Maroons try machine Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow has a message that will send shivers down the spine of NSW fans: he’s just getting started.
It’s a concerning thought for Blues supporters after the flying Dolphin scored a hat-trick in Wednesday night’s 38-10 victory in Origin I.
Tabuai-Fidow credits Queensland coach Billy Slater for much of his improvement and he’s looking to be even better when the Maroons look to close out the series in Melbourne on June 26.
“That confidence he puts in me during the week with the sort of coach he is and the fella he is, it’s good,” Tabuai-Fidow said.
“It’s a good feeling coming down here and getting the win. Especially down here in Sydney, it’s a good feeling and a great win for the boys.”
Blues v Maroons – Game 1, 2024
Slater took the unusual step of rushing down to the field during the first half to deliver a message to his young charge before racing straight back up to the coach’s box.
The idea came about during Tuesday’s captain’s run, with Tabuai-Fidow initially concerned he was in trouble before he was quickly put at ease.
Slater’s focus in the conversation on Wednesday night and throughout the series has been developing the defensive side of the back’s games.
The coach knows Tabuai-Fidow can score tries at will but was most impressed with his work off the ball throughout the contest.
What a save from Hammer
“He did a great job under the high ball and positionally,” Slater said. “Not just scoring three tries, but he saved just as many, getting underneath Spencer Leniu, that’s not easy, I think he held up James Tedesco there at one stage too.
“He did a wonderful job to adjust to a different position. I know he plays there every week, that’s a great luxury but I thought he was super.”
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Tabuai-Fidow burst on to the scene as a 19-year-old with the Cowboys in 2020 and quickly went on to become one of the most exciting youngsters in the NRL.
A State of Origin debut followed in 2021 before he played a key role in last year’s Maroons series victory.
Now playing for the Dolphins, the outside back has made a habit of terrorising opposition defences in both the NRL and Origin.
Tabuai-Fidow has scored 44 tries from 77 NRL games and eight tries in just five appearances for the Maroons.
It doesn’t matter what position he’s playing either, having starred at wing, centre and fullback.
That continued on Wednesday night, with Tabuai-Fidow starting the game in the centres before shifting to the back after Reece Walsh was knocked out of the game in a hit that saw Joseph-Aukuso Sua’ali’i sent off.
The Maroons promptly made the most of the one-man advantage, Tabuai-Fidow scoring two tries in the space of five minutes after breaks through the Blues right edge.
Sua’ali’i sent off
The situation immediately justified the decision to select Selwyn Cobbo on the bench, with the youngster slotting straight into the centres after Walsh left the field.
A 22-year-old with a big frame and a physical playing style, Cobbo has been compared to Greg Inglis and Tabuai-Fidow said it’s not hard to see why.
“He’s a big body [like Inglis], he moves well and is a hard fella to tackle,” Tabuai-Fidow said.
“What he can do in attack, it’s good for the team to let him go out there and do what he does.”