Recruitment and retention

[Nashy]

Damn! In hindsight that's really too bad for the Broncos. But at least they have stopped chasing Bellamy. After being rejected the first time, surely it was time to move on but no....

They've stopped chasing him again, for now.

 

[Josh]

They've stopped chasing him again, for now.

Good for them. But now I'm happy for them to stop burning bridges in a futile attempt to get him. I often wondered if he was merely trying to undermine the Broncos rather than seriously considering joining them.

 

[Chris]

Damn! In hindsight that's really too bad for the Broncos. But at least they have stopped chasing Bellamy. After being rejected the first time, surely it was time to move on but no....

The guy has been taking the piss out of the Broncos for many years.

 

[Red]

The guy has been taking the piss out of the Broncos for many years.

Bellamy is ruthless! Whether it's choking the f**k out of ****** so he passes out. Twisting the knee of ****** so he needs a knee reconstruction. Recommending any number of duds who seem ok while surrounded by stars (Admittedly, that’s not his fault. What kind of intellectually retarded organisation seeks advice from a ruthless rival?) or just plain old flirting with a rival he has no intention of defecting to.

He has taken the game to a new level of professionalism and ruthlessness. But personally I'll be glad when he's gone. But if Nashy and his gang want to throw the kitchen sink at him again, (for the 4th time?) good luck to them. We are happy with Benny.

 

[DolphinLungren]

Who are we looking at as the long-term successor of Wayne?

 

[Jetty]

Who are we looking at as the long-term successor of Wayne?

Wolff, Wayne's assistant.

 

[Red]

Rating the 2023 recruits​

Hits: The Dolphins are unique given that every player at the NRL’s 17th club is essentially a new recruit. They were lambasted for their recruitment, but you can’t argue that the Dolphins have done a great job with limited time given their early season success. Storm trio Jesse and Kenny Bromwich and Felise Kaufusi have set standards at Redcliffe while fellow forwards Jarrod Wallace, Mark Nicholls, and Tom Gilbert have been sensational. Halfback Sean O’Sullivan was in great form until he picked up an injury, hooker Jeremy Marshall-King has been a revelation and fullback Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow has gone to another level. Throw in some reborn wingers in Tesi Niu and Jamayne Isaako and you can’t fault the Dolphins.
Misses: None
Wait and see: Anthony Milford’s day of reckoning has arrived. Milford missed out on the No. 6 jersey to start the season to rookie Isaiya Katoa following a poor trials campaign. He now gets his chance in the halves following O’Sullivan’s long-term injury. He has to fire or his NRL career will be dust.
Rating: A-

 

[Chris]

Rating the 2023 recruits​

Hits: The Dolphins are unique given that every player at the NRL’s 17th club is essentially a new recruit. They were lambasted for their recruitment, but you can’t argue that the Dolphins have done a great job with limited time given their early season success. Storm trio Jesse and Kenny Bromwich and Felise Kaufusi have set standards at Redcliffe while fellow forwards Jarrod Wallace, Mark Nicholls, and Tom Gilbert have been sensational. Halfback Sean O’Sullivan was in great form until he picked up an injury, hooker Jeremy Marshall-King has been a revelation and fullback Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow has gone to another level. Throw in some reborn wingers in Tesi Niu and Jamayne Isaako and you can’t fault the Dolphins.
Misses: None
Wait and see: Anthony Milford’s day of reckoning has arrived. Milford missed out on the No. 6 jersey to start the season to rookie Isaiya Katoa following a poor trials campaign. He now gets his chance in the halves following O’Sullivan’s long-term injury. He has to fire or his NRL career will be dust.
Rating: A-

So far recruitment has been excellent for next year.

 

[Josh]

The experience so far suggests there is something to be said for not having a marquee player, on a mil or more a year.

 

[Bluey]

The experience so far suggests there is something to be said for not having a marquee player, on a mil or more a year.

We do lack strike power in the backs though and depth. Wighton would cost a million+. Wighton at 6 and Farnworth outside him with SOS at 7 is immediately more dangerous. Katoa? 14? Wighton worth it?

 

[Red]

We do lack strike power in the backs though and depth. Wighton would cost a million+. Wighton at 6 and Farnworth outside him with SOS at 7 is immediately more dangerous. Katoa? 14? Wighton worth it?

Wighton is a good player. Not more than good, IMO. Due to age and ability, I wouldn't be in favour of paying him more than about 750k. But I think the club has so much salary cap money left, they won't mind overpaying.

