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They were far from their best, and littered their game with errors, but the Dolphins can thank their back five for saving their blushes in securing a 18-14 triumph of the Gold Coast Titans.
If not for the Redcliffe men’s own ill-discipline, their backline may not have needed to come to the fore as much as they did. Fortunately, they were up to task to prevent what threatened to be a Queensland derby boilover.
But it was two moments of brilliance form fullback Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow which saved the day.
First, the Maroons flyer was making a telling break down the left-hand touchline – miraculously brought down by opposite number Keano Kini, only for the shift back to the right ended with Jake Averillo crossing to score.
Then, ‘The Hammer’ was leaping above Kini to reel in an Isaiya Katoa bomb, scoring himself to get the Dolphins in front for the first time with just six minutes on the clock.
Tabuai-Fidow went on to finish with 282 running metres and eight tackle busts, and was joined by his fellow backline members as saviours, who spent much of the contest forced to come out of their own end.
Selwyn Cobbo (193 metres), Herbie Farnworth (139 metres, six tackle busts, six offloads), Jamayne Isaako (115 metres) and Averillo (166 metres) all got through a mountain of work to keep a Titans side at bay who appeared destined to get their first win under coach Josh Hannay after an hour of play.
“When you have someone like Hammer who’s so good in the air you have to make sure you target that and use that to your advantage. We went to that a couple of times and I knew one was going to eventually fall because he kept getting closer and closer to the contest,” Katoa said.
Worst half of the season in round two?
The opening half of this clash could go down as the worst of the 2026 campaign. The play was slow, errors were coming by the bucket, and no team truly looked like making an impact.
It was hardly good signs when Kulikefu Finefeuiaki knocked on from just the second tackle of the match, and it rarely got better from there heading into the break.
Twice the Dolphins blew golden opportunities to strike due to forward passes, with the Titans throwing one of their own when Tino Fa’asuamaleaui was certain to score at close range.
On another two occasions the Dolphins coughed up possession on the attack – one from a knock on, and another from a loose pass that hit the turf – while the Gold Coast were guilty of doing the same.
“We looked like we were lacking a bit of confidence in the first half, it looked like every time we had the ball we thought we had to score, and we’ve done that to ourselves two weeks in a row,” Dolphins coach Kristian Woolf said.
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It even took another mistake from the hosts for the first try to be scored in the 33rd minute – Connelly Lemuelu dropping the ball cold, with the Titans swooping on it and scoring through Jojo Fifita.
By halftime, the Dolphins – trailing 8-0 – had a completion rate of just 60 per cent (12 of 20) and had made nine errors. The Titans were better, completing at 81 per cent, but 55 per cent of possession really should have struck more clinically than their sole try courtesy of their rivals’ own mistake.
“I think like a lot of teams, early in the year your attack isn’t the thing that’s at its best. I thought credit to the Dolphins, their goal-line D was strong – they didn’t fall over in front of us,” Hannay said.
Kini responds to Ponga challenge
At the end of the same week Kalyn Ponga’s international allegiance shift to New Zealand was complete, Kini – the incumbent Kiwis fullback – issued a timely reminder that if his rival was to unseat him, it would need to be through some truly special performances.
The 21-year-old’s speed and footwork was unable to be shown in open space. However, he proved a workhorse eager to inject himself into the contest – finishing with 188 running metres.
His break early in the second half created the territory for rookie forward Cooper Bai to streak through a hole and score his first NRL try, before coming up with a brilliant try-saver on Jamayne Isaako.
The NRL’s shift in State of Origin eligibility guidelines to open the door for players with New Zealand heritage to represent their state instigated Ponga’s move, with the Queensland Maroons No.1 having long expressed a desire to honour his Trans Tasman roots.
Ponga looked dangerous on the same day in the Knights’ 36-16 defeat of Manly - running with vigor and regularly jumping into first receiver, before being forced off with a hamstring injury after scoring a try in the opening half.
But given Kini managed to stand out in a clash where little did, the Newcastle skipper - when fit - will have his work cut out to force his way into the Test fold.
“The talent’s obvious, and he is so brave that young lad. The courage and talent is there for everyone to see, but it’s about fronting up week after week, and that’s what the great ones do,” Hannay said.
“He’s well on his way to getting there.”
New Flegler woes emerge
Thomas Flegler has only just made his comeback from a career-threatening injury, but now the Dolphins’ enforcer could be facing another stint on the sidelines.
In just his second NRL game since returning from nerve damage in his shoulder sustained in early-2024, the former Maroons star failed to see out the first half with a rib concern.
Flegler took some pain relief in the sheds, but failed to return.
“He was available to go back on, we chose not to put him back on. We’ll need to see how that pulls up through the week,” Woolf said.
Finefeuiaki shouldered a huge load without Flegler, finishing with 203 running metres and his second try in as many weeks after a Titans’ short dropout.
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