How much have the Dolphins slipped this season?
As the 2026 season approached, many analysts and fans confidently placed the Dolphins in the top eight, with some even speculating that they might break into the top four.
Isaiya Katoa was anticipated to enhance his skills, while the addition of Selwyn Cobbo was meant to inject vitality into the Dolphins' backline.
During the 2025 season, the Redcliffe-based team made unwanted headlines by becoming the first team in over a century to finish with the best attacking statistics while failing to qualify for the finals, exposing their significant defensive struggles.
Thus, it was logical for the club to prioritize their defense during the pre-season.
"That's been a big focus for this camp and it's always hard pre-season, so I think we're going to be going good," Jake Averillo stated to reporters in February.
"We know we're a very good attacking team, it's just applying those little things to defence, little effort areas that are going to win us games."
However, after seven rounds, there seems to be little to no improvement in their defense, currently ranking as the fourth-worst in the league.
Sitting in 12th place with only two victories, one must question if the Dolphins have indeed regressed this season, and to what extent.
The straightforward answer is, yes, they have significantly declined.