Following the first of two scheduled competition breaks in the NRLQ series, the Dolphins returned to the field this past Sunday, defeating the Broncos 34-12 at BMD Kougari Oval.
The Dolphins had a late change to their side before the match, with James Walsh replaced by Tevita Naufahu at centre, following Naufahu's stint as the 18th man in the Dolphins' Round 17 NRL victory the night before.
An early penalty for dangerous contact on Noah Fien while kicking in the Dolphins' first attacking set of the game gave the visitors an early advantage with a new set 12 meters from the Broncos' try line.
With the first look at the Broncos' tryline, the Dolphins were quick to capitalise on their field position, with NRLQ debutant Mereki Warradoo scoring the game's first try in the third minute.
An additional penalty on the ensuing set saw the Dolphins enter the opposition's half with ease, ultimately forcing a Broncos goalline dropout.
The Broncos' attempt to recover possession from a short dropout was thwarted by the Dolphins, after which hooker Braelan Marsh identified unset markers to scoot through the defensive line and score next to the goalposts. With a successful conversion, the Dolphins lead 10 to 0, only 8 minutes into the match.
A strong Dolphins defensive set, followed by an undisciplined Broncos defensive set with two set restarts, invited the Dolphins into attacking territory once again. Halfback Noah Fien broke the defensive line with a dummy and right foot step to extend his side's lead, with Callum Bowles' successful conversion seeing the away side up 16 to 0.
Receiving the ball from the kickoff, the Dolphins moved the ball over the halfway line before a fifth tackle kick from Fien was followed by a rapid kick chase from the Dolphins left side.
In an aerial challenge for the ball with Tevita Naufahu, Broncos winger Siosaia Poese knocked the ball on before a deft touch by Naufahu's right foot set up Mereki Warradoo to score his second try of the match. With the try converted, the Dolphins moved to a 22-point lead.
After a rapid first 16 minutes of the match, multiple errors and penalties from both sides resulted in few complete sets and possession changing hands numerous times for the next 20 minutes.
Despite this, the Dolphins continued to execute on their trademark stout goalline defence seen throughout the competition so far, not allowing the opposition to reduce their lead.
Late in the first half, another knock-on under the high ball from the Broncos allowed the Dolphins to launch another attack. Shifting the ball to their left-hand edge, Mereki Warradoo scored a first-half hat-trick, with the Dolphins leading by 26 unanswered points going into the halftime break.
The second half began with a more dominant period for the Broncos, as they took control of possession following errors by the Dolphins.
Moving into an attacking position in the Dolphins' defensive 20, the Broncos found themselves near the goalline, with Anton Whaiapu swiftly moving from dummy half to crash through the Dolphins' defenders, planting the ball on the try line and scoring his side's first points of the match. The successful conversion from Broncos five-eighth Darius Rogers saw the Dolphins' lead narrowed, 26 to 6.
Both sides continued to trade blows without scoring until Dolphins' centre Elijah McKay crossed in the 54th minute.
With the ball in the Bronco's defensive 20 metres, following a strong Elijah Rasmussen carry, the Dolphins moved the ball to their right, finding McKay, who passed to winger Callum Bowles, who, in turn, was able to curl a grubber kick around defenders for McKay to ground the ball for the try.
The Dolphins led 30 to 6 with 24 minutes to play until another Mereki Warradoo try, his fourth of the match, several minutes later, saw the Dolphins take their largest lead of the game, at 34 to 6.
The score would only change again in the dying minutes of the match, with Broncos winger Siosaia Poese intercepting a Lachlan Buchbach offload to run 40 metres and score. With the conversion, the game finished 34 to 12 in favour of the Dolphins.
In what was another dominant performance for the Dolphins, they now sit undefeated at the top of the competition ladder at the halfway mark of the series. Having completed all away matches, the Dolphins will now play three consecutive home fixtures, with the first scheduled for next Saturday, July 5th, at 2 pm at Kayo Stadium.
