Are the Dolphins genuine premiership contenders?

In the Dolphins’ four-year history, they have not played in an NRL finals series.

But Corey Parker has remained steadfast in his belief that the club can win it all in 2026.

Having improved on their ladder position each year through their first three seasons, the Dolphins are set to continue this trend in 2026 with a maiden finals berth.

After a 2-5 start to the season, Kristian Woolf’s men have rattled off seven straight wins to sit in third place.

Their latest win against the Tigers was particularly impressive given it was without star halfback Isaiya Katoa, who was ruled out of the clash with a knee injury.

As a result of their form, the Brisbane Broncos legend is confident they could be a chance to keep the Provan-Summons Trophy in Queensland for another year.  

“This is now seven (wins) in a row,” Parker said on SENQ Breakfast.

“And also, without some of their stars.

“They will play finals this year, and I've said openly, I think they can win the comp."

This was a sentiment shared by Samoa coach Ben Gardiner, who was particularly impressed by their second-half performance.

“I watched the Dolphins again, we talked about their depth last week,” Gardiner explained on SEN’s Front Office with Vossy.

“They were undermanned, but they hung in the game, and they hung in the game.

“Just 12-10 at halftime, and then they just showed their brilliance as the game went along.

"They ended up winning 36-22 in what was a tight game in the first half.

“So, to be undermanned and still have the depth to come out and win a game like that against the West Tigers side that is getting pretty desperate and wants to keep winning, I thought the Dolphins were amazing.”

The third-placed Dolphins host the second-placed Warriors at Suncorp Stadium on Saturday.

SEN League will have live coverage of the match from 1pm AEST with Crunch Time NRL, which can be heard across our radio network and on the SEN app.

Kick-off takes place at 3pm AEST.