Dolphins host Melbourne Storm in Round 9 of the 2026 NRL season at Suncorp Stadium on Friday. Read on for our full match preview, betting tips, and best odds.
Two sides badly in need of a drought-breaking win square off at Suncorp Stadium.
FORM: The Dolphins are on a four-match losing streak but were gallant in their two defeats since the bye, going down to the Panthers in golden point in Darwin (23-22) and the Warriors in Wellington (20-18) – the NRL’s current top two.
The Storm are as close to rock bottom as they’ve ever been in the Craig Bellamy era, crashing 48-6 at AAMI Park to a South Sydney outfit that had never won in Melbourne. It was the Storm’s biggest loss since 2003.
INS AND OUTS: Dolphins centre Jake Averillo is out with a hand injury, replaced by Trai Fuller with Brad Schnedier named at five-eighth. Morgan Knowles returns from injury at lock.
The Storm have lost Jahrome Hughes to concussion, with Tyran Wishart to slot in at halfback. Hugo Peel will debut on the wing, while Shawn Blore, Alec MacDonald and Ativalu Lisati have displaced back-rowers Joe Chan, Cooper Clarke and Trent Loiero in the starting side.
KEY MATCH-UP: An aggressive Dolphins pack matched up to the Panthers impressively and outmuscled the Warriors’ vaunted engine-room. Tom Gilbert will look to lead the fight again opposite Stefano Utoikamanu and the Storm.
HISTORY: The Dolphins got off the mark against the Storm in the clubs’ fourth meeting, carving out a remarkable 42-22 win at Suncorp Stadium in Round 7 last year.
KEY STAT: The Storm have never lost seven games in a row. The Dolphins have lost more than four on the trot just once, in late-2023.
VERDICT: The notion that the Storm are bound to turn things around is starting to feel less and less inevitable – they are in dire straits with a struggling pack, a talisman in Cam Munster that is off the boil and now an injury to their blue-chip halfback.
If the Dolphins dish up a similar performance as the past two weeks, it should be enough to get the job done at home…though they could use a bit more impetus from Isaiya Katoa to unlock their pacy backline.
Tip: Back the Dolphins to Cover the Line (-3.5) @ $1.83
SGM: DOLPHINS WIN / OVER 9.5 TOTAL TRIES / HARRY GRANT ANYTIME TRYSCORER / JAMAYNE ISAAKO ANYTIME TRYSCORER @ $12.70
Dolphins vs Melbourne Storm Odds & Popular Betting Markets
Here’s a quick look at the current odds and popular betting markets for the Dolphins vs Melbourne Storm matchup.
*odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change