2023 season miscellaneous news

[Josh]

5. DOLPHINS​

Last week’s rank: 8th (up three spots)
Analysis: It was a case of two former Cowboys stars returning to haunt their old team as the Dolphins bounced back from two straight losses with a 32-22 victory in Townsville.

Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow and Tom Gilbert were both exceptional, with the Hammer vying with teammate Jeremy Marshall-King for NRL buy of the year honours.

Depth could be an issue later in the season, but if Wayne Bennett’s side can knock off one of the title favourites in his former team Souths, the Dolphins are the real deal in their inaugural season.

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Depth is an issue now but with the wins while key players are out bode well for us later in the season when hopefully, there are many fewer key players missing.

 

[Josh]

11. DOLPHINS​

Last week’s rank: 9th (down two spots)
Analysis: The Dolphins nearly produced another comeback, but ultimately fell 31-30 to the Raiders in a high-scoring golden point thriller.
Connelly Lemuelu continued his strong form with a two-try display, while Kodi Nikorima and Isaiya Katoa are proving a solid halves pairing in the absence of Anthony Milford and Sean O’Sullivan.

Wayne Bennett will be hoping his side can address their leaky defence from the last few weeks and they will need to when they come up against Nicho Hynes and a red hot Sharks attack on Saturday night.

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Fair comment. Were robbed but should never have been in the position where that could happen.

 

[Nashy]

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1653549616217083904

 

[Jetty]

View attachment 45

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1653549616217083904

A good game this weekend from Te Whare might spell the end for Brenko in the NRL. Would be a shame. If he could just lay off the McDonalds for a bit, lose 2 or 3 kgs, gain a little speed, he could still be good. But he obviously can't.

 

[Red]

AFL shows NRL how expansion should work​

The stunning difference between how the NRL and AFL treat their new franchises​

• The AFL will expand to 19 teams from 2028 after announcing the introduction of a new club in Tasmania this week. And the game will go above and beyond in an effort to ensure the team is successful from day one.
• That will include the Tasmanian team getting four or five first round draft picks in the 2027, 2028 and 2029 national drafts.
• They will also be given $1 million outside the salary cap to sign marquee players and a father-son clause.

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Personally I don't think it's a good idea for the NRL to help a new club so much. Though a draft is absolutely necessary.

 

[Jetty]

AFL shows NRL how expansion should work​

The stunning difference between how the NRL and AFL treat their new franchises​

• The AFL will expand to 19 teams from 2028 after announcing the introduction of a new club in Tasmania this week. And the game will go above and beyond in an effort to ensure the team is successful from day one.
• That will include the Tasmanian team getting four or five first round draft picks in the 2027, 2028 and 2029 national drafts.
• They will also be given $1 million outside the salary cap to sign marquee players and a father-son clause.

---

Personally I don't think it's a good idea for the NRL to help a new club so much. Though a draft is absolutely necessary.

Yep. Not needed at all. The AFL has blown and continues to blow so much money trying to implant teams into areas the game isn't popular. Even the migrants from Victoria up here only follow AFL for a few years while their kids play/follow league. But a general draft would be good and fair.

 

[DolphinLungren]

Yep. Not needed at all. The AFL has blown and continues to blow so much money trying to implant teams into areas the game isn't popular. Even the migrants from Victoria up here only follow AFL for a few years while their kids play/follow league. But a general draft would be good and fair.

I don't know mate, AFL has been super successful I thought everywhere they have expanded. For example the Lions have 40k members compared to the Broncos 30k here, with an average 26k vs. 29k home crowd attendance (last year). The AFL also has almost double the numbers of juniors playing than league. Not sure about this new Tassie team but the NRL have dropped the ball over the past 10-20 years and let AFL snatch up a big market share.

 

[Josh]

I don't know mate, AFL has been super successful I thought everywhere they have expanded. For example the Lions have 40k members compared to the Broncos 30k here, with an average 26k vs. 29k home crowd attendance (last year). The AFL also has almost double the numbers of juniors playing than league. Not sure about this new Tassie team but the NRL have dropped the ball over the past 10-20 years and let AFL snatch up a big market share.

Double the number in QLD? A lot of parents don't want their kids playing league, at least not until they are 15 or 16 due to how tough it is.

