Hostplus Cup: Round 20 – Falcons 20 vs Dolphins 18

Match Highlights | Hostplus Ladder

The final round of the Hostplus Cup saw the second placed Sunshine Coast Falcons play host to third-placed Redcliffe Dolphins at Sunshine Coast Daily Stadium. 

The game started with a bang.

The Falcons were able to successful pull off a short kick off and get a perfect start as they used their advantage to score in the first minute with centre Kane Jackson able to break the line and plant the ball down for a 4-0 lead.

Early in the game, the Dolphins were struggling to get out of their own end and were doing their best to hold out a persistent display of attack from the Falcons.

The home side were able to capitalise on the possession as five-eighth Jack Wright put in a sneaky grubber behind the defence and centre Jake Maizen grounded the ball to score the second try in the 10th minute. Daniel Atkinson again missed the conversion, keeping the score at 8-0.

The pressure then turned on the Falcons to hold out the Dolphins after multiple set restarts.

The Dolphins put up a towering kick which was caught by Falcons winger Sualauvi Faalogo who raced 100m; stepping and goose-stepping his way around defenders to score a try in the 21st minute to put the Falcons up 12-0.

After failing to convert on chances, the Dolphins were able to break the Falcons defence line and score their first try of the afternoon, with winger Setu Tu scoring in the 31st minute.

The try was converted by Bryce Donovan and the score become 12-6, even though the try count was three to one.

The whole game changed in minutes as the Dolphins were able to score their second try in the 35th minute when a charging Benjamin King was able to burrow his way over. The try was converted by Donovan and the scores became tied 12-12.

The charge from the Dolphins continued all the way to the end of the half, with fullback Trai Fuller breaking the line and running 60m. The next tackle saw centre Valynce Te Whare break through the defence and score in the 40th minute and go over for a third try in 10 minutes.

The try was converted and the Dolphins went into the halftime break leading 18-12.

In scenes almost identical to the first half, the Falcons scored off their first set. A cross-field kick was caught by Jack Gibbons and he offloaded to Louis Geraghty who went over to score in the 41st minute. Atkinson converted the try and the game tied at 18-18.

The next 20 minutes was back and fort with both teams unable to score through good defence. The next lot of points would come from an Atkinson penalty goal in the 61st minute to put the Falcons back in the lead 20-18.

The Dolphins continued to fight through, but the Falcons defence was a wall.

The Falcons were able to stop multiple tries from being scored and secure a victory in the last game of the regular season 20-18.

The two teams will face off again next weekend in the opening round of the finals series of the Hostplus Cup.