Griffin appreciates Hunt’s loyalty,almost as much as he would have enjoyed seeing the little No.7 being the last player trying to stop Tabuai-Fidow from scoring late in the game.

He dead-batted the weekly question about his future and said:“What you play for is what they are feeling now in the sheds – they all know they had a red-hot crack together,and beat a really good team.”

Jaydn Su ’A picked up a calf injury while Jack de Belin was placed on report for a cannonball tackle on Ray Stone before half[time. Replays suggested de Belin’s first point of contact was Stone’s hip.

The honeymoon for the Dolphins is well and truly over. They were unable to lift for Jesse Bromwich’s 300th game and lost Anthony Milford to a hamstring injury midway through the first half. The scary thing was Milford broke down when barely breaking out of a canter. Milford joins halfback Sean O’Sullivan and Kodi Nikorima in the casualty ward,which only heaps more pressure on rookie half Isaiya Katoa.

Coach Wayne Bennett said:“I think you’ve all been waiting for this performance,you all thought it would happen in week one and it didn’t,it didn’t happen in week two,three or four,we’ve been up ... we’ve kind of played in two semi-grand finals to be candid with you,but they’ve handled it great.

“Today we didn’t play with that energy we’ve been playing with and that commitment from the kick-off.”

The Dolphins fly to Townsville next week while the Dragons can build up some steam with the Titans and Raiders awaiting them the next fortnight.

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