A resilient comeback attempt by the Dragons was contentiously put to an end as an error by Isaiya Katoa opened the door for the Dolphins to seal a 28-22 victory.
The Dragons trailed by six points with 10 minutes to go and looked to be on track to find the tryline when Katoa got his hand to a pass by Valentine Holmes and collected the loose ball just centimetres from the sideline.
Isaiya Katoa gets his hand to a Valentine Holmes pass. Fox League
The home side was moving to quickly to turn and stop Katoa from collecting the ball, however, the players – and the fans – expected a knock on call would be made.
Katoa, himself, looked to have thought he may have tapped the ball forward before gaining possession, but the referee ruled it had been knocked backwards.
The star Dolphins halfback then jumped to his feet and raced down the field to set up the foundations for his team’s next try, but Dragons fans were filthy.
“If you look at it, he probably has touched the ball and it has travelled backwards towards his own tryline,” Luke Keary said on Fox League, watching a replay.
“Even Katoa thought he had pushed that forward. The locals here, you wouldn’t know they are coming last, they are absolutely losing their minds.”
Katoa’s “hand of god” moment ultimately proved the difference on the scoreboard, with Tom Flegler crashing over to put the Dolphins ahead by 12 points.
Hamish Stewart found the tryline for the Dragons with two minutes left in the game, hoping to force a golden point thriller, but the Dolphins held on.
To add to the woes of suffering their third straight defeat, Setu Tu will have a nervous wait with the match review committee after he was placed on report for dangerous contact on Selwyn Cobbo.
Cobbo had lept into the air to collect a high ball when his legs were collected by an incoming Tu, twisting his body to land in an awkward and dangerous position.
“That was dangerous there from Setu Tu,” Keary said.
“I think you have a duty of care as a defender not to take the legs out. It definitely wasn’t intentional.”
The Dolphins had just scored a try via Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow before Tu’s act.
Sloan scores a try for the Dragons Getty Images
The winger then made up for his actions by scoring a try to inspire his team. Tyrell Sloan was the only other try scorer for the Red V in the first half, while Cobbo and Ray Stone darted over for the Dolphins.
Cobbo went over for his second in the 53rd minute to open the scoring for the second half, before Clint Gutherson narrowed the scores again in the 61st.
Despite showing fierce signs a comeback win could be on the cards, the Dragons eventually fell to a 28-22 defeat.