The penultimate round of the Hostplus Cup sees two teams with conflicting runs of form going head to head.
The Townsville Blackhawks currently sit in second place on equal points with the league-leading Norths Devils.
The Blackhawks have corrected a mid-season form slump to win back-to-back games entering Round 22.
Conversely, the Redcliffe Dolphins have won just one game from their last four matches and are at great risk of missing the finals altogether.
Despite the difference in ladder position between the two teams, both the Blackhawks and Dolphins concede an average of 21 points a game, though the Blackhawks average an extra two points scored compared to the Dolphins.
The Dolphins’ defence is no doubt a point of contention for head coach Eric Smith, with Redcliffe having conceded 62 points in their past two matches.
September footy is defined by defensive resilience, and if the Dolphins are to turn their season around, they’ll have to lead with their shoulders.
With that being said, the Dolphins will still be leaning on fullback Zacariah Miles to provide attacking spark from the back.
Miles has averaged just shy of 200m a game in his last two outings and was a shining light in their heavy defeat last weekend, breaking ten tackles in a valiant effort.
Finals footy has been a hard-fought achievement for Townsville, not competing in September since 2021.
Head coach Terry Campese will no doubt be telling his men about the importance of the next fortnight as a preparation tool entering the finals.
A Blackhawk who is going from strength to strength entering the finals is winger Dudley Dotoi.
The breakout player of this season, Dotoi leads the competition in tries scored with a staggering 23 tries in 18 appearances.
The winger also leads the competition in line breaks made, recording eight more line breaks than Israel Leota, who sits second in total line breaks.
Dotoi has formed a devastating one-two punch with his inside man Tom Nisbet at centre.
Both teams will have great motivation entering this match, as the Blackhawks search for their first minor premiership since 2018 while the Dolphins will be fighting tooth and nail to hold on to eighth position with two matches remaining.
Catch all the action this Sunday live and free on Qplus.tv, Kayo & 9Now.
