Concerns Grow for Penrith as Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow’s Hat-Trick Stuns Defending Champions

Penrith’s winless streak on Australian turf has been extended for yet another week, as the Dolphins secured a remarkable 30-12 triumph on Thursday evening.

The reigning champions’ pursuit of a fifth consecutive premiership title has stumbled out of the blocks, with the only victory to their name coming from Las Vegas.

Initial mistakes from both sides rattled the players, but it was the Dolphins who seized the first opportunity in the clash at Suncorp Stadium.

Penrith found themselves down to 12 men by the 25th minute, as star winger Paul Alamoti was sent off for a high tackle on Dolphins captain Tom Gilbert.

This incident followed an avoidable penalty in the Dolphins’ 10-metre zone, with Penrith opting for a quick chip kick on the first tackle from the scrum.

The home side capitalised on their numerical advantage, creating an opportunity for Gilbert to make a run through the middle, only to be met by Alamoti’s shoulder.

“I believe we did eventually get the hang of managing high tackles towards the end of last week… but this instance appears to be a bit more serious,” Billy Slater remarked on Nine.

“He might have to take a seat for 10 minutes.”

Officials reviewed the footage, resulting in Alamoti’s dismissal for failing to attempt a proper tackle on Gilbert.

Nathan Cleary was spotted arguing with referee Grant Atkins, asserting that Alamoti was “not leading” with his shoulder.

However, Cleary’s appeal was to no avail, and Andrew Johns conceded it was “hard to dispute” the decision to send Alamoti off.

The Dolphins took full advantage and extended their lead to 12 points when Jake Averillo crossed for a try just before halftime.

Despite their struggles, the Panthers showed some defensive prowess, making fewer critical errors than their opponents, even managing to score through Connelly Lemuelu.

“The Panthers are looking a bit disjointed,” Slater noted.

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Nonetheless, a total of five penalties against them disrupted the reigning champions’ rhythm, leaving Cleary searching for solutions to guide the less experienced players in his squad.

“Everything is new to them,” Johns commented.

“He’s dealing with a lot of inexperienced players. He needs to simplify his game. This is another challenge for Nathan in his illustrious career, learning to adapt when on the back foot,” Johns stated.

“They simply lack the power in the middle of the park; they can’t push through.”

A ruled-out try for the Dolphins then allowed the Panthers a chance to attack, which led to a crucial mistake in-goal by Jack Bostock that gifted Moses Leota a try.

Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow capped off the home side’s evening by pouncing on a loose ball, sidestepping Isaah Yeo to complete his hat-trick with an impressive 80-metre run.

“I have my reservations about their capacity to make the finals,” Johns remarked about Penrith.

“Particularly during Origin time… they usually rest a multitude of players at that stage.”

Earlier, Tabuai-Fidow was the first to hit the scoreboard, linking up with Herbie Farnworth to finish a brilliant piece of playmaking.

Farnworth created space in the centre after receiving a cut-out pass from Tabuai-Fidow, returning the ball to the fullback to power over the line.

Tabuai-Fidow continued to excel for the Dolphins, scoring his second try, while the visitors managed to find the board through Casey McLean in the 10th minute.