The Dolphins are not going to be Dad’s Army despite signing a bunch of veterans but they will be if they don’t start adding some young blood soon.
There is a sniff of the ill-fated South Queensland Crushers about the Dolphins after they added Jesse Bromwich to Storm teammate Felise Kaufusi as their first two representative standard signings.
They are also set to add Souths prop Mark Nicholls to their list of recruits for next season’s foundation year, according to a report in the Sydney Morning Herald, with the Rabbitohs open to allowing the veteran forward out of his contract early to take up a two-year Dolphins deal.
Nicholls and Bromwich will be 33 next year when the Dolphins enter the big league while Kaufusi will be 30.
Most NRL rosters have a few players around this age and in the modern age of sports science, players are able to soldier on into their mid 30s, albeit with modified training programs for those who have picked up chronic injuries along the way.
Starting a roster from scratch is never easy and coach Wayne Bennett has repeatedly said the Dolphins would be patient, waiting for the right players for sustained success rather than throwing their chequebook around for short-term gain.
They’ve also added Broncos utility back Jamayne Isaako, 25, and Eels forward Ray Stone, 24, as well as some young prospects untried at NRL level – Valynce Te Whare, Michael Roberts and Harrison Graham.
“Young players learn from the old players, that’s how it works. They learn the good habits or bad habits, so you need the players with good habits,” Bennett told the Herald on Friday.
But the Dolphins are in danger of tilting too far towards the senior brigade.
Gold Coast, the most recent expansion side in 2007, made this mistake and paid for it after their fourth year when the main players on the roster faded into retirement and they went from a preliminary final side to wooden spooners.
It’s impossible to compare Melbourne and their instant results – finals in their first year and premiers the next – to any other expansion team. They entered the premiership in 1998 at a time when Super League clubs Hunter and Perth were being wound up so they had access to the best talent from those clubs as well as plenty of dollars to throw at established stars from other clubs like Glenn Lazarus and Tawera Nikau.
Unfortunately for the Dolphins, they seem to be heading down the path of the South Queensland Crushers unless they can attract some younger top-line talent to Redcliffe.
The Crushers were one of four teams who came into the league in 1995 and the squeeze for talent meant a lot of fringe first-graders and journeymen got handed roster spots as the competition blew out from 16 to 20 teams.
They made a poor strategic decision by investing heavily in Wallabies forward Garrick Morgan, who was a fine player in a rugby lineout but lacked the mobility to get up, down and across a league field.
The Crushers fielded a team with several players in the twilight of their career – captain Trevor Gillmeister, Mario Fenech, Mark Hohn and Dale Shearer. They actually signed Bob Lindner as well but he ended up retiring before the start of the season to become the coach.
It’s a much different player market in 2022. The main problem confronting the Dolphins at this early stage in the process is that there are precious few elite players who are off contract at season’s end.
There are only three players who featured in last year’s State of Origin series who are free agents next year – Dragons forward Tariq Sims, who turns 32 next month, as well as Maroons star Kalyn Ponga and Raiders five-eighth Jack Wighton, who each have options in their contracts to take up the remaining two years of their respective deals with Newcastle and Canberra.
So unless they can lure Ponga back to Queensland or prise Wighton away from the national capital with an offer they can’t refuse, the Dolphins’ hopes of landing a face of the franchise in the prime of their career are hinging on a disgruntled star getting an early release from their current deal.
Whoever they sign next, just make sure they’re at least in their 20s.
Short Memory
Roar Rookie
Uh oh... better add Dunamis Lui as well...
matth
Roar Guru
Very true.
