Dolphins dynamo smashes 45-year-old scoring record
Jamayne Isaako has smashed a 45-year-old scoring record as the Dolphins sunk Manly to a sixth-straight loss.
With the Fozball concept already on life support, the Sea Eagles never looked in the hunt as the Dolphins ran out 22-0 victors.
Jamayne Isaako scored his 1000th point for the Dolphins against Manly. NRL Images
The loss is a full-circle moment for the Sea Eagles, who flogged the Dolphins 52-18 in Redcliffe in Kieran Foran’s first game as coach.
It’s also the first time since 1993 the Sea Eagles have been held scoreless at Brookvale Oval.
Having earlier kicked three goals, the Storm-bound Isaako crossed for a four-pointer in the 73rd minute to notch up 1000 points for the Dolphins in just 93 games.
He took the record off Eels legend Michael Cronin, who did it in his 98th game in 1981. What makes the longevity of Cronin’s record even more incredible is he scored his points entirely in the era of three-point tries. The value wasn’t upped to four points until 1983.
Despite the Sea Eagles’ disappointing performance, it took until the 25th minute for the Dolphins to get on the board when Isaako kicked a goal after Jason Saab was penalised for a dangerous tackle.
In the following set, Tolutau Koula was binned for a professional foul, and the Dolphins were able to use the advantage to set Kodi Nikorima up for the first try of the night. Isaako’s conversion brought up the 8-0 half-time scoreline.
Shortly before the break, the Dolphins also went down a man when Connelly Lemuelu joined Koula in the bin for his own professional foul.
“Last night (between the Panthers and Roosters) it was 8-0 at half-time, this is 8-0 at half-time, but some might describe this as the Temu version,” Andrew Voss quipped in commentary for Fox Sports.
Selwyn Cobbo extended the lead just shy of the hour mark, before a brilliant length-of-the-field Dolphins team effort – for which Jack Bostock got the chocolates – minutes later put the result beyond doubt.
Isaako then scored in the 74th minute to ice the victory and all but lock the Dolphins in to playing September footy.
The Sea Eagles season remains in the balance, two wins out of the top eight with games against the Knights (A), Dragons (H) and Warriors (A) to finish the season.
