Missed all the hype of the opening NRL Round and need and/or want to catch up in the quickest way possible? Well The Gurgler has you covered with our 2025 NRL Round 1 Match Results – Dolphins v Rabbitohs One Minute Match Report.
Our famous One Minute Match Reviews offer up just enough facts and figures and opinion to make it through the waiting for cyclone Alfred or Monday morning coffee catch ups, fifty cent train rides or carpools.
FINAL THOUGHTS
It wasn’t a classic match, but it was better than not taking place at all, so the NRL did well to move so swiftly. It also felt like a game that neither wanted to win, not through effort, just a lack of attacking cut through which will improve as the season progresses. Although you could also claim a little unfairly that it was a match of two sides that probably won’t make the eight. Early days though.
There were some great performances on either side, one of them coincidentally Lachlan Hubner, a former Dolphin brought to South Sydney by Wayne Bennett. The two Jais were great for the Bunnies to, Arrow providing plenty of fire on the edge, and fullback Gray who played beyond his height and was a more than adequate replacement for the injured Latrell. Talking of injured, Campbell Graham was magnificent on his return from injury. Keaon Koloamatangi was probably South Sydney’s best on the night.
The Dolphins also welcomed back some key injured players from the past few years, most notably Tom Gilbert, who received a deserved nod as captain in pre season. Gilbert was fantastic up the middle. Daniel Saifiti wasn’t bad either.
New signing Kulikefu Finefeuiaki was outstanding before he left the field and never returned after failing his HIA. He looks to be a great signing and looked like he could break through the line on every second occasion.
Still work to do for both sides, the Dolphins attack looked a bit patchy at times, and the last play options were lacking in imagination most of the time, especially late when the game was on the line. The late line up change in the halves for the Dolphins wouldn’t have helped, but Isaiya Katoa and Sean O’Sullivan are still a decent NRL duo.
The loss isn’t the end of the world, but it certainly doesn’t help slow down the Wayne Bennett curse narrative.
2025 NRL Round 1 Match Results – Dolphins v Rabbitohs Stats
Courtesy of nrl.com
BEST OF STATS
That’s now W1 L7 for the Dolphins v Sydney clubs in Sydney. It’s also six losses from their last seven on a Friday.
The win breaks a seven game losing streak for Souths in the NRL.
The Hammer ran for 216 metres, it was only the seventh time since joining the Dolphins that he has run for over 200 metres.
It was Campbell Graham’s best match total for Post Contact Metres and second best total for all Run Metres. A great return from injury.
