Dolphins down Titans for first win of 2025 NRL season

The Dolphins have opened their 2025 NRL account with a dominant 36-10 win over the Titans at Cbus Super Stadium, snapping a four-game losing streak and handing coach Kristian Woolf his first win of the season in emphatic style.

While the scoreboard was one-sided, the match will be remembered just as much for the NRL’s ongoing crackdown on high contact, with both sides reduced to 12 men in a fiery first half.

Titans captain Tino Fa’asuamaleaui was sin-binned in just the second minute for a high shot on Felise Kaufusi, setting the tone for a clash riddled with ill-discipline and frustration.

Dolphins forward Ray Stone later joined him in the bin for a swinging arm on Beau Fermor, but it was the visitors who made the most of their numerical disadvantage.

“We were beaten, well beaten tonight,” Titans coach Des Hasler admitted post-match.

“But I just think the crackdown is interfering with the integrity of the game. People pay good money to watch footy, and I don’t think they’re getting a fair deal.”

NRL Round 5 Highlights: Titans v Dolphins

Despite playing 10 minutes without their skipper, the Titans only conceded once during Fa’asuamaleaui’s absence.

But as the match wore on, their poor discipline — nine penalties and 10 errors — compounded their woes and gifted the Dolphins field position time and again.

Winger Jamayne Isaako kicked eight from eight and scored a try in a 20-point haul, while Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow silenced early-season criticism with 143 metres, a line break, and his first try of 2025.

“It’s a big relief,” Tabuai-Fidow said post-game.

“I just wanted to focus on building my game this week, and I think our connection as a spine showed tonight.”

Rising playmaker Isaiya Katoa was sensational in the halves, combining smartly with Kodi Nikorima and putting the result beyond doubt with a hand in multiple tries.

“Isaiya’s growing in confidence every week,” Woolf said.

“That win takes some pressure off, but what’s more important is how committed we were defensively. That’s the benchmark we need to match every round.”

The Dolphins led 16-0 at halftime thanks to tries from Tabuai-Fidow and Daniel Saifiti, before Max Plath and Connelly Lemuelu extended the lead after the break.

Consolation tries from Phil Sami and AJ Brimson briefly gave Titans fans hope, but Isaako’s late four-pointer sealed a comprehensive victory for Dolphins who were paying $2.45 with the top online bookmakers.

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Gold Coast were missing key players including Sam Verrills and Jojo Fifita, and face a nervous wait on Fa’asuamaleaui’s fate as the match review committee reviews his high shot.

Hasler said the loss wasn’t about excuses.

“We’ve got to be better. It’s a forceful game, and sometimes things happen — but we were too reactive, and we paid for it.”

The Dolphins, meanwhile, now prepare for a short turnaround ahead of a tough test against the Panthers, but carry vital momentum.

“It wasn’t just a win — it was a great win,” Woolf said. “That’s the type of football we’ve been building toward.”

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