With the Finals over and the November 1 contract deadline passed, we can officially declare the NRL’s silly season open.
Into the morass of gossip and conjecture, we will bring sanity, with the relaunch of Smart Signings, our dissection of where clubs are weak, what they need to improve and where they might find it. Expect stats, profiles and insights, with options that are available and realistic. Don’t expect rumours.
Last year, we left the newest NRL club out of the running when it came to Smart Signings – the logic being that we could judge them on the weird and wonderful grab-bag of bodies they had managed to organise in the fullness of time.
Well, here we are, and what do we know? Well, that rag-tag bunch of misfits turned out pretty well in the end.
Our Dolphins angle last year was that they needed to stick with the programme as much as possible and resist the urge to chop and change when the results went awry.
That they did, and they reaped the benefits as a result. Though the club went through 32 players, which is about average for an NRL team, but eight in total appeared four times or fewer.
At the top end, ten played over 20 times, which is incredible consistency across a season, and essentially only Anthony Milford and Brenko Lee were dropped because of form – everyone else from their opening game 17 that beat the Roosters made it all the way to the end of the year still in the side, injury and suspension permitting.
The central recruitment gambit was to get Wayne Bennett to turn side of grizzled veterans and cast-offs into a team for the first two years, then move on from there as an established force and, you’d have to say that so far, it’s mission accomplished.
Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow, whom the Cowboys played as a bench utility in 2022, is now a walk-up starter for Queensland and Australia and a bone fide star for Redcliffe – and still aged just 21
He was joined in Origin by Tom Gilbert, who excelled before injury, and Jeremy Marshall-King would have started for New Zealand if fit, while Jamayne Isaako did play and picked up top points scorer award for the whole comp.
Kodi Nikorima, Connolly Lemuelu and Jarrod Wallace hit heights few thought they could, and Isaiya Katoa looks every bit as good as people said he would be with a full season of first grade behind him.
With some big name recruits going into 2024, it’s now a holding pattern before the real tough stuff.
Guys like Herbie Farnworth, Thomas Flegler and Jake Averillo provide proven quality and upgrades in the middle and both centre positions, which were noted weak points last year.
The challenge now is finding guys to replace the original, ageing core, because the list of off-contract stars is long.
Jesse Bromwich, Jarrod Wallace and Mark Nicholls are gone from the pack, a loss of 700 NRL appearances by this time next year.
Euan Aitken, Tesi Niu and Ray Stone are also free to chat to other clubs, as well as Milford and Edrick Lee, who one suspects will be allowed to depart whenever they like.
With those three from the middle leaving, it’s no surprise that the pack is where the next marquee player needs to be.
The Dolphins would be right up there for Addin Fonua-Blake and given their salary cap situation, could have been expected to compete with anyone financially. His stated aim is to return to Sydney, however, so we can count him out.
Instead, there’s a few interesting options that could be brought in.
(Photo by Gareth Copley/Getty Images)
Tom Burgess played under Bennett for England and South Sydney and would be a huge shout to take the place of Jesse Bromwich as resident old head in the middle, at least for a year or two.
There has been much speculation that he might prefer a shot at the Super League to round out his career, but Redcliffe would bring more cash and better weather than, say, Warrington, where brother Sam has just taken over.
Rep front rowers are hard to come by, but with Jacob Saifiti unlikely to be extended at the Knights, he’d be top of any list of prime age, proven quality in that part of the pitch.
Any deal they could be done for Daniel, whose contract is perhaps currently overvalued, might be of interest to Newcastle, too, if the Phins fancied both at once.
Let’s imagine a world where Bromwich is replaced like for like by an experienced prop, while Nicholls and Wallace’s minutes going to new signing Flegler.
That would free space on the bench for Kenny Bromwich to move to the bench, with his spot in the 13 taken by a younger, more dynamic player with flexibility across middle and edge, as well as potential to grow into the role.
Enter Brendan Piakura. The pathway from Brisbane to Redcliffe is one that is already well trodden, and Piakura would get the chance to compete with Lemuelu and Felise Kaufusi for a starting spot.
The Broncos backrower is just 21 but has all the pedigree coming through the grades and plenty of size, and his stats have been excellent in limited NRL game time, especially when rated per incident.
His issue in 2023 was lack of game opportunities, with only five starts, and he has limited scope to impove on that with Jordan Riki and Kurt Capewell dominating the edge roles and Kobe Hetherington and Pat Carrigan above in the pecking order for lock. Although the Dolphins would need to act fast on him because he is reportedly close to re-signing at Brisbane.
