As the NRL season wraps up, the Dolphins are preparing for their debut finals appearance, marking a significant milestone for the club.
In their final regular season match, the Dolphins overcame a 14-0 deficit to claim a 24-20 victory against the Gold Coast Titans.
Coach Kristian Woolf remains untroubled by their slow starts, believing that "winning covers a multitude of sins."
This season, the Dolphins achieved a club-record 17 wins, with half of those victories coming after conceding the first try.
They have demonstrated resilience, overcoming six occasions of trailing by 10 points or more, including a remarkable comeback against Brisbane, where they trailed 24-0 and ultimately won 40-32.
Next week's qualifying match opponent will be confirmed following the Panthers' match against Wests Tigers.
Woolf has acknowledged some concerns, particularly regarding the team's discipline in the early moments of games. He noted the Dolphins surrendered 10 penalties in the first half against Gold Coast.
Woolf stated, "I've got no dramas. The two most important things are that we won and we got no injuries."
Despite not scoring in the opening 20 minutes during their last five matches, the Dolphins managed to secure victories, allowing only four tries in the last 60 minutes of those games while amassing 146 points.
The team's success has been fueled by a powerful forward pack led by Tom Gilbert and a talented backline including Isaiya Katoa and Herbie Farnworth.
Looking ahead, Woolf expressed confidence in his squad's potential during finals, saying, "I am very confident in the group and what I think we can do."
For the Dolphins, it will be crucial to improve their execution to compete effectively against either Penrith or the Warriors.