JennyfromPenny
Guest
Is interesting though, Panthers did it so tough for so long, it made the fan base much more forgiving. A number of teams in recent times have absolutely cannibalised because the success the fans demanded didn’t come. Let’s hope Reynolds works out, else the Broncs fans will be chewing another arm off.
matth
Roar Guru
Penrith teams in the 1960’s and 1970’s always had a sprinkling of imports though, especially the odd Englishman. I hope Redcliffe have nice mix of proven and local. But I think the market is so different now to 1967. Sponsors and the media almost demand instant success. And my comment was tongue in cheek. Happy to see the Soldiers up the top end of the table with a great group of local juniors
thomas c
Guest
A comparison to the Titans seems flawed. If the Titans' strategy worked initially, then you could argue that they failed to back it up with smart acquisitions, development and backroom staff. I'd hope that Bennett and Co know something about setting up a club. The issues are results, setting up a culture, and getting the public to accept their brand. Getting exciting locals would help with things. I know people who - whenever you mentioned the titans - for many, many years said 'Oh, they're just a team of mercenaries.'.
JennyfromPenny
Guest
You say that tongue in cheek, but beyond your sarcasm and naivety you would be absolutely right. Panthers is a great analogy. Just one outlying suburb of the Capital, Sydney. Definitely found it tough for years. Decades actually. A minnow in an ocean of bigger fish. Through the 70s and 80s, it made little difference to Panther fans that they would usually come off second best. Same for the mid to late 90s, into the naughties, and for a few years of the last decade. Throughout, the community was represented, and overwhelmingly the players were local. There’s always been that feeling of the team representing the local area. 2020 was a great year. 2021 was the ultimate and equal to 1991 and 2003, and those tough early years, decades, all played their part in the successes along the way.
andrew
Roar Rookie
With Redcliffe signing the other Bromwich brother as well it's looking like the breaking up of a dynasty. Yes I suppose you're right, the Storm wouldn't want to lose Munster, after all he'd be closer to another premiership with Melbourne than one with Redcliffe.
souvalis
Roar Rookie
Nothing not to love. But this kid is already first understudy to DCE for this years SOO. Quite possibly in for Game 2 and a lock for the next 10 years. But, in keeping with your previous comment, not from a chocolate soldier side.
Short Memory
Roar Rookie
There is absolutely no need to have a full roster signed now or to demand that they do. . The article doesn't say that. It says they probably need to start finding some young gun players in their prime, but that as of today there's not much available. It also acknowledges that that situation can change. So it's hard to see what you're getting so bent out of shape about?
Short Memory
Roar Rookie
Oops... looks like we need to add Kenny to that list... so make it 4. All good players, and setting a great example for the younger players... But how may 30-somethings is too many...?
KenW
Roar Rookie
While I respect the Bellamy factor, the Storm don't have a lot of leverage right now. There's a bit of an exodus of star power and experience from Melbourne occurring, a couple of years ago you could imagine them moving him on for bad behaviour, I'm not sure they could afford to now.
matth
Roar Guru
A lot cheaper than those options and on the water. Short trip to the Sunshine Coast. What’s not to love? Max 5-10 minute commute to training
Nat
Roar Guru
I get the thinking but Redcliffe haven't been a standalone club for at least a decade. They have been a feeder club for Broncos, Easts and Warriors and will be again this year. Canberra, Storm, Manly and Titans have/had feeder clubs in SE Qld so the players have been transplanted in/out of the area and their respective QRL clubs for a long time. Not even the BRL teams are geographic locals these days. The PNG Hunters are probably the only true 'locals' club in the comp and even their standout players get picked off by QRL and NRL teams.
Tony
Roar Guru
PCNS Post Corey Norman Syndrome
Tony
Roar Guru
If its an outgoing tide, you could at least paddle across to the Belvedere at Woody
souvalis
Roar Rookie
Better than a hacienda overlooking the Harbor ? A Tamarama townhouse or a Brontë bungalow ? A young 18 year old would rather be in Redcliffe with Ray Stone Jamayne Issaako and a couple of Storm old men as mentors rather than the liveliest city in the country and the best footballers in the world ? You Qlders are a weird lot.
matth
Roar Guru
I agree, they should have to be like Penrith, made fun of for their first 20 years or so. :stoked:
matth
Roar Guru
Yep, that would be a good one.
matth
Roar Guru
Tell us Adam, exactly how dumb do you feel? :silly:
matth
Roar Guru
I think the Dolphins key signing from here is their assistant coach and heir apparent once Bennett finishes his set up.