Sitili Tupouniua. (Photo by Albert Perez/Getty Images)
An alternative might be Sitili Tupouniua. He’s the sort of chaotic, versatile forward that the Dolphins have already found of use with Lemuelu and Wallace, and assistant coach Kristian Woolf knows exactly what he can do from their time together in the Tonga set-up.
Off the back of a bad injury and way down the list at the Roosters, the 26-year-old could present the sort of dollar dazzler project that is something of a Redcliffe trademark already, with the back-rowers price lower than it would have been prior to his ACL rupture and the emergence of the likes of Siua Wong at Easts.
With a former England coach in Bennett and a former Super League winner in Woolf on the staff, it’s likely that talent on the other side of the world will also come into consideration.
Woolf will know all too well the talents of Matty Lees and Morgan Knowles, both of whom represented England at last year’s World Cup and both of whom have won everything there is to win with St Helens.
The pair are 25 and 27 respectively, so if they are ever going to come to Australia, now is the time, and the hit rate for their type of player is pretty high.
Lees led the Super League for tackles among props and Bennett, when Great Britain coach, was set to pick him in 2019 at the age of just 21 before injury intervened.
Knowles has long been regarded as the best lock in the competition with three selections in the Team of the Year, and Woolf regularly complemented his extreme competitiveness and toughness when in charge at Saints.
Both have contracts until 2025, but as ever with English players, the transfers can be arranged where there is a will. It would be no surprise if the Dolphins found some.
langparker
Roar Rookie
Wasn’t particularly targeting the Farnworth recruitment, done and dusted although I’d have preferred him to stay. If Redcliffe (aka the dolphins) keep kids in Qld, it’s a win/win so I am glad they came in. Was just pointing out one of Wayne’s darker traits. Tass was a bronco who never got a shot so he left for Souths & I’m not complaining there either, just suggesting the cowboys have neglected recruitment of backs while accumulating a bucket load of good young forwards & need someone to score the tries. Savage has had a few wasted seasons at the raiders, reckon he could do with a change of scenery and Feldt is on his last legs. Isaako was a disappointment at the broncs after those rookie years & that’s probably on a few coaches, got to respect his return to form. I think Savage could do the same outside Val.
matth
Roar Guru
Why in earth would they by Taas or Savage when they could get Farnworth, Hammer and Isaako? At the end of the day they are here to win games. If the broncos wanted to keep Herbie they would have had to up their price. Way of the world.
langparker
Roar Rookie
Wasn’t complaining about competition Matth, just reckon a long established and financially secure club like Redcliffe could have been doing a fair bit more development of those 18-20 year olds from when they started to develop their plans to apply for an NRL licence. Redcliffe has always been a strong juniors club since back in my day which dates to the early 1960’s, you’d have to think someone there would have identified at least one Petro Civoniciva style up-and-comer in recent years to be ready for this time. If you want to outpoint your local competitor's start by building from a youth perspective and in the interim, get more Qld bred players back from the southern clubs. There's plenty of quality young players around Qld to stock all 4 local clubs with rookies that are otherwise lost to Sydney, Canberra or Melbourne. Why aren’t or weren’t our clubs chasing the less entrenched players like Tass, Savage, Trindall, Bullemor, Loiero, Howarth, Tuala, Hopgood, Molo & Allan as a cross section sample from various clubs. I get they’re under contract but clubs are always looking to balance their salary cap. For example, you put Tass & Savage in the cowboys backline and they’re finals contenders.
matth
Roar Guru
This is why we needed a second Brisbane team. There is nothing wrong with competition for Brisbane based players.
Forty Twenty
Roar Rookie
If the Dolphins were the first NRL team in the whole state of QLD then they would have recruited differently I guess. Probably along the lines of the Broncos. So if you were the coach of the Dolphins you would knock back both Fleggler and Farnsworth? Your logic is nonsensical I'm afraid. Bennett owes the Broncos nothing so why wouldn't he recruit players from them?
langparker
Roar Rookie
Perspective is a wonderful thing, rattle off imports to make a point & someone points and says “look over there”. Lazarus, Milford & Reynolds were genuine recruits from other clubs while Mundine dropped in for a season because of the SuperLeague stoush. I’d argue that Shearer was basically a rugby league nomad, unsettled & moving around every few years and just landed at the broncos of his own accord. Tallis wanted to come back to Qld while a very young Kevvie Walters might never have left if the broncos existed a few years earlier. Hodges & Walsh returned to the club where they spent their development years, so the list isn’t that long over an extended period. Your point is akin to saying every nrl player born in NZ should play for the warriors, seems overkill. My point was that for all his good deeds in rugby league, and there are plenty, Bennett demonstrates a vindictive streak in his actions concerning the broncos because of their history. It’s small potatoes compared to the Souths/Roosters thing.
