Missed all the hype of the latest NRL Round and need and/or want to catch up in the quickest way possible? Well The Gurgler has you covered for the latest Dolphins game with our 2026 NRL Round 2 Dolphins v Gold Coast Titans – One Minute Match Report.
Our popular One Minute Match Reviews offer up just enough facts and figures and opinion to make it through the waiting for an Uber or Monday morning coffee catch ups, fifty cent train rides or carpools. This one is specifically designed to follow all the Dolphins NRL games in 2026, and to praise Ray Stone where possible. Or else.
For The Gurgler’s One Minute Match Reviews for all games, kindly follow this link…..
NRL ROUND 2 ONE MINUTE MATCH REPORTS ALL MATCHES
NRL Round 2 Dolphins v Titans Final Thoughts
Match Thoughts
Like Jerry Springer, but for rugby league.
A win is a win, and holding the title of Queensland’s best so far in 2026 feels a little shallow, but again Dolphins fans will take it.
It took a long time for the Dolphins to get going in their game v Gold Coast on Sunday at Suncorp Stadium, for a second week the attack looked a little clunky, and forward momentum relied upon the big forwards and Herbie Farnworth giving it everything with every run. Herbie has been exceptional for the Dolphins since defecting from the Broncos. The most recent Broncos defector Selwyn Cobbo put in a decent shift on Sunday night in terms of cleaning up at the back, but we’re yet to see the best of him in attack. Hopefully the Dolphins can open up in the coming weeks.
Once again, with the Titans proving hard to crack, and the Dolphins handing over too much ball, it was the perfect stage for Trai Fuller to come into the game, but unfortunately by the time he would have been very useful the Dolphins had used the four players off the bench. Of course you’re not going to say no to Ray Stone, who would dare, and Felisa Kaufusi is always good value before he gets suspended, and Oryn Keeley deserves game time after his 2025 heroics. That leaves the back up hooker Brad Schneider. He’s a great signing for depth in the halves, but he isn’t a hooker, and the Dolphins kind of need an 80 minute hooker so they can add Trai Fuller unto the rotation.
The Gold Coast were good value for the first half, and the points festival many were hoping for didn’t eventuate as the Titans were able to apply pressure to shut down anything threatening. It was a better effort against the Dolphins than Round 1’s loss to the Sharks, but they too lacked cut-through in attack, especially in the second half.
Eventually the Dolphins got going with Kulikefu Finefeuiaki’s try a bit lucky with a bouncing ball after a short drop out from the Titans, but it was no less a reward than the second rower deserved. He has been very good for the Dolphins both weeks, getting solid 80 minute performances out of him.
Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow lit up the Sunday evening crowd at Suncorp with an almost length of the field run late in the game, and his try to take the lead was well received. It came after a slightly different tactic from Isaiya Katoa on the last, dropping a shorter bomb inwards to a flying Hammer. When Katoa changes it up it pays dividends more often than not, so as good as he is, mixing up a little more might unlock a little more out of the Dolphins attack.
A timely win for the Dolphins, who have a hard run over the next six weeks, with a trip to Sydney for Cornulla, a Battle of Brisbane, plus trips to Darwin to play Penrith and over to Auckland for the in-form Warriors, with home games to Manly and the Storm thrown in. You could argue that even two wins from that six would be a decent return, but that would leave your 2026 at W3 L5, which isn’t great, but better than last season’s 0-4 start.
The Points of Interest
- Dolphins lead the H2H v Gold Coast 6-1 now.
- Gold Coast have lost their last eight away games on a Sunday v all teams.
- Dolphins have won their last three games at Suncorp Stadium v Qld opposition as the home side.
- Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow (3rd) and Kulikefu Finefeuiaki (6th) are in the top six for players with the most run metres of all players this season. The Hammer’s 314 runnign metres was nearly 100 clear of the next best.
- Tom Gilbert made 43 tackles in his 44 minutes on the field.
NRL Round 2 Dolphins Player Stats
Here are the choicest cuts of stats from the Dolphins latest match.
Season 2026 Dolphins Player Stats
