Dolphins fullback Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow scored a brilliant hat-trick to orchestrate the club's biggest win in a 38-0 thrashing of St George Illawarra.
It was Tabuai-Fidow's first treble in the NRL and a remarkable comeback after his afternoon to forget last weekend against his former club North Queensland.
The dazzling fullback was complemented by recalled 20-year-old halfback Isaiya Katoa's masterful display of game management at Redcliffe's Kayo Stadium.
It was the Dolphins' largest winning margin since joining the competition last season, and the first time they had kept an opponent scoreless.
"We had a few things we had to work on after last week, most of that being effort, so it was nice that the boys turned up with an attitude to want to work hard," Dolphins captain Jeese Bromwich said.
"That was the main difference between this week and last week."
This was also the Dolphins' bravest victory. They lost five-eighth Kodi Nikorima to concussion in the 18th minute and were without hooker Jeremy Marshall-King to an HIA for the back-end of the first half.
Versatile lock Max Plath and bench utility Kurt Donoghoe stepped up in their absence.
Led by hitman Felise Kaufusi, the hosts' defensive resolve was top shelf.
The Dragons fell apart in the second half, going back to their bumbling ways of 2023.
It was the complete opposite of their thumping win over the Gold Coast the previous week, plus they had prop Frank Molo put on report and sin-binned for a high shot on Jarrod Wallace.
"That was a complete opposite to what we had last week when we had energy and commitment and today we had none of that," Dragons coach Shane Flanagan said
"We've still got some work to do and - really disappointed that we have gone backwards, but we'll shake it all off and go again."
The Dolphins started on fire.
Winger Jack Bostock did well to catch a Ben Hunt bomb near his own line. He broke away and found Tabuai-Fidow, who fended off opposite number Tyrell Sloan to race 70m to score, breaking his longest try drought of six matches.
During the week, winger Jamayne Isaako was fine-tuning his leaps for Kodi Nikorima bombs. It paid off deluxe when the Dolphins No.6 sent a kick skyward. Isaako snaffled it with ease and it was 10-0 after nine minutes.
Nikorima and Marshall-King went off on in the space of four minutes.The latter's injury came after Ben Hunt kicked the ball directly into the head of the Dolphins No.9.
Dragons fullback Tyrell Sloan was a threat, and at one stage burst through before putting in a chip and chase. Tabuai-Fidow arrived in time to defuse the situation, showing pure determination.
Marshall-King returned after the break and made his presence felt, sending prop Mark Nicholls crashing over for 16-0.
Katoa set up Jake Averillo for a try on his club debut, before Tabuai-Fidow lit up the stadium when he raced through onto a Bostock chip, toed ahead and scored. It was scintillating stuff.
Marshall-King strolled over, before Tabuai-Fidow scored his third to rub salt into gaping Dragons wounds.
