Isaiya Katoa to make NRL finals debut against Warriors in New Zealand
Dolphins playmaker Isaiya Katoa will play his first NRL finals match in Auckland, New Zealand, on Saturday. In the semi-final, the Dolphins will face the Warriors away from home. As ABC News Australia reports, it will be Katoa's first match at the finals stage at any level since 2022 — the season before his NRL debut.
Success in youth competitions
In February 2022, Katoa signed a contract with the Dolphins on his 18th birthday. In the same season, he played for the Penrith Panthers in youth competitions. In the SG Ball under-19 final, Penrith trailed the Sydney Roosters 0:20 in the opening 25 minutes but came back to win 22:20.
Katoa provided a try assist in one of Penrith's tries and helped create two more, earning man-of-the-match honours. He later played in Penrith's reserve-grade semi-final against North Sydney, scoring a try and providing two assists in a 22:14 win.
In the Jersey Flegg semi-final against the Roosters, Katoa created a try and kicked a field goal in his first match for that team that season. Penrith won 27:22.
More current news is available on the UA.News Telegram channel Telegram.
Six finals victories
In the Jersey Flegg decider against the Newcastle Knights, the teams finished regular time level at 18:18, and the match went into double overtime. According to ABC, Katoa missed several field-goal attempts but remained composed and delivered the decisive kick.
Overall, in 2022 he played six finals matches for Penrith across three different competition levels and won each of them. That same year, Katoa also made his debut for Tonga at the World Cup, completed his HSC remotely during the tournament, and began his career with the Dolphins after returning.
Over the past 18 months, ABC notes, Katoa has firmly established himself among the league's leading young halfbacks. The match against the Warriors in Auckland will be a new test for him, with the Warriors set to play in front of more than 25,000 fans. ABC highlights Katoa's ability to hold pauses before passing and create space for his teammates.
