Super Saturday: Cowboys v Sea Eagles; Sharks v Storm; Warriors hang on

We bring it home on Saturday night with the Sharks hosting the Storm in a heavyweight showdown between two perennial finalists both coming off impressive Round 10 victories.

They host a Manly side down on confidence after losing four of their past five matches and set to be without a number of big guns during the Origin period.

Talking of tight games, that's exactly where the Cowboys were in Round 10, clawing back from 30-18 down to draw level with the Panthers and take the game to golden point where the teams couldn't be split.

The Warriors sit second on the ladder with a 8-2 record and continue to find a way to get the job done in tight games, winning five matches by four points or less.

The Dolphins kicked things off against the Warriors in a clash that promised a feast of high-octane action from the likes of Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow, Isaiya Katoa, Dallin Watene-Zelezniak and Luke Metcalf.

Our Saturday triple treat takes us from Brisbane to Townsville and down to Sydney as teams jostle for ladder position and players make their case for State of Origin selection for the Blues and Maroons.

Sea Eagles: Veteran prop Matthew Lodge has played two games in NSW Cup in recent weeks and was listed among the reserves as he chases a first NRL appearance since last year' semi-finals but he dropped out of the squad on Friday. Jake Trbojevic has returned to lock as he looks to shore up his NSW Blues jumper. Jazz Tevaga moves back to hooker, with Ethan Bullemor to start at prop and Jake Simpkin shifting to the bench. Michael Chee Kam is 18th man.

Cowboys: Young gun Jaxon Purdue has shifted from centre to five-eighth in a major shake-up to the North Queensland attack, with Tom Dearden to play halfback and Jake Clifford omitted. Zac Laybutt comes into the centres and is set for his first NRL match since tearing his ACL in Round 5 last year. Cowboys coach Todd Payten revealed on Friday "it was always our long-term plan to have Jaxon as our five-eighth or halfback within the club". Jake Clifford is the 18th man.

Kick-off: Manly have first use of the ball in Townsville and will be looking to continue their strong recent run against the Cowboys where they have won six of their past eight games against the Cowboys.

2nd min: End-to-end play early from both sides, with Manly making a break down their left side on their first set, while the Cowboys counter down their left in their first chance with the ball, with young PNG Kumuls centre Zac Laybutt showing some speed in his first NRL game back since doing his ACL in Round 5 last year.

Jazz Tevaga is off the field for Manly for a HIA after a heavy collision with Sam McIntyre.

10th min: Against the run of play, Manly are the first on the board after a ball hits the deck as the Cowboys are attacking 10 metres out, with Haumole Olakau'atu picking up the scraps and sprinting away, finding Jason Saab back on his inside. The winger makes the line easy, but nearly loses it in attempting to put it down, but gets it down safely in the end. Reuben Garrick converts for a 6-0 lead.

min: Unfortunate scenes with Jake Trbojevic coming down with a heavy head knock and he's off the field.

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The Warriors have hung on to defeat the Dolphins 16-12 and extend their winning streak to five consecutive matches.

In a low scoring match, the Warriors dominated the first half to lead 10-0 and went further ahead after rookie forward Jacob Laban scored.

The Dolphins fought back late in the game but the Warriors defence was the difference, with the home side having 20 sets of possession in the second half to just nine sets for the visitors.

Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow scored and had a hand in another try after Warriors captain James Fisher-Harris was sinbinned for a high tackle, but the Dolphins fell short.

The Warriors remain second on the NRL ladder and face the Raiders next weekend at a sold-out Go Media after three weeks on the road in Australia.

The loss was compounded for the Dolphins by the loss of captain Tom Gilbert with a pectoral muscle injury.

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80 min: Nikorima kicked behind the Dolphins defence for winger Jack Bostock but he couldn't pick up the ball cleanly and toed it ahead, only to go into touch.

78 min: Farnworth has set up a grandstand finish after Isaiya Katoa and Nikorima combined and Tabuai-Fidow chimed into the backline to create space for the England star to score. Isaako converted from the sideline. Warriors 16 Dolphins 12.

Up Next / Cancel Replay Play Next Herbie Farnworth Try

77 min: Warriors captain James Fisher-Harris has been sent to the sinbin for a high tackle on Dolphins interchange forward Harrison Graham.

Up Next / Cancel Replay Play Next Fisher-Harris sent to the bin for a high shot

73 min: Tabuia-Fidow has kept the Dolphins hopes alive after palming off Metcalf and gliding past Capewell to score. Jamayne Isaako converted from out wide. Warriors 16 Dolphins 6.

Up Next / Cancel Replay Play Next Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow Try

70 min: Jacob Laban has scored his first NRL try after leaping above Farnworth to snatch a Metcalf kick and post the first points of the second half. Metcalf converted. Warriors 16-0

Up Next / Cancel Replay Play Next Jacob Laban Try

65 min: The Dolphins are in good attacking position after winning the ball from a Warriors goal line drop out for the first time in four attempts. However, Felise Kaufusi lost the ball attempting to force his way over the tryline.

