North Queensland Cowboys vs Dolphins score, Tom Dearden returns from injury
The Dolphins defeated the North Queensland Cowboys 36-16 in an NRL match, significantly boosting their chances of reaching the finals. Former Cowboys player Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow played a pivotal role in the victory, which left the Cowboys struggling in eighth place.
Why it matters
This result has major implications for the NRL finals race, highlighting the impact of player transfers and team performance in a competitive league.
NRL NRL-PREMIERSHIP Superstar comes back to haunt former side as Dolphins demolish Cowboys Payten miss golden top 8 opportunity | 04:26 Robert Craddock from Code Sports July 19th, 2026 8:02 pm Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow has delivered the Dolphins to the doorstep of their four year finals dream by torturing his old club at Suncorp Stadium.
The nightmare that was the Dolphins 66-0 defeat by Cronulla last round was flushed away by a rousing, if not flawless 36-16 decimation of the Cowboys before an excellent crowd of 35,213.
With 11 wins and a positive points for and against, the Dolphins are likely to need to win just two of their last six games to seal the finals berth they have steadily advanced to with finishes of 13th, 11th and ninth in their first three seasons.
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