The Dolphins have won their first NRL match on debut with a shock 28-18 victory over the Sydney Roosters.
With master coach Wayne Bennett at the helm, the Dolphins scored five tries to three in front of more than 32,000 spectators at Brisbane's Lang Park.
Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow made history as the Dolphins' first try scorer, while teammate Jamayne Isaako crossed for a double.
Mark Nicholls and Connelly Lemuelu also scored tries for the NRL newcomers, while Isaako kicked four conversions.
The victory comes 35 years after Bennett guided the Brisbane Broncos to a win in their first premiership appearance.
Dolphins back rower Felise Kaufusi was awarded the Artie Legacy Medal — named in honour of Arthur Beetson — as player of the match.
"That was awesome, what an effort. It is huge and just to see the crowd here supporting us, it's outstanding," Kaufusi told ABC Sport.
Kaufusi gave credit to Bennett for bringing the club together during their first preseason.
"No-one sees what goes on behind the scenes. A big preseason … that's just the magic of good old Wayne Bennett," he said.
A second-half double to Dolphins winger Isaako — after rampaging forward Lemuelu scored one of his own — gave the Dolphins an incredible 28-12 lead after 56 minutes on the back of ferocious defence.
The Dolphins showed they would be no pushovers for any side in the NRL this year.
They went try-for-try with their more-fancied opponents to go to half-time at 12-12 before putting the foot down.
For decades, Bennett-coached teams have been known for showing their skill and not giving up.
Hooker Jeremy Marshall-King set up both first-half tries and played the best match of his career. Halves Isaiya Katoa and Sean O'Sullivan directed traffic and were integral to the win.
The Roosters only had themselves to blame for their demise after a suite of uncharacteristic errors.
Prized recruit Brandon Smith had a head clash with teammate Egan Butcher early and was sent for an HIA.
Victor Radley suffered an accidental finger in an eye from Butcher and spent time off the park in the first half.
Radley then left the field with concussion in the second half — along with prop Matt Lodge — while Butcher was sin-binned as the Dolphins ran riot.
The Roosters' class had them on the board first when centre Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii planted a Luke Keary bomb after Isaako fumbled.
Marshall-King split the Roosters up the middle from 60 metres out and Tabuai-Fidow loomed up on the inside to cross. It was a moment that lifted the entire side and gave them a sense a date with destiny awaited.
Titans take down Wests Tigers
Gold Coast has crashed Tim Sheens's Leichhardt Oval homecoming, toppling Wests Tigers 22-10 and spoiling any hopes of a bright start to the joint-venture's new era.
The Titans, also desperate to turn things around after a lacklustre 2022, looked an improved side as they made the most of their chances with David Fifita leading the way.
The only concerns for Justin Holbrook's men will be a knock to the knee for Keiran Foran, while prop Tino Fa'asuamaleaui was also placed on report for a high shot.
After being one of the stories of the summer, the Tigers were cheered in the warm-up and given a standing ovation onto the field by the 14,667 spectators.
They had the first points through a penalty goal when Gold Coast put a kick out on the full, earned three penalties before the Titans touched the ball and had all the early running.
Then Daine Laurie made an error in attack, and it was back to the same old frustration for Tigers fans, who later began filing out of the famous old ground with 10 minutes to go.
Adam Doueihi offered some signs of promise for the club, as he broke through to score a try in the second half and went to the line to set up another.
But any hopes the Tigers had of getting back into the match and giving Sheens his first win at the club since August 2012 were cruelled by their own sloppiness.
It came after a frustrating first half, in which they had 26 play-the-balls on the Titans' line but could not cross for a try.
Gold Coast, in comparison, had three forays inside the Tigers' 20-metre zone and led 12-2 at half-time.
The visitors' first try came when Foran put Fifta through a hole on halfway and Phillip Sami loomed up in support to finish the job.
With questions lingering over his future amid an approach from Brisbane, Fifita appeared to relish playing alongside Foran and finished the night with 162 metres and five tackle busts.
Sami scored the Titans' next when he won the race to an Alexander Brimson grubber kick, before Sam McIntyre made it 18-2 after the break when the Tigers let a Tanah Boyd bomb bounce.
Any hopes the Tigers had of getting back into the match at 18-10 were extinguished when Brimson scored off a superb Jayden Campbell ball after a scrum.
For the Titans, there is hope after a long run of false dawns and disappointments.
The Tigers have work to do early in Sheens' second era before Benji Marshall succeeds as coach in 2025, but Doueihi at least gave fans some small reason to believe.
AAP/ABC