Michael Keeffe
Roar Guru
I think the Dolphins are well setup for the coming years. Flegler and Gilbert will be the long term cornerstones of the pack and they just need to get the timing right of their older players departing and being replaced with a combination of solid first graders and young forwards coming through the Dolphins pathways. I expect to see lots of young players making their way into first grade from Dolphins juniors over the next 5 years... it will just take a little bit of time. JBrom is 34, KBrom 32, Wallace 32, Nicholls 33, Kaufusi 31. So really it might be the last year in 24 for JBrom and Nicholls, then 1 - 2 years more for Wallace, KBrom or Kaufusi. Just stagger their departures. Ray Stone is in his 20's, Lemuelu is only 25, they have Josh Kerr who is a solid first grader who is 27. As long as the five 30+ olds don't all disappear together at the end of 24 they'll be more than ok as a forward pack.
3 R M
Roar Rookie
He had a blinder in the gf in 2015 under Bennett at 6 after a really good year with Hunt. He wasn't the same when he had to be the senior half.
dogs
Roar Rookie
And the Cowboys could really do with a quality right centre too. Although I think the Dolphins will get most value out of Hammer at fullback. I think the move to centre was because other options there weren't great, and Nikorima was in very good form but he is a spine player only (although one of the few who can cover all 4 spine spots - as long as you're prepared to wear the missed tackles in the middle by playing him at 9)
Albo
Roar Rookie
But that player is a 3 time premiership winner, an Origin half and an International. When the cupboard is bare of other halfback options , $4.5m over 3 years is the market price for that calibre of player, even if his coach wants to label him a "role player". He will have still have a "role" to play at the Tigers as well, it seems, but now with much more cash.
Forty Twenty
Roar Rookie
I'll bet you weren't complaining when the Broncos hooked onto players like Lazzo, Shearer, Milford, Mundine, Walters, Tallis, Hodges, Walsh and Reynolds from other clubs? Bennetts job is to build a strong team and why would he give a rats about the Broncos?
langparker
Roar Rookie
Well, Wayne’s strategy is “just go out and rip the guts out of the broncos” which has a two-fold benefit for him personally. First, he gets revenge for what he considered a personal injustice inflicted on him (Wayne’s old school rugby league, never let go of a grudge): secondly, it’s cheaper then actually developing players through the ranks at Redcliffe. I understand they needed experience in that first squad, so he thought “I’ll just utilise Bellamy’s plan for this season” and bought half a pack then added bits and pieces from other clubs. Apart from that chubby kiwi centre, how many Dolphin juniors or Q-Cup players got a crack at their top 30 squad this year. The broncs can guarantee Piakura the Capewell role in the future because Capes, of all their forwards, was the under-performer in 2023. Broncs have put too much into Mam, Riki, Piakura & Willison to let them go now while their premiership window is open.
Tony Dargon
Roar Guru
Particularly Hammer and Isaako, who weren't wanted by their previous clubs
astro
Roar Rookie
Whoever is managing the Dolphins and their signings is doing an amazing job... Hammer, Isaako and Herbie are some of the comps best young outside backs. Flegler and Gilbert look set to play Origin for many years and both are only 23yrs old. Katoa at 19yrs old, has massive potential also... In a year or so, Kaufusi and both Bromwichs come off the books, and they can chase more young talent. The way the Dolphins are building this team should be a blueprint for others. Identify young talent, sign them to long term deals at good value and be patient. In other news, the Tigers are about to sign a 26yr old who's own coach says is a 'role player' without a kicking game, to $4.5million.
Forty Twenty
Roar Rookie
Although Bennett struggled to recruit the players he wanted in the first season he's back on the bike in that department next season with some real quality recruits. I haven't checked out the draw but it won't be much fun playing the Phins at their home base again early in the season with all their players on deck. The opposition will be better prepared this time around though and some absorbing clashes are on the cards.
dogs
Roar Rookie
I definitely remember 1 win where he played a dominant role, and for the Dolphins last year every win was important in their quest to be mid table. Also he had a fantastic World Cup with Samoa. I do find it weird that a few of these have mentioned that Newcastle may be letting Jacob Siafiti go? I would have thought they'd be clinging to both brothers. Is Jacob not renewed past 2024? Rygbyleagueproject says he played in 21 of their 26 games this season.
Harvey Wilson
Roar Rookie
I still wonder why they bothered getting Milford. It was doubtful he was ever going to offer anything to the team. His best years were in the number 1 at Canberra. Uncle Wayne got obsessed with trying to manufacture another number 6 and made Milford believe he was one.