It may not have been the dream end to their inaugural NRL season that they were hoping for, but the Dolphins managed to finish the season with one last win. Taking on the Auckland Warriors, the Dolphins nabbed their ninth win for the year with a smashing result of 34-10 at Suncorp Stadium on September 2.
The Dolphins scored first in the eighth minute, when Jack Bostock soared into the left corner and Jamayne Isaako converted from touch, taking the score to 6-0. They held onto their lead for a big chunk of the match. A brilliant inside ball by prop Jarrod Wallace found Isaiya Katoa in support and the Dolphins had cashed in on the weight of possession to lead 18-0 after just 28 minutes of play.
The Warriors opened the second half with more steel in their defence, showing they weren't going down without a fight. When Freddy Lussick crashed over from dummy half in the 58th minute, the Warriors had closed within 16 points and given themselves some hope. But alas hope wasn’t enough, it was the Dolphins who secured the win.
The Dolphins went out exactly how they joined the competition, coming in with all guns blazing. Rewind to round 1 of the 2023 season, the Dolphins set the bar high when they upset the Roosters 28-18. They followed it up with another upset in round 2, this time against the Canberra Raiders with the Dolphins victorious 20-14. It was another big win in round 3, taking down the Newcastle Knights 36-20.
They lost their footing for the next two rounds before clocking another win against fellow Queensland side, the Cowboys in round 6. It felt like the year of seesawing for the new side. It was a case of they won some and lost some, hits here and misses there. But on a high note for the newbies, they managed to defeat four top eight teams in their debut season – the Raiders, Knights, Sharks and Warriors and they also avoided the wooden spoon, coming in 13th on the points ladder.
The feel-good factor around the club also translated off the field, with 30,000 people signing up for membership, with this milestone remarkably placing the Dolphins in the top three for membership numbers in the NRL after just one season.
So, what will the Dolphins look like in 2024? Wayne Bennett has recruited some gems for next year with Herbie Farnworth and Tom Flegler from the high-flying Brisbane Broncos sure to help them improve immensely, both through the middle and with their ability to post points. Jake Averillo is also joining the Dolphins, after offering glimpses of his potential during a trying time with the Dogs.
Get your Phins up in 2024!