 

[DolphinLungren]

We do lack strike power in the backs though and depth. Wighton would cost a million+. Wighton at 6 and Farnworth outside him with SOS at 7 is immediately more dangerous. Katoa? 14? Wighton worth it?

If we get Wighton we might as well go for Curtis Scott to boost our centres and see how good Wayne really is at fixing troubled players

 

[Josh]

If we get Wighton we might as well go for Curtis Scott to boost our centres and see how good Wayne really is at fixing troubled players

The only thing Scott was ever good at is assaulting women and playing bush league. Wighton isn't an angel but he's far from Scott. He isn't a superstar either but is far better than Scott.

 

[Equaliser]

In the GF a few years ago, where Canberra were robbed and the Rorters won, Wighton had a blinder.

 

[Chris]

Lemuelu rewarded with contract extension​

The Dolphins have inked a contract extension with Connelly Lemuelu after his outstanding start to the 2023 NRL season. Lemuelu was never mentioned as one of the Dolphins’ big-name signings as they recruited the roster for their inaugural foray into the NRL, but he has made a huge impact in the opening month of the competition.

The 24-year-old debuted for the Dolphins in their historic round-one upset of the Roosters, scoring the try that put the new NRL team in front on their way to a mammoth victory.

---

Really good move by the club. Lemuelu and JMK should just be coming onto their prime and now both locked down long-term.

It's almost time to start speculating on next years team. It's going to be strong!

 

[Jetty]

DOLPHINS’ BIG BOOST​

The Dolphins have boosted their forward depth by locking up former centre Connelly Lemuelu with a contract extension. Leumuelu was contracted on a two-year deal, but the club added a third to his contract which will see him stay until the end of 2025. “The Dolphins have inked a contract extension with Connelly Lemuelu after his outstanding start to the 2023 NRL season,” the club said in a statement.

The 24-year-old played 24 games for the Cowboys in three seasons since his debut in 2020 and has played five games for the Dolphins since switching to back row in 2023. Dolphins’ chief executive Terry Reader said Lemuelu had taken just five games with the club to stamp himself as a strike weapon in the NRL. “We were very pleased with the pre-season Connelly had and that hard work has paid dividends for him early in the season,” Reader said. “Our recruitment chief Peter O’Sullivan had marked Connelly as a player that could have a big impact on the NRL and he has been proven right already.

“He is the kind of player this club was looking for both on and off the field. “We are very pleased that Connelly has agreed to be a Dolphin for at least the next three years and look forward to watching him continue to improve as a player.”

---

Cowboys let go of some seriously good players on this bloke and Tommy Gilbert. No wonder they are struggling.

 

[Equaliser]

TITANS KILL DOLPHINS MOVE​

The Titans were quick to block any thoughts of out-of-favour playmaker Toby Sexton joining the Dolphins. The Dolphins are lacking halves with Sean O’Sullivan (pec) and Anthony Milford (hamstring) sidelined.

The idea of Sexton, who spent the first month of the season in the Hostplus Cup, being loaned to the Dolphins was floated to the Titans, who quickly hit it on the head. Sexton has been recalled for Sunday’s clash against the Dragons at Cbus Super Stadium but his long-term future at the Titans is unclear.

He is off-contract at the end of 2024 and has to fight his way back into the spine after Tanah Boyd scored the No. 7 jersey.

 

[Chris]

TITANS KILL DOLPHINS MOVE​

The Titans were quick to block any thoughts of out-of-favour playmaker Toby Sexton joining the Dolphins. The Dolphins are lacking halves with Sean O’Sullivan (pec) and Anthony Milford (hamstring) sidelined.

The idea of Sexton, who spent the first month of the season in the Hostplus Cup, being loaned to the Dolphins was floated to the Titans, who quickly hit it on the head. Sexton has been recalled for Sunday’s clash against the Dragons at Cbus Super Stadium but his long-term future at the Titans is unclear.

He is off-contract at the end of 2024 and has to fight his way back into the spine after Tanah Boyd scored the No. 7 jersey.

Might be for the better. Get though with what we have now and leave a spot open for a more serious signing later in the season. I have confidence in Kotoa and Niko to get though the next 2 or 3 games as 1/2 and 5/8.

 

[midlands hobo]

I'm more worried about what he'd do to our culture. They need a no dickhead policy.

Good rules out bateman

 

[Jetty]

Good rules out bateman

He's not the player he was a few years ago. He took the NRL by storm back then. Though Tigers has a habit of doing that to players. Korosau was one of the best #9s in the competition last year. This year, he's barely NRL standard. If Bateman came and played for us, his form would go north in a hurry.