The Dolphins have continued Round 23's remarkable run of comebacks, overcoming a 24-point deficit to stun the Broncos 40-32 at Suncorp Stadium on Saturday night.
Brisbane looked destined to cruise to victory after racing out to a 24-0 lead inside the opening 20 minutes, with Ezra Mam crossing twice in the space of three minutes to ignite the Broncos.
Reece Walsh was flawless with the boot early, converting all four of Brisbane's opening tries as the Broncos appeared to have the match firmly in their control.
But the Dolphins refused to go away.
Kristian Woolf's side responded with three tries in a frantic 10-minute period, suddenly turning what appeared to be a one-sided contest into a genuine shootout.
The Broncos hit back, with both sides trading tries in a remarkable end to the first half, all of which were converted, as Brisbane took a 30-24 advantage into the sheds.
However, the momentum completely shifted after the break.
The Broncos managed just a penalty goal in the second half, while the Dolphins continued to pile on the pressure and eventually ran away with the contest.
Woolfe praised his side's resilience after they looked dead and buried early in the match.
"We made life hard for ourselves at the start of the game being 24-nil down. But I could see there was an intent about us. It wasn't like we hadn't turned up, and you could see that we were there to play. We were just getting a few things wrong and putting a bit of pressure on ourselves, and you know maybe a little bit nervous. I'm not sure, but I love the way we fought our way back.
“In the second half I felt like we were in control. I felt like we were always going to win,” he said.
For Brisbane, the defeat was another painful reminder of the inconsistencies that have plagued the club, with Michael Maguire left to rue another dramatic collapse.
Despite holding a 24-point advantage, the Broncos were unable to maintain their control, conceding 40 points to a Dolphins side that grew in confidence as the match progressed.
“It hurts, obviously,” Maguire said before admitting he didn't think his side would be in the situation it's currently in.
“There's still plenty of work that we need to do. We got through halfway of last year, and we were probably having some similar challenges; then we hit a streak, and we went on to some pretty good places.”
Maguire pointed to the importance of building a stronger team culture and consistency over the remainder of the season.
“That's the will to work hard for each other, which they do, and if they're willing to stick at it, you'll find that. I've been a part of teams that have done that,” Maguire said.
“It's not so much what's going on and where we are on the ladder; it's about what we can do to make sure that we can build something that's strong over periods of time.
“Obviously I'm frustrated. You can't let in that many tries to put yourselves in a position to be able to really contend.”
The Broncos' inability to close out the contest proved costly, particularly with the side failing to cross the try line in the second half.
“Everyone's going to turn up and be at their best, so we need to be at our best. We're currently not doing that.”
