The Dolphins – a cautionary tale for the NRL’s expansion plans – Fair Dinkum Department
The Dolphins – a cautionary tale for the NRL’s expansion plans – Fair Dinkum Department. The ability of Wayne Bennett and The Dolphins to build a roster capable of competing in 2023 has been drawn into question.
In ‘The Fair Dinkum Department’, the biggest debates in the NRL are dissected and assessed whether they are a case ‘real’ or ‘ridiculous’.
The Dolphins are a cautionary tale for the expansion plans of NRL
Ridiculous or Real?
Any new team that enters into a competition has to go through a phase of struggle in the early days. When The Dolphins were announced as the 17th NRL franchise in 2021, their ability to compete from the beginning was observed as a key factor in them lodging the winning bid.
However, the Dolphins had an incomplete 25-man roster just four months out from their first pre-season.
Kalyn Ponga was the lifeline they desperately held onto before the Reece Walsh saga tipped them over the edge.
It was reported that the club complained to the NRL about not being given the chance to sign the fullback, as the Warriors only allowed Walsh to communicate with the Broncos.
Are the Dolphins ready to compete in 2023?
Wayne Bennett assisted in assembling his forward pack in his trademark way- targeting underappreciated players who would get through their work with no fuss while making little impact on the salary cap.
He picked players from highly established systems like Jesse Bromwich, Kenny Bromwich, and Felise Kaufusi who bring over 650 games of NRL experience with them.
The strategies of the Dolphins in the player market caused a stir and quickly led to the derogatory ‘dad’s army’ phrase being brandished.
But after that, they were being used as a bargaining chip by agents who were successful in getting their clients improved contracts at their current clubs.
Bennett was included to help the club attract players to the project. But, so far, the Dolphins were not able to build a roster that would have them competing the way Andrew Abdo originally envisioned.
The struggle of The Dolphins to sign talent
The Dolphins essentially are in need of high-profile players to take a leap of faith and join their project on the ground floor, something many in the NRL seem willing to do.
The Dolphins stand beyond the chance to enter the league and be a significant player in their early stages. They missed out on too many targets that they could have built the team around.
They nailed their recruitment drive back in 2007 by picking up Preston Campbell, Scott Prince, and Nathan Friend who provided them with a solid base to improve.
But there could be no real complaints from the Dolphins, as the NRL made it absolutely clear they would receive little help establishing themselves with no concessions.
Lessons for expansion in the future in the NRL
The club needed to have a greater lead-in time to sign their targets.
They had limited opportunity to go after players in such a volatile market, which saw the 16 NRL clubs lock down their main men on long-term contracts to ward off any interest from the Dolphins.
Their ability to sign players who came off contract this year didn’t give them much to work on and that should be a lesson for the future.
It could also be a lesson for the next expansion club to target players from the Super League which might be a better option both financially and logistically.
The expectation for the Dolphins from the NRL to enter into the league and be successful straight away was an unrealistic one.
Yet all did not go in vain. The Dolphins stand as a cautionary tale in the future on what to do and what not to attempt when the game begins to expand again.