Watch Out for Ricky: Raiders Coach Unleashes Passion as Dolphins Suffer Stunning Second-Half Turnaround

Canberra staged a remarkable comeback, recovering from an 18-point deficit to clinch a thrilling 40-28 victory against a formidable Dolphins side on Sunday afternoon.

The match began with a shaky performance from the home team as Kodi Nikorima was sin-binned for a high tackle, allowing Savelio Tamale to open the scoring for the Dolphins. However, the visitors quickly found their rhythm at GIO Stadium.

Nikorima, along with his halves partner Isaiya Katoa, showcased their skill with the ball, while Jake Averillo and Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow displayed their speed and flair as the Dolphins surged to a commanding 28-10 lead by half-time.

A bizarre moment involving Daniel Saifiti left everyone— including the player himself— in disbelief as he was awarded a peculiar try.

With the match still closely contested and the Dolphins on the attack, Saifiti managed to cross the line, but referee Ashley Klein initially ruled it a no try.

Replays revealed that Saifiti had juggled the ball, raising questions over whether it made contact with the arm or head of Raiders hooker Tom Starling during the play.

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Ultimately, Bunker official Adam Gee overturned Klein’s decision, resulting in a hilariously surprised reaction from Saifiti and some of his teammates.

“The angle from behind indicated it might not have touched, but the first angle gave us a hint it could have,” said Warren Smith on Fox League.

“He even seems surprised; I reckon he anticipated red lights for that one.”

Steve Roach conceded it was a “lucky” break for the 28-year-old.

“He managed to keep hold of the ball after it bobbled, and he was a bit fortunate that it didn’t touch any Raiders players,” the league legend stated on Fox League.

Following the half-time break, Canberra began to steadily work their way back into the game, with Zac Hosking and Ethan Strange scoring tries amid a string of errors from the Dolphins.

Corey Horsburgh avoided a sin-bin for a high tackle on Tabuai-Fidow, despite the earlier incident with Nikorima being of a similar nature.

The referees deemed it was merely a penalty rather than a high-impact incident.

With both teams still at full strength, Canberra pressed on, and Matty Nicholson capped off a dynamic effort to equal the scores.

A costly play-the-ball error by Josh Kerr with under 10 minutes remaining allowed the Green Machine to maintain their momentum, culminating in Kris diving on a loose ball in the in-goal area to reclaim the lead.

Head coach Ricky Stuart could hardly contain his delight.

“What an incredible comeback!” Roach exclaimed on commentary.

With just four points separating the teams and the clock winding down, Jamal Fogarty sealed the victory with a classic show-and-go, scoring under the posts.

“Can you believe this comeback? They haven’t scored in the second half!” Roach exclaimed.

Fogarty also successfully converted a penalty goal after the final siren, solidifying the win.

This triumph propels Canberra into third place on the competition ladder.

Looking ahead, both teams face challenging encounters next weekend during Magic Round, with the Dolphins squaring off against the Roosters, and the Raiders preparing to clash with premiership giants Melbourne.