The Dolphins recovered from the shock of their 66-0 thrashing in Round 19 to claim a dominant derby victory over the Cowboys that puts them up to fifth on the NRL ladder.
Earlier, the Gold Coast Titans overcame a shocking start to win a 38-32 shootout against Manly Warringah at Robina.
Manly got off to a flying start, with Tom Trboojevic scoring the opening try in the first minute.
However, he was forced to leave the field soon after with a hamstring injury, another hamstring issue after he missed eight weeks earlier this year.
Trbojevic slipped over trying to catch a Joey Walsh pass and walked off the field covering his face in disappointment.
“Hopefully [it’s] not as bad as the last one, but naturally he’s pretty disappointed,” Sea Eagles coach Kieran Foran said.
“We’ll wait until he gets a scan and then work out the damage.”
The injury to his hamstring is the ninth he has recorded in the past eight seasons, this being the fifth he has suffered on his right side.
The injury that ruled him out earlier this season was on his left.
Isaako stars and Dolphins thrive at Lang Park
Jamayne Isaako scored a cracker of a try. (Getty Images: Bradley Kanaris)
In the second game, Jamayne Isaako scored two tries and kicked six out of six off the tee as the Dolphins powered past the Cowboys.
The Cowboys leaped into a 10-0 lead inside the opening minutes, with the returning Tom Dearden scoring a try and setting one up for Jeremiah Nanai on his return from an ankle injury that ruled him out through the Origin period.
However, once the Dolphins got going, thanks to a typically spectacular score by Isaako in the corner, they never looked back.
The Dolphins’ sixth win in a row at Lang Park moves them to fifth on the NRL ladder.
In the NRLW, the Titans thrashed the Eels 50-12 and the Broncos beat Wests Tigers 40-12, while later, the Knights play the Dragons.
Look back on how all the action unfolded in our live blog.
Sun 19 Jul 2026 at 6:08pm
Thanks for being with us
We’ll wrap things up here.
Two games in the books and the top eight is starting to look a little bit more certain – although let’s be honest, is anything certain in this crazy league?
We’ll be back next week for more action from the NRL, but for now, it’s time to say goodbye and enjoy the rest of your weekend.
Sun 19 Jul 2026 at 6:08pm
NRL ladder
Here’s how the NRL ladder looks after today’s two matches.
Sun 19 Jul 2026 at 6:06pm
A fantastic response from the Dolphins
Wow! what a turnaround by the Dolphins – last week was just an anomaly to be forgotten…
– Mike
Sun 19 Jul 2026 at 6:05pm
FT: Dolphins up to fifth after overcoming Cowboys test
The Dolphins have overcome a slow start to beat the North Queensland Cowboys 36-16 at Lang Park and move to fifth on the NRL ladder.
Tom Dearden, playing his first game since missing Origin through injury, scored one and set up another for Jeremiah Nanai to give the Cowboys a deserved 10-0 lead.
The Dolphins, having lost 66-0 at Redcliffe last week, had failed to score a point in over two hours of NRL action before Jamayne Isaako scored a typically spectacular try in the corner.
Felise Kaufusi then added another to poke the Dolphins ahead 12-10 at the break.
And they didn’t look back from there.
Isaako scored another great try in the corner, before Tom Gilbert bundled over.
Scott Drinkwater scored an opportunistic try after Soni Luke reached for the line and had the ball whacked out of his hand.
But then the Dolphins regained control, Max Plath and Connelly Lemuelu crossing to complete a victory that puts them firmly in the top eight.
Sun 19 Jul 2026 at 6:00pm
79′ AND ANOTHER ONE FOR THE DOLPHINS!
The Cowboys have switched off and clocked out.
Connelly Lemuelu hits a hole, perfectly played into it by Kodi Nikorima, and just waltzes over the line.
The Cowboys know the game is up, and they were all at sea there against this rampaging Dolphins attack.
They went over two hours without scoring in the NRL remember, after being comprehensively nil-ed 66-0 by the Sharks last week.
But now they’re back.
Sun 19 Jul 2026 at 5:55pm
77′ THE DOLPHINS SEAL IT!
Max Plath scores what is surely the winner!
Jason Taumalolo and Reuben Cotter can’t stop him!
He gets the ball 10 metres away from the try line and he spins his way over it to score after some solid pressure from the hosts.
That’s a great way for the Dolphins to ice the game.
The kick is good and it’s 30-16.
Sun 19 Jul 2026 at 5:54pm
75′ The Cowboys drop it!
Tom Chester drops the ball!
Burns was unmarked outside him and it might have been Burns who Drinkwater was trying to find with his pass.
Instead, it’s hit Chester on the chest and he drops it.
That could have been the chance.
Sun 19 Jul 2026 at 5:49pm
70′ Soni Luke drops the ball over the line! BUT THE COWBOYS SCORE ANYWAY!
It was a great attempt from Soni Luke!
He throws a dummy and takes off towards the line.
Morgan Knowles comes over the top and whacks the ball out of the hand.
