Opinion
It’s Magic Round, and the Dolphins are down on troops.
The Dolphins had battled and struggled their way into the NRL, and they weren’t about to give up now. After all, it was Magic Round. In desperation and in need of a miracle, they turn to their groundskeeper.
The groundskeeper was overweight by his own admission and had only ever played a few games of rugby league, let alone play in the NRL! But the overweight groundskeeper does have one thing: the spirit of the Dolphin.
The overweight groundskeeper has been set what seems an impossible task: not only must he make his NRL debut, he must take on the might of Siosifa Talakai: the hulking State of Origin superstar.
Well, the overweight groundskeeper completely dominates Talaki. In front of a deafening Lang Park crow he crosses for two tries, beating defenders left and right. With the spirit of the Dolphin pulsing through his veins, he leads the battered Dolphins to defeat the premier heavyweight Sharks in the first-ever battle of the fins.
Yes, I know referring to Valynce Te Whare as an overweight groundskeeper is misleading. He is an exceptionally talented rugby union convert from New Zealand, who had a short stint as the Dolphins’ groundkeeper. And yes, I also know Talaki had a pretty good night, too.
But I don’t care about those “facts”. And neither will the Dolphins. You see, the Dolphins are building an identity: they are the rejects. The battlers always up against the odds. They are David and the entire NRL is Goliath.
And I believe no Dolphins player encompasses this new identity better than Jeremy Marshall-King.
A couple of years back, JMK came out and said that his goal was to be in the top five hookers in the game. A brave thing to do – put your goals out there to the world. It was met with ridicule as online cowards mocked him. Shortly afterwards, he was unwanted by the Bulldogs and found a new home at the Dolphins.
Well, JMK has now achieved that goal.
Following Magic Round, Marshall-King’s attacking statistics look better than any other hooker in the NRL.
(Photo by Bradley Kanaris/Getty Images)
JMK has the most try assists (seven), the equal-most line break assists (six) and the most try involvements (11) of any hooker in the NRL. Comparatively, Harry Grant has five try assists, four line break assists and nine try involvements. JMK has also managed to do this in only eight games, while the Storm rake has played nine.
Marshall-King is also equal second in average running metres per game, tied with Damien Cook and behind Reece Robson, but once again ahead of the consensus best hooker in the game, Grant.
JMK is no slouch in defence either, averaging 39 tackles per game.
But stats alone aren’t everything. There are also the intangible factors. JMK is by far and away the senior player in the Dolphins spine, making him a leader in the NRL’s newest club. The fact the Dolphins are sitting fifth in their first year in the NRL, you’d think a pretty successful one too.
Realistically, Grant is head and shoulders the best hooker in the game. On current form, however, JMK is sitting right behind him.
That is meant as a complement – but I’m not sure that he’ll take it as one. Nor will the Dolphins faithful.
Next weekend, JMK gets to go head-to-head with Grant. The stage is set – it’s David versus Gollaith again. And if you think you know which way it’s going to go, think again. Because do you know about the spirit of the Dolphin? And have you heard about the overweight groundskeeper?
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