The Toyota Forklift Raiders have claimed their third win in a row defeating the Dolphins 31-30 in golden point.
After losing to the Dolphins in round two, the Raiders sought revenge snatching the win in Wagga Wagga.
In just the first set of the game, the Raiders shifted the ball from coast to coast and on the final play, Jarrod Croker scored in the corner to take the first points on offer.
In an impressive start, the Raiders had all the possession in the opening five minutes.
Getting the ball back from a line drop-out, the Raiders pounced once again as Corey Horsburgh held up the ball well to eventually play Jack Wighton who scored their second try in the opening five minutes.
After dominating the opening five minutes, the Dolphins finally get their hands on the ball as they desperately tried to gain a grasp on the game.
The Raiders were quick to reassert themselves, making key offloads.
A penalty for an incorrect restart from the Dolphins allowed the Raiders to extend their lead to two converted tries with over 20 minutes remaining in the first half.
The Green Machine poured on the points through some silky play as Jordan Rapana got the best of Robert Jennings to score in the corner.
A curling kick conversion from Croker extended the score to 18-0.
A seven-tackle set from the Dolphins produced some quick play the balls as Euan Aitken picked up the ball out of dummy half and charged towards the line scoring their first points of the game.
Matthew Timoko’s speed and strength were put to full use as he took a quick tap from a penalty, making 60 metres on the fly to spark the team’s attack.
However, the Dolphins found some space down their right edge as Jamayne Isaako played the ball back inside to supportive runner Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow who scored to bring the scores back to within six points.
Two tries in ten minutes to the Dolphins didn’t worry the Raiders in the slightest, as Jack Wighton played a cut-out ball to Sebastian Kris streaking away to run 30 metres and score their fourth of the afternoon.
As the first half came to a close, the Raiders led by 10 points over the Dolphins 22-12.
To start the second half, both teams were determined to get the upper hand on their opposition.
After some ill discipline from the Dolphins, the Raiders had multiple sets on the Dolphins try line.
A dangerous tackle from Ray Stone gifted Croker a penalty conversion which was successful taking their lead to 12 points.
Both sides fought hard to gain valuable metres, but it was the Dolphins that were next to strike, as Kodi Nikorima slipped through passing the ball onto Connelly Lemuelu to score with over twenty minutes remaining.
The Dolphins’ Lemuelu scored again four minutes later through a wraparound play catching the Raiders' defence out.
A successful conversion from Tabuai-Fidow tied the game up at 24 apiece.
Entering the final 13 minutes, a tall bomb from Fogarty led to a spill from the Dolphins as Corey Harawira-Naera picked up the scraps offloading it back to Fogarty going over to reclaim their lead.
With nine minutes left in the game, the Dolphins found their way to the line through Kenny Bromwich’s hard running drawing the game at 30 points all.
Tensions were high as five minutes remained, however, composure from Fogarty gave the Raiders a repeat set through a line dropout.
In the dying minutes of regulation time, Fogarty had a chance on the buzzer to kick a field goal but narrowly missed to the left-hand side of the posts.
As the game went to golden point, an Albert Hopoate tackle bust gave Raiders valuable metres, giving Fogarty enough time and space to slot a field goal from within 20 metres.
