3 minute read
The Dolphins host the Broncos in a round 26 derby where the winner will stay alive in the finals race and the loser will be on the cusp of Mad Monday..
The Dolphins will host the most momentous rugby league derby Suncorp Stadium has seen in a sell-out showdown with Brisbane on Saturday night.
With both sides' finals hopes on the line, Dolphins coach Wayne Bennett will enter the home sheds at Suncorp Stadium for surely the last time in his decorated rugby league career.
Bennett will plot the demise of the club he took to six titles, but in three clashes so far the Broncos have prevailed.
With both teams on 26 points and just two points behind eighth-placed St George Illawarra, the 5.30pm showdown, known as 'The Battle of Brisbane', could not have a more meaningful carrot hanging on the result.
The winner will still be alive in the finals race ahead of the last round the following week, while the loser will be all but finished for 2025.
If the Dragons beat Parramatta in the 3pm game on the same day, the loser of 'The Battle' will definitely not play finals.
"It is heading for a sell-out," Dolphins CEO Terry Reader told AAP.
"It has already proven again it is the biggest game of club rugby league the NRL has.
"When you add the machinations of what is going on with the finals race, the finals come early to the Battle of Brisbane.
'From our club's point of view the biggest thing about the game is that we weren't in contention for finals at this stage last year but we are this year.
"The goal was to improve on last year and be in the hunt for finals, and we are."
Adding to the intrigue is the fact the Broncos have moved to ninth on 26 points, the same number as the Dolphins (10th), Newcastle (11th) and Canberra (12th).
The for-and-against of the five teams still in the hunt for eighth position could prove decisive. The Broncos (+2) have a clear advantage over the Dolphins (-27), Knights (-70) and Raiders (-131). The Dragons (-120) also have a poor record.
Both sides are without key players, with Broncos coach Kevin Walters confirming fullback Reece Walsh (hand) and prop Payne Haas (foot) will be unavailable.
The Broncos take winning form into the derby after a 30-24 comeback victory over Parramatta on Friday night.
The Dolphins were licking their wounds after a dismal 48-6 loss to Melbourne on Saturday, when they lost captain Jesse Bromwich and five-eighth Kodi Nikorima to concussion.
Coach Wayne Bennett confirmed both would miss Saturday night's clash.
"It's a category one, so it's an automatic 11-day stand down (for both). There's no discussion," said Bennett, who labelled the loss to the Storm "our worst performance of the season".
"I'm sure we will regroup. We are going to lose a couple of players so that adds to the injuries, but we will turn up in Brisbane and be doing our best."
