‘Damage done in the first half’

Photos: Courtesy of NRL Imagery

The emotion of the game appeared to get the better of a couple of former Melbourne Storm, now Dolphins’, players in the home side’s 24-16 loss to their old club at Suncorp Stadium tonight ... but there were some highlights.

The game was the first time Jesse and Kenny Bromwich, Felise Kaufusi, Mark Nicholls and Brenko Lee had faced their old club as Dolphins.

Felise Kaufusi was sin binned in the first two minutes and Kenny Bromwich is on report for separate incidents in the game which had plenty of feeling from kick-off.

The Storm dominated in the first half with 57 per cent of the possession and an 80 per cent completion rate. The Dolphins could only manage 43 per cent possession and could not match Melbourne in metres gained.

Errors and ill-discipline in the first half were costly for the home side who went to the sheds down 24-4.

The Dolphins were able to improve the stats by fulltime with 47 per cent possession and 71 per cent completion.

There were two tries to Jamayne Isaako (12^th and 65^th minutes) and one to Kodi Nikorima.

Storm five-eighth Cameron Munster told Fox Sports there was plenty of feeling in the game and he believed the rivalry between the two sides would be there for a while.

Dolphins Captain Jesse Bromwich said the former Storm players had hoped to make a difference in the game but he conceded they “went overboard a couple of times”.

Dolphins Coach Wayne Bennett said the “damage was done” in the first half.

He played down the incidents involving Kaufusi and Bromwich, and did not believe Kaufusi’s stint in the sin bin had a huge impact on the game.

Bennett was pleased with his side’s performance in the second half, which showed what was missing from the first 40 minutes.

The game was prop Jarrod Wallace’s 200^th NRL game and followed the Redcliffe Dolphins’ 52-10 demolition of the Mackay Cutters in their Round 10 clash which was a curtain-raiser to the main game at Suncorp Stadium tonight.