The genius of halfback Sam Walker has kept Sydney Roosters' top four quest on track and put the brave Dolphins' semi-final hopes on a knife's edge in a scintillating clash in Perth.
Trent Robinson's men won 40-34 at HBF Park, with Walker scoring two tries from chip and chases that would have had the best exponent of the art, former star Phil Blake, licking his lips.
Coach Robinson said Walker did the same thing "most Thursdays at training".
"His eyes are really clear on any mistakes from an opposition in their defensive line," Robinson said.
"Sam is in a really good space. He is clear on his footy and deserved to be best player on the field - with the ball, with his kicking and in defence."
Walker had a personal haul of 24 points, which included eight goals from as many attempts, and he was on hand to save two tries with defensive resolve.
The Roosters remain in third position but lost winger Dom Young to a hamstring injury, while centre Joseph Manu was put on report and sin-binned for a high shot on Dolphins fullback Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow.
The Dolphins lost five-eighth Kodi Nikorima (illness) and prop Tevita Pangai Jr (calf) on match eve - two of their key strike players - but showcased trademark resilience and skill to take it to the Roosters.
They also threw away any chance of a win with ridiculous errors.
With the defeat, the Dolphins remain eighth on 24 points but are ahead of Canberra and St George Illawarra only by for-and-against after a seventh loss in nine games.
"We beat ourselves," coach Wayne Bennett said.
"We made errors under-10s wouldn't make, and it cost us the game."
The Roosters had strike right across the park and fired from the kick-off. Centre Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii stormed in, then Walker chipped and chased to score, making the difficult look ridiculously easy.
Incredibly, Walker did it again minutes later. He bamboozled Dolphins forward Felise Kaufusi, running around in a circle, then dinked the ball over fullback Tabuai-Fidow to score a try of daring and beauty.
Hooker Max Plath, the Dolphins' best player, burrowed over from dummy-half and set up one from close range for Kaufusi.
A sweeping backline play and sensational catch and pass from centre Jake Averillo led to winger Jamayne Isaako scoring and it was 18-all.
Averillo split the Roosters after the break and Tabuai-Fidow did the rest to give the Dolphins a stunning 26-20 lead. It only lasted four minutes.
Two Dolphins errors, two offloads by Roosters second-rower Angus Crichton and two Roosters tries - one each to Daniel Tupou and Sitili Tupouniua - had the Tricolours ahead 32-26.
A 20m pass by Walker, as ad-libbed as ever, inspired Tupouniua's second but the Dolphins rallied late with a Jack Bostock try in the 71st minute.
Roosters forwards Lindsay Collins and Victor Radley clashed heads in the 16th minute and went off for HIAs. Only Radley came back. Forward Nat Butcher sustained a rib injury.
The Roosters, in third position, were also brave and can rest their wounded through a bye next week.
They will have things to work on
"I feel as though our tackle was the worst it has been this year and then a lot of other things were really good, like our composure and the execution of our (attacking) system," Robinson said.