48 min: Dolphins superstar Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow was denied a try after prop Mark Nicholls knocked the ball forward contesting a kick.

Halftime Summary

The Warriors have capitalised on errors and poor discipline from the Dolphins to take a commanding 10-0 lead at halftime. The Dolphins committed five handling errors, while conceding six penalties and two six-again calls, and the Warriors made them pay. Luke Metcalf is again leading the way for the Warriors, while centre Kurt Capewell is winning his one-on-one battle with English star Herbie Farnworth and captain Mitch Barnett has run more than 100 metre with the ball. The defence of the Dolphins was first rate in the early exchanges, but the weight of possession took its toll.

40 min: Metcalf missed an attempted two-point field goal just before the halftime siren sounded.

35 min: Warriors centre Kurt Capewell scored his side's second try after Metcalf beat the attempted tackle of Mark Nicholls, grubbered behind Nikorima and regathered before drawing Herbie Farnsworth to give the former Maroons utility a clear run at the tryline. Warriors 10-0

Up Next / Cancel Replay Play Next Kurt Capewell Try

30 min: Dolphins captain Tom Gilbert has left the field with a pec injury after attempting to stop Niukore from scoring. Maroons coach Billy Slater will be holding his breath, as well as Woolf.

Up Next / Cancel Replay Play Next Tom Gilbert forced from the field

28 min: Discipline is hurting the Dolphins and the seventh penalty to the Warriors led to the opening try of the match after Warriors forward Marata Niukore charged over to score off a dummy half pass from Wayde Egan. Metcalf converted. Warriors 6-0

Up Next / Cancel Replay Play Next Marata Niukore Try

25 min: Nikorima is placed on report for a high tackle on Warriors forward Demitric Vaimauga, who has left the field for a HIA. Debutant Tanner Stowers-Smith is on.

19 min: Dolphins five-eighth, and former Warrior, Kodi Nikorima, crossed for the home team after picking up a loose ball following an aerial contest between rival fullback Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad and Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow but the try was also disallowed after a review by the Bunker. Tabuai-Fidow was ruled to have knocked the ball into Nicoll-Klokstad.

15 min: Harris-Tavita was again denied after the Bunker ruled that secondrower Leka Halasima had knocked the ball forward as he leapt to catch a Metcalf kick. Referee Peter Gough awarded the try to Metcalf, who caught the ball after it bounced off Halasima but replays showed it had been knocked on.

12 min: The Dolphins went the length of the field in the following set and Warriors prop Mitch Barnett was forced to clean up a grubber in-goal to force a goal line drop-out.

10 min: Warriors five-eighth Chanel Harris-Tavita lost the ball over the tryline attempting to get a pass to Roger Tuivasa-Sheck after Adam Pompey batted back a Luke Metcalf kick.

Up Next / Cancel Replay Play Next Katoa stops Harris-Tavita over the line

Warriors fans have flocked to Suncorp Stadium to support their team, who are second on the NRL ladder behind the Bulldogs.

"We're so proud of our away from home fans, every time we travel to the Gold Coast or Brisbane," Warriors coach Andrew Webster said.

"In Wollongong last week we had a whole section of Warriors fans, which you don't normally get, but they're really proud of these boys at the moment and we're proud of our supporters."

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Pre-game

Dolphins coach Kristian Woolf said his side is looking to build off last weekend's defeat of the Eels.

"I was impressed with everyone last week. We didn't do with the attack and that's not something we've been able to do all year, so it's a good little turn for us, I thought.

"It's a challenge every week, and we obviously had a tougher start than we wanted, but it's what I expected.

"You want your best players to stand up, they can do that in so many ways and they did that defensively last week.

"We know that we've got to be physical, ee know we've got to match the Warriors in that department if we're going to be a chance."

Warriors coach Andrew Webster said his team were yet to play at their best, despite winning the last five matches.

"We're playing with a lot of spirit, a lot of toughness, but we're probably not playing our best football at the moment, and we know that, but we're still happy to get the two points.

"If we win today, I'll be happy, but we are chasing the performance as well."

Team News

Dolphins: No late changes to the squad that held on to defeat Parramatta last week, with just one minor reshuffle in the forward pack. Ray Stone and Tom Gilbert have switched roles, with Stone to start at lock and Gilbert at second row. Sean O'Sullivan has again been listed as 18th man.

Warriors: A massive boost 24 hours before kick-off with champion centre Roger Tuivasa-Sheck (hamstring) coming into the side in jersey No.22 for his first game since Round 3. Enforcer James Fisher-Harris is also back from a pectoral injury. Bunty Afoa started at prop last week but drops out of the squad while Jackson Ford has been ruled out after suffering a concussion in the victory over the Dragons. Prop Tanner Stowers-Smith becomes the latest of the club's home-grown new breed to make his debut after being promoted to the bench. The 18th man is Eddie Ieremia-Toeava.

Stat attack

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