 

[DolphinLungren]

Double the number in QLD? A lot of parents don't want their kids playing league, at least not until they are 15 or 16 due to how tough it is.

Almost double across the country as a whole - of all kids playing a team sport 6.5% play AFL vs 3.5% for NRL last year. And yep parents are definitely worried for their kids safety playing both actually, particularly NRL. I guess that a major reason they are really cracking down on any contact with the head or injury-producing tackles like the hip drop, as well as future liability for concussion related lawsuits.

 

[Equaliser]

Almost double across the country as a whole - of all kids playing a team sport 6.5% play AFL vs 3.5% for NRL last year. And yep parents are definitely worried for their kids safety playing both actually, particularly NRL. I guess that a major reason they are really cracking down on any contact with the head or injury-producing tackles like the hip drop, as well as future liability for concussion related lawsuits.

Plus the huge size difference. Specially but not only some Pacific islanders are huge by the time they are 13 but don't grow much more. There was talk about making it about size, not age but I think there were some problems with that and it was put away.

Anyway, AFL sux and is only popular in WA and the southern states of Australia. It might win a battle or two here and there but it will lose the war.

 

[Red]

Former Melbourne teammates expose Cameron Munster’s Dolphins backflip​

Cameron Munster is bracing for a hostile reception when he faces the Dolphins​

• Felise Kaufusi has put Cameron Munster on notice following revelations the Storm superstar told Melbourne’s Dolphins defectors he would be joining them at Redcliffe.
• The Dolphins tabled a massive $5.6 million deal to lure Munster to Redcliffe, only for the Melbourne maestro to stay loyal at the 11th hour.
• Munster’s backflip went down like a lead balloon with Dolphins mentor Wayne Bennett.
• Now Munster finally faces the Dolphins club he spurned.
• Kaufusi said he is primed to target Munster, motivated by the Storm playmaker’s claim that he stayed loyal because he had a better chance of winning premierships at Melbourne.
• Even Munster’s manager Braith Anasta believed Bennett had his man.

 

[Chris]

Former Melbourne teammates expose Munster’s Dolphins backflip​

Cameron Munster is bracing for a hostile reception when he faces the Dolphins​

• Felise Kaufusi has put Cameron Munster on notice following revelations the Storm superstar told Melbourne’s Dolphins defectors he would be joining them at Redcliffe.
• The Dolphins tabled a massive $5.6 million deal to lure Munster to Redcliffe, only for the Melbourne maestro to stay loyal at the 11th hour.
• Munster’s backflip went down like a lead balloon with Dolphins mentor Wayne Bennett.
• Now Munster finally faces the Dolphins club he spurned.
• Kaufusi said he is primed to target Munster, motivated by the Storm playmaker’s claim that he stayed loyal because he had a better chance of winning premierships at Melbourne.
• Even Munster’s manager Braith Anasta believed Bennett had his man.

Wayne obviously feels we need a 5/8 but this might turn out to be a blessing in disguise. Farnworth is coming as a result for one. And honestly, Niko and Milf are doing a pretty good job. No reason at all they can't next year as well. Plenty of time to find a long-term replacement.

 

[Red]

Wayne obviously feels we need a 5/8 but this might turn out to be a blessing in disguise. Farnworth is coming as a result for one. And honestly, Niko and Milf are doing a pretty good job. No reason at all they can't next year as well. Plenty of time to find a long-term replacement.

And Wighton wasn't a "long-term" solution. He's already north of 30.

 

[Equaliser]

Former Melbourne teammates expose Cameron Munster’s Dolphins backflip​

Cameron Munster is bracing for a hostile reception when he faces the Dolphins​

• Felise Kaufusi has put Cameron Munster on notice following revelations the Storm superstar told Melbourne’s Dolphins defectors he would be joining them at Redcliffe.
• The Dolphins tabled a massive $5.6 million deal to lure Munster to Redcliffe, only for the Melbourne maestro to stay loyal at the 11th hour.
• Munster’s backflip went down like a lead balloon with Dolphins mentor Wayne Bennett.
• Now Munster finally faces the Dolphins club he spurned.
• Kaufusi said he is primed to target Munster, motivated by the Storm playmaker’s claim that he stayed loyal because he had a better chance of winning premierships at Melbourne.
• Even Munster’s manager Braith Anasta believed Bennett had his man.

Blessing in disguise.