The build up to the biggest local derby in the short history of the Dolphins will be overshadowed by questions over player fitness, with both the Redcliffe-based outfit and the Brisbane Broncos unsure of their 17 who will take to the field on Saturday evening.
Wayne Bennett's side are guaranteed to be without both Jesse Bromwich and Kodi Nikorima for the game as they go through concussion protocols after last weekend's loss to the Melbourne Storm.
There are further issues for the Dolphins though, with AAP reporting Max Plath, who has been named at hooker, Ray Stone, who has been named at lock, and Tevita Pangai Junior, who is on the reserves list but was only set to miss a single week with a hamstring problem, are no guarantee to play.
Pangai Junior failed to train on Tuesday, while Stone is suffering a neck injury, and Plath battling a calf injury.
Whether any of the trio are able to play remains to be seen, with the Dolphins getting closer to welcoming back hooker Jeremy Marshall-King from a foot injury, who was named on the reserves list.
Should Plath and Marshall-King both miss out, Kurt Donoghoe will likely start at dummy half, while Mason Teague would be the obvious candidate to start at lock for Ray Stone, with Lachlan Hubner the obvious candidate to join the bench, potentially alongside either fullback Trai Fuller or five-eighth Anthony Milford if neither Pangai Junior or Marshall-King are able to play.
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The Broncos are also getting closer to welcoming back Payne Haas, who has been named in the reserved for the game against the Dolphins.
In what could be a big boost for the Red Hill based outfit, Haas has seemingly recovered ahead of schedule from a foot injury.
In what is a crunch clash, the loser will be all but out of the race to play finals rugby league, although a minuscule mathematical chance would remain.
As it stands, the Dolphins and Broncos are only separated on for and against, with both clubs two points behind the eighth-placed St George Illawarra Dragons.
The Dragons have a woeful for and against, and so if either the Broncos or Dolphins can win both of their games over the final fortnight of the season, they will only need the Dragons to drop one of their remaining two games (against either the Parramatta Eels in Round 26, or the Canberra Raiders in Round 27) to qualify for the top eight.
