Arthur Beetson's dream of an NRL contest between the Dolphins and Sydney Roosters will be realised in Friday night's preliminary final at Suncorp Stadium.
The Dolphins' 28-18 victory over the Roosters on March 5, 2023, established credibility for a club whose squad had been widely criticised.
Former coach Wayne Bennett said the result helped generate momentum, with the Dolphins later finishing 13th, 10th and ninth from 2023 to 2025.
They were one victory from the finals in both 2024 and 2025, and now stand one win from a grand final.
Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow, Jamayne Isaako, Isaiya Katoa, Jeremy Marshall-King, Tom Gilbert, Ray Stone, Kurt Donoghoe and Connelly Lemuelu remain from that opening side.
Kodi Nikorima, Jack Bostock and Max Plath joined later, while Felise Kaufusi, the first match's player of the game, has recently played in Queensland Cup.
"I don't think we'll ever know how important that first win was, beating the Roosters here, because we apparently weren't going to win a game and we were going to have a poor squad," Dolphins CEO Terry Reader said.
Reader said 12 players from the 2023 top-30 remain, with at least 11 expected to play.
Beetson won premierships with the Roosters in 1974 and 1975 and the Dolphins in 1965, and the clubs now honour him through their match medal.