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The Dolphins stared down a 14-point hole on the Gold Coast and came roaring back, beating the Titans 24–20 to carry winning momentum into the club’s first NRL finals campaign.
Gold Coast had them 14–0 down inside 16 minutes and threatening to turn the final night of the regular season into an uncomfortable one. By half-time, though, the Dolphins had dragged themselves back to 14–12 before two quick tries after the break completed the turnaround.
It wasn’t the performance of a top-four side cruising towards September. What mattered was how the Dolphins responded once the Titans had put them under genuine pressure.
Gold Coast Lands the First Punches
Playing his 100th NRL game, Jayden Campbell crossed after six minutes before AJ Brimson added another in the 10th. Campbell converted both and then kicked a penalty goal to give the Titans a 14–0 advantage.
The Dolphins, with Kodi Nikorima, Kulikefu Finefeuiaki and Selwyn Cobbo all given the night off as Woolf took a cautious approach ahead of the finals, had made a mess of the opening quarter and were suddenly chasing the game.
Their opportunity arrived when Keano Kini was sin-binned in the 23rd minute, and they didn’t waste it. Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow crossed less than two minutes later, Herbie Farnworth followed in the 28th and Jamayne Isaako converted both to cut the deficit to 14–12 at the break.
Twenty-Four Unanswered Points Change the Game
Rather than losing momentum at half-time, the Dolphins came out and finished the comeback almost immediately.
Ray Stone crossed in the 45th minute after Francis Molo broke the Gold Coast line, putting the visitors ahead for the first time. Two minutes later Tabuai-Fidow was through again and, with Isaako maintaining his perfect night from the tee, a 14-point deficit had become a 24–14 lead.
It was the Dolphins at their most dangerous. Once they found some rhythm, four tries arrived in a little over 20 minutes.
What followed was less convincing, with errors preventing them from putting Gold Coast away and giving the Titans enough possession to stay in the contest. Campbell eventually crossed for his second try in the 71st minute and converted to make it 24–20.
The final minutes became a scramble rather than a procession. Isaako was placed on report following a tripping penalty, while Titans prop Moeaki Fotuaika was sin-binned and placed on report late as Gold Coast searched for a way to steal the match.
They couldn’t find it.
A Win With a Warning Attached
There is plenty for Kristian Woolf to take from the comeback, but probably just as much from the way the Dolphins got themselves into trouble.
Giving a Titans side that entered the round in 16th a 14-point start was an obvious concern, while the errors that followed the second-half surge allowed a game the Dolphins appeared to have taken over to remain alive until the closing minutes. September is unlikely to offer the same margin for recovery.
Still, Tabuai-Fidow’s double again showed how quickly this attack can change a match. Farnworth continued his late-season scoring form, while Isaako’s four conversions ultimately made the difference in a four-point result.
There was a little history attached to the win as well. The Dolphins had won each of their previous three matches against the Titans at Cbus Super Stadium, so their perfect record there against Gold Coast now stands at four from four.
More significantly, the regular-season climb that began with their NRL debut in 2023 is complete. Finishes of 13th, 10th and ninth have now given way to a top-four season and the club’s first appearance in September.
The Dolphins won’t want to take Friday night’s opening 20 minutes with them. The ability to recover from it, however, might be worth packing.
Titans 20
Tries: Jayden Campbell 2, AJ Brimson
Goals: Jayden Campbell 3 conversions, 1 penalty goal
Dolphins 24
Tries: Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow 2, Herbie Farnworth, Ray Stone
Goals: Jamayne Isaako 4 conversions
Half-time: Titans 14–12 Dolphins
Venue: Cbus Super Stadium, Gold Coast
Round: 27, 2026 NRL Telstra Premiership
Published 4-September-2026
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