Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow and the Dolphins host the Reece Walsh and the Broncos in a blockbuster Battle of Brisbane at Suncorp Stadium.
Watch your team in the 2025 NRL Telstra Premiership. Stream every round LIVE in 4K, with no ad-breaks during play, on Kayo Sports. New to Kayo? Get your first month for just $1. Limited-time offer.
MATCH CENTRE: Dolphins vs Broncos teams, scores, videos, updates
The Dolphins are still without a win three games into the season but Kristian Woolf is sticking to his guns with the same 17 who surrendered a 12-point lead to the Wests Tigers last week.
The Dolphins won three of their opening four games in their first two seasons under Wayne Bennett but they’re now staring down the barrel of a 0-4 start under their new rookie coach. In the NRL era, only four teams (2001 Knights, 2002 Storm, 2011 Titans and 2018 Rabbitohs) have played finals after starting the season 0-4.
It’s early days for Woolf but the infamous Bennett Curse appears to have its claws into yet another coach.
The Dolphins are lacking experience but Woolf has once again left veteran prop Kenny Bromwich out of his 17, with the former Kiwi international named 18th man.
Connelly Lemuelu (eye socket) is still a few weeks away.
The Broncos returned to winning ways in the Queensland derby last weekend and now they’ve got a huge return in Kotoni Staggs for the Battle of Brisbane.
The Origin-experienced centre Staggs (quad) comes back into the side as Deine Mariner cops the axe.
Mariner had a breakout season last year but under new coach Michael Maguire he’s fallen behind journeyman Gehamat Shibasaki in the pecking order.
Maguire is an old school hard taskmaster of a coach who prioritises work ethic over all else. Nothing has been handed to 27-year-old Shibasaki who has been let go by five clubs in his 33-game NRL career.
But the workhorse outside back impressed Maguire over the summer to earn his spot ahead of 21-year-old Mariner who scored 17 tries in 21 games last season.
Staggs, 26, is a huge injection who will this season look to return to the form that saw him picked for the Kangaroos in 2023.
TEAMS
Dolphins team: 1. Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow 2. Jamayne Isaako 3. Jake Averillo 4. Herbie Farnworth 5. Jack Bostock 6. Kodi Nikorima 7. Isaiya Katoa 8. Daniel Saifiti 9. Jeremy Marshall-King 10. Felise Kaufusi 11. Kulikefu Finefeuiaki 12. Max Plath 13. Tom Gilbert 14. Kurt Donoghoe 15. Oryn Keeley 16. Mark Nicholls 17. Ray Stone 18. Kenny Bromwich 19. Sean O’Sullivan 20. Josh Kerr 21. Max Feagai 22. Junior Tupou
Broncos team: 1. Reece Walsh 2. Selwyn Cobbo 3. Kotoni Staggs 4. Gehamat Shibasaki 5. Jesse Arthars 6. Ben Hunt 7. Adam Reynolds 8. Patrick Carrigan 9. Cory Paix 10. Payne Haas 11. Jack Gosiewski 12. Jordan Riki 13. Kobe Hetherington 14. Billy Walters 15. Corey Jensen 16. Xavier Willison 17. Brendan Piakura 18. Tyson Smoothy 19. Deine Mariner 20. Martin Taupau 21. Jaiyden Hunt 22. Jock Madden
FOLLOW THE ACTION IN OUR LIVE BLOG BELOW. CAN’T SEE IT? CLICK HERE.
Discussion about this post