The Dolphins became turnstiles in defence to miss the semi-finals in 2025 and will start this season with an early test of whether they have changed their ways.
Last year the Dolphins scored the most points in the NRL with 721, but it counted for nought because they let in 596 at an average of 24.83 per match.
At the Dolphins season launch, chairman Bob Jones made it clear in his speech that he expected "Coach Woolf" to fix the defensive leaks. Jones wasn't joking.
Sunday’s battle at Suncorp Stadium against South Sydney will give the club more of an idea whether the players have responded to coach Kristian Woolf’s call to arms.
The Dolphins have an injury concern over utility Kurt Donoghoe, who has been named at hooker but battling a hamstring strain. He'll have a fitness test on Saturday morning and if ruled out, ex-Panther Brad Schneider is expected to move from the bench to No.9.
"It is an attitude thing for us," Dolphins second-rower Oryn Keeley said.
"Everyone can see we can score points. Our defence, we have shown in patches we can do it really good and not get in a mindset where we go, 'we can score our way out of it'. That's the first job I will be focused on each and every game."
In the last 10 rounds of 2025 the Dolphins conceded 24 or more points nine times. That record is not going to win anything in the NRL any time soon.
Incredibly, and to showcase their attacking brilliance, the Dolphins still managed to win five of those matches.
There was a stretch of games mid-season where they had 44-8, 56-6 and 58-4 wins over Canterbury, St George Illawarra and North Queensland respectively. It is those defensive efforts, and particular the one against the Bulldogs, that they need to bottle.
"Defence is going to win comps. We know that and we are going to do everything we can to win the comp," Keeley said.
"We have done lots of drills under fatigue. We have built trust and resilience over the pre-season."
The return of rugged Queensland forwards Tom Flegler and Tom Gilbert to NRL action after both have missed the majority of the last two seasons with injury is a boost.
"They are lunatics both of them," Keeley said.
"I am excited to play with them because I haven’t shared the field with them in NRL round games. Coming here as a junior I looked up to them, so I can’t wait."
