it bro," Kerr tells ABC Sport.
"I don’t know how I got that try, I was looking for the offload actually.
"As soon as I put that bloody ball down, I knew all my family and friends were here … I’m just so proud."
It was his eighth career try - and what a time to score it.
A bizarre game
By Simon Smale
By Simon Smale
Well that was the most bizarre game I have seen in a long while.
- KB
I think that's the best way to describe it, KB.
Extraordinary.
Key Event
FT: Dolphins claim 42-22 victory over the Storm
By Simon Smale
By Simon Smale
A staggering result for the Dolphins.
They led 16-2 after the first 21 minutes of the game after tries to Bradley, Coates and Papenhuyzen.
And then the Dolphins hit back.
Seven unanswered tries: Kerr, Bostock, Stone (2), Lemuelu, Nikorima and Farnworth gives the Dolphins a third-straight victory.
A stunning result.
79' Ryan Papenhuyzen on report
By Simon Smale
By Simon Smale
Just got information that Papenhuyzen is on report for an uncertain infringement.
It's been a bit like that though for the Storm.
Desperately uncertain in everything that they're trying to do.
79' Kane Bradley scores a consolation
By Simon Smale
By Simon Smale
Well, the Storm finally have a try - their first points since the 21st minute.
It's another magic kick from Hughes.
Bradley got up higher than Bostock and he gathers and scores.
The kick is good.
You're not wrong
By Simon Smale
By Simon Smale
I'm confused - what I'm seeing doesn't correlate with what I should be seeing...
- Mike
This is not how I expected this match to go when Papenhuyzen scored to make it 16-2 after 21 minutes...
74' Kurt Donoghoe, Trent Loiero in the bin
By Simon Smale
By Simon Smale
A double sin bin - just to keep the peace you'd think.
Donoghoe came in to that melee, starting it really, and Loiero carried on with it.
So 12 vs 12.
74' BIG FIGHT!
By Simon Smale
By Simon Smale
Massive shot from Kerr on Tyran Wishart - totally legal.
And it sparked a melee.
They came in from everywhere, Ryan Papenhuyzen looked like he had a Dolphin in a headlock - which is some mental image if you think about it.
Players were pushing and shoving all over the place.
It is Holy week, after all
By Simon Smale
By Simon Smale
Storm are doing a great reenactment of the crucifixion
- Phil
But really, it was the Dolphins who have come back from the dead.
72' HERBIE FARNWORTH GETS A TRY
By Simon Smale
By Simon Smale
It is thoroughly deserved too!
He's been brilliant, the Englishman.
Isaiya Katoa kicked high, the ball fell kindly for Herbie Farnworth, who took an exaggerated step, leaped to his left and then splashed over.
It's the seventh try the Dolphins have scored IN A ROW!
The home crowd cheer their support as Isaako kicks the extras to make it 42-16.
40 unanswered points!
64' NIKORIMA SCORES!
By Simon Smale
By Simon Smale
THE DOLPHINS ARE RUNNING RAMPANT!
What a magnificent kick from Isaiya Katoa!
He put it on a dime for Kodi Nikorima with a grubber off the boot and the New Zealander gathered and dotted down.
It's a fourth try assist for Katoa.
This is just astonishing.
The kick is good and the Dolphins lead 36-16!
60' STONE HAS A DOUBLE!
By Simon Smale
By Simon Smale
The Storm are in tatters!
The Dolphins have gone from being 14 points down to being 14 points ahead!
HamisoTabuai-Fidowchased a kick ahead, never took his eyes off it and gathered, offloading to Ray Stone who crossed untouched!
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This is magic from the Dolphins!
The kick is good.
The Dolphins have scored 28 points unanswered to lead 30-16.
Remarkable.
It's been reduced to a tropical low...
By Simon Smale
By Simon Smale
Climate experts have assured me storms were going to get more intense - I'm not seeing it tonight...
- BOM
52' Try for the Dolphins!
By Simon Smale
By Simon Smale
Connelly Lemuelu is through!
Was it a forward pass? There was a double pump pass from Isaya Katoa and it looked like the ball went forward in truth.
But the referee did not see it and the Dolphins have scored four-straight!
The kick is good and the hosts lead 24-16!
52' Tui Kamikamica on report
By Simon Smale
By Simon Smale
Herbie Farnworth is so hard to bring down, the Lancashire boy bouncing off tackles until Tui Kamikamica goes high.
50' Katoa knocks the ball on
By Simon Smale
By Simon Smale
Oh it's a lovely kick through by Hughes.
Eli Katoa is trying to get the ball but Jack Bostock just pokes his own hand through and does just enough to disrupt the charging second row without pushing him in the back and giving away a penalty.
49' Grant Anderson tries to do it all himself!
By Simon Smale
By Simon Smale
That's excellent from Grant Anderson.
He bounced Herbie Farnworth off a tackle, used his footwork to make space and then burst through it.
He kicked ahead to the in goal where the Dolphins get bodies back to diffuse and give away the goal line drop out.
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