Luke reaches for the ball, Knowles knocks it out his hands, so he’s playing at the ball.
The ball is free and is dotted down by Scott Drinkwater.
Kodi Nikorima is unhappy but that’s the rule, and it’s a fair try for the Cowboys!
Are we set for a grandstand finish?!
The Cowboys kick the extras and it’s 24-16 with 10 minutes to go.
Sun 19 Jul 2026 at 5:46pm
69′ Penalty Cowboys
Bit unlucky there, as Tom Dearden slips as he approaches Tom Flegler, who whacks him in the head.
That bit wasn’t unfortunate, admittedly, but the slip that put Dearden into that position was.
The Cowboys have a chance – and if they want anything from this game they need to take it right now.
Sun 19 Jul 2026 at 5:42pm
65′ Great chance for the Cowboys
Tom Dearden and Scott Drinkwater combine down the right side and come so close to releasing Braiden Burns on the short side.
It’s a lovely move but the Dolphins defence was there to wrap Drinkwater up and his pass, as a result, fell short of Burns, who knocked on.
Sun 19 Jul 2026 at 5:40pm
63′ Penalty Dolphins
Scott Drinkwater puts a kick in on the last after a good passage of play sees the Cowboys advance to the Dolphins line.
The kick is not good though and Tevita Naufahu leaps up and gathers it.
The Cowboys drag him after he’s surrendered into the in goal and it’s a penalty against them.
Sun 19 Jul 2026 at 5:37pm
61′ Dolphins succesfully challenge a knock on
Looks like Herbie Farnworth knocks the ball on as he attempts to offload.
The ball is dropped and awarded as a knock on.
But the Dolphins challenge
Heilum Luki’s hand is in there and it is that which knocks the ball away.
It’s a successful challenge and it’s a knock on Cowboys.
There was a little bit of a blue between Soni Luke and Selwyn Cobbo there, but the referee splits them all up and tells them to get on with playing the ball, which you like to see. There was nothing in it, really.
Sun 19 Jul 2026 at 5:34pm
59′ Another chance for the Dolphins!
Tevita
Naufahu breaks free! Herbie Farnworth releasing his winger with a good pass.
He looks like he’s going to have enough pace and then he kicks inside – it’s a lovely looking kick but it takes a shocking bounce and Murray Taulagi manages to pat it dead.
The Dolphins kick it short and they win the ball from the drop out.
Sun 19 Jul 2026 at 5:32pm
57′ Soni Luke saves a try
That’s brilliant from Luke.
The Dolphins made their way up field thanks to another line break, their eighth of the game, this time to Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow.
The Dolphins flood forward and have an overlap over on the right edge.
The kick is put in as a grubber in behind with Drinkwater out of position.
But Soni Luke does so well to trap the ball and jump on it.
Sun 19 Jul 2026 at 5:26pm
53′ Now they knock on
Great defence from the Dolphins.
Heilum Luki knocks on under extreme pressure from the rushing Dolphins defence and the chancge goes begging for the Cowboys.
Sun 19 Jul 2026 at 5:25pm
52′ Cowboys challenge a knock on call
Jaxon Purdue has dropped the ball.
But that’s surely gone backwards.
It’s been called as a knock on but the Cowboys challenge.
And they win the challenge.
Third tackle just a couple of metres in front of the posts.
Sun 19 Jul 2026 at 5:21pm
48′ Tom Gilbert scores!
It’s Tom Gilbert racing into the line, pushing Scott Drinkwater back.
Is he held up?
Reed Mahoney is there and he puts his boot down and that’s what the ball is grounded on.
Gilbert extends the ball towards the ground, surely that’s on the ground isn’t it?
He’s rolled it over the boot of Reed Mahoney.
AND HE’S SCORED!
It was sent up as a no try.
Kurt Donoghoe made a move to step past Coen Hess and that’s what created the opening.
Isaako slots the conversion and it’s 24-10.
The Dolphins were 10-0 down.
Sun 19 Jul 2026 at 5:17pm
47′ Burns loses the ball coming out of the Cowboys defensive end!
The Dolphins right back on the attack once again.
Another poor error from the Cowboys.
Sun 19 Jul 2026 at 5:15pm
44′ ISAAKO SCORES IN THE CORNER AGAIN!
A nothing set there after the penalty.
But then, on the fifth tackle, Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow took a step and passed flat to Jamayne Isaako.
Isaako leaps for the line.
He doesn’t so it as cleanly as he normally does, Zac Laybutt doing almost enough but not quite.
Issako has hurt his shoulder in scoring here though.
It’s his right shoulder, and he’s favouring it a lot at the moment as he lines up the kick – which he nails from the sideline.
It’s 18-10 to the Dolphins.
Sun 19 Jul 2026 at 5:13pm
43′ Penalty Dolphins
This has been a brilliant start from the Dolphins, racing hard into the line of the Cowboys.
Tom Chester puts his body on the line with a blocking tackle as the Dolphins threaten the line but he catches his man high.
It’s a penalty and the Dolphins have the ball on the Cowboys 10.
dan