when I picked my best players it’s for 2025 club games only not career not origin not reputations just club games this year. King didn’t play against Dolphins. He’s carried the Bulldogs pack this year and that’s why he’s made origin normally NSW don’t pick effort players like King.
Dolphins in the first 4 rounds didn’t look fit, they looked off the pace, everything was slow in what they were doing. Absolute credit to Woolf and the players getting them out of trouble and into 6th spot by round 15. I’m really happy for the Dolphins to do well and I was first to praise them when they beat the Bulldogs and on other platforms I got stuck into Bulldogs fans looking for excuses or blaming the Turpin no try.
As for the comment re supporter base it’s still a very new base so winning results and style of football counts for so much to generate new fans, better coverage, more exposure and the club becoming a destination club. A lot of NRL research shows Dolphins didn’t poach fans from other clubs they have more the casual observer who have adopted them as a team. This is why winning is very important and after the last 3 weeks Dolphins have finally cracked it in the Sydney market.
Dolphins and Broncos are the only two teams who worry me in a big game but if betting markets are a guide to the minor premiership standings they’ll be week 1 of the semis so one gone straight away. Broncos and Dolphins are the only two teams who have the game to beat Canterbury. Broncos best team on paper with the most talent across the board and Dolphins have the fastest team who can score a try from inside their own half. Canberra play a style to trouble us but they don’t have the petrol to sustain it.
To quote Billy Slater from today keep on firing the personal abuse I can handle these days I couldn’t 5 years ago but someone else might not be able too.