Dolphins 2024 season preview
2023 recap
14th wouldn’t usually be considered a success for a team, but for the Dolphins it was an outstanding effort in their first NRL campaign. The club from Redcliffe were heavy favourites to pick up a wooden spoon in their maiden year, but six wins in their opening 10 games had them looking up the ladder rather than down it. They tailed off in the second half of the season, winning just two of their final 10 games, but they were never in danger of finishing bottom of the pile and they’ve built a solid foundation for 2024.
2023 position: 14th
Key signings
Jake Averillo (Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs), Herbie Farnworth (Brisbane Broncos), Thomas Flegler (Brisbane Broncos), Oryn Keeley (Newcastle Knights)
Key departures
Herman Ese’ese (Hull FC), Poasa Faamausili (Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs), Oliver Gildart (Hull Kingston Rovers)
Players to watch
Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow really came of age in 2023, and deservedly picked up the fans award for the clubs MVP. 15 tries in 20 games was a great return for the Hammer, and he scored four tries in State of Origin, too. Frighteningly for everyone else, he’s still only 22, so another big year’s expected from him.
Jake Averillo has been one of the few bright sparks for the Bulldogs in recent years, but he’s headed north in 2024 to try his luck in Redcliffe. Last year, he scored a career-best 12 tries, and if he can nail down a centre spot this year, then he should reach double figures again.
Young gun
20-year-old winger, Jack Bostock, scored two tries in four games in 2023, and he’ll be pushing for a regular starting spot this time around. There’s plenty of competition for places in the Dolphins’ outside backs, but an injury or two could open the door for him to stake his claim in 2024.
Our prediction – 15th
The Dolphins are a tough one to predict and they’ll fancy their chances of sneaking into the finals. That being said, I can’t see them making it, despite bringing in some top quality signings, and I think finals footy will have to wait until 2025 at the earliest.
