Dolphins title hopes at risk as star heads for surgery
Dolphins co-captain Isaiya Katoa‘s stint on the sidelines has been confirmed after leaving the field with a fractured wrist in his side’s dramatic 26-24 win over the Warriors, which was iced by Selwyn Cobbo’s match-winning try.
The superstar halfback got through the opening 12 minutes at Suncorp Stadium, before he was spotted clutching at his wrist with a Dolphins trainer.
Isaiya Katoa sits with his arm in a sling. Getty
Katoa was immediately taken off and went up the tunnel, with word quickly filtering through that the No.7 had suffered a suspected broken arm.
“He’s gone, the trainer’s running him off in back play - this is a huge loss for the Dolphins,” Luke Keary said on Fox League commentary.
“It looked very similar to the Blayke Brailey broken arm earlier in the season.”
The club confirmed on Sunday that it was indeed a fractured wrist, with the halfback set to undergo surgery. A return date was not specified.
Replays showed the injury occurred when Katoa attempted to make a tackle on Warriors centre Adam Pompey and got his arm caught awkwardly.
“Dolphins are understandably a bit rattled ... he will go for scans to determine how long he will be out,” sideline reporter Lara Pitt said.
Speaking on Nine’s Sunday Footy Show before the severity of the injury was revealed, Andrew Johns admitted it puts the club’s premiership hopes at risk.
“Without their general, I don’t think they can win four in a row come the end of the year,” he said.
“But they’ve got the system they play, but he’d be irreplaceable.”
To make matters worse for the hosts, in-form winger Selwyn Cobbo was forced from the field soon after Katoa departed for a head injury assessment.
He was soon cleared to return after the 15-minute HIA period.
Cobbo opened the scoring for the Dolphins after four minutes, before Jacob Laban and Dallin Watene-Zelezniak struck back for the visitors.
Despite their leading man sitting on the sidelines with his arm in a sling, Herbie Farnworth and Isaako put the Dolphins ahead 16-12 at the break.
The second half was just as see-sawing and it was the Warriors regaining a 24-20 lead after a poor yardage error from Cobbo with just minutes left on the clock.
But after a short kick off was snatched by the Dolphins, a loose ball later in the set was cleaned up by Cobbo and he dived over in the corner to score.
Dolphins players celebrate at full-time. Fox League
Isaako then nailed the goal to give the Dolphins an epic win, with Katoa and his teammates on the bench celebrating along with the rapturous fans.
“Game of the season for me,” Keary said after full-time.
The win cements the Dolphins’ spot inside the NRL’s top-four, but they now look set to be without the skipper and marquee man Katoa.
