The Dolphins were the NRL's best attacking team in 2025, and enter 2026 looking to play finals for the first time.
Now three years into their journey as the NRL's 17th side, the Dolphins have narrowly missed the top eight in each of the last two campaigns, but certainly have all the tools to go a step further than they have to date.
But the Dolphins face numerous big selection calls heading into 2026.
An enormous injury ward over the last 12 months will do that. Youngsters have broken out and others need to make their returns.
Add all that to a couple of key off-season recruits, including Selwyn Cobbo from the Broncos and English forward Morgan Knowles from St Helens, and it's not difficult to understand where the headaches are about to be.
Here are the key Dolphins' selection questions heading into 2026.
Who plays at fullback?
The emergence of Trai Fuller means the previously uncontested number one jumper at the Dolphins is now well and truly up for debate.
Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow is an Origin calibre fullback, but in the same breath, he has played plenty of representative football in the centres.
Maybe more importantly, he played the role superbly for the Dolphins at times in each of the last two years when he has been moved, allowing for Fuller to play in the number one.
It's a genuine conundrum for Kristian Woolf, particularly considering the number of other options the Dolphins have around the backline.
The other issue for the Redcliffe-based outfit is that this is a contract year for Fuller. He is so talented that they will want to fight to retain his signature. The only way they are going to do that is by giving him consistent minutes at fullback.
