Mad Max & Raging Ray: Dolphins’ Championship Reload

Dolphins Urged to Channel Plath and Stone’s Grit for Season Turnaround

The Dolphins are facing a crucial juncture in their season, with their upcoming derby clash against the Gold Coast Titans presenting a golden opportunity to ignite their campaign. To seize this moment and shift from entertainers to genuine premiership contenders, the team is being urged to embrace the unwavering ethos of their returning stars, Max Plath and Ray Stone. Their grit, commitment to the team, and formidable defensive capabilities are precisely what the Dolphins collectively need to exhibit if they are to progress and contend for finals football this year.

Max Plath, affectionately known by the fanbase as “Mad Max,” is set to make his highly anticipated return to the NRL field on Sunday. This will be his first appearance since a ruptured ACL tragically ended his 2025 season in round 14. Named on the bench for the Brisbane showdown, Plath embodies the tireless work ethic and team-first attitude that has been sorely missed. Whether it’s making a crucial tackle, taking on a difficult run, providing vital support play to score a try, or cleaning up loose balls, Plath is consistently there to get the job done.

At just 24 years old, Plath’s remarkable tackle efficiency of 94 per cent is a statistic that speaks volumes, particularly following the Dolphins’ nail-biting 40-30 loss in round one against the South Sydney Rabbitohs and a defensively shaky performance throughout the 2025 season. Dolphins coach Kristian Woolf emphasised the importance of Plath’s return, stating, “We need what Max brings. He offers so much to the team with his energy, his work ethic and support play. I’m looking forward to having him back.” His presence is expected to inject a much-needed dose of resilience and intensity into the Dolphins’ forward pack.

Equally vital to the Dolphins’ resurgence is the return of Ray Stone, the team’s “unsmiling assassin” renowned for his ability to both inflict and absorb punishment on the field. Also named on the bench, the uncompromising lock forward exemplified the team’s never-say-die attitude last season. Stone played through the latter half of the 2025 season with two severely injured shoulders, a testament to his extraordinary commitment during a period of significant injury crisis for the Dolphins.

The 28-year-old’s no-prisoners approach was notably absent in the opening round against the Rabbitohs. Having undergone surgery on both shoulders during the off-season, Stone is a player held in high regard by Coach Woolf. “Ray will never let you down and will do whatever he can for the team, regardless of the circumstances,” Woolf commented. “I know when I put him on he is going to work his absolute butt off. I respect enormously what Ray did last year and what he put himself through. We get to deal with a lot of tough men, but he’s right at the top of that list.”

The Dolphins, often lauded for their attacking flair and “razzle-dazzle” style, are now faced with a critical decision: do they want to be remembered as mere entertainers, or are they truly aiming for premiership contention? Coach Woolf made his dissatisfaction with the team’s defensive frailties from the previous week abundantly clear. While acknowledging that both Plath and Stone will require some time to regain their peak form, their return could not have come at a more opportune moment.

Woolf elaborated on the impact of their inclusion: “They are two big ins who will improve the way we play with the toughness and mindset they will add to us. They are both guys that chase work and tackle really well, and there are a couple of things around that we just didn’t get quite right last week.” The coach’s sentiment underscores the urgent need for the Dolphins to harness the relentless spirit of Plath and Stone. Their return signifies more than just filling spots on the team sheet; it represents a tangible shift in the team’s DNA, a call to arms for a more robust and determined performance as they prepare to face their rivals. The challenge now lies in how effectively the entire squad can absorb and replicate the uncompromising intensity that these two warriors bring to the field.