The NRL’s new kids on the block, the Dolphins, are encouraging Sunshine Coasters to get behind them as they forge their path in the competition.
The league’s 17th team have already captured the imagination of many, despite their short history.
A documentary series, a famous coach, a bold brand, and some impressive performances early in the season have thrust them into the spotlight.
And they want Sunshine Coast residents to join the fun.
The Dolphins are based “just down the road” at Redcliffe, but CEO Terry Reader said the Sunshine Coast and the club had a genuine connection.
“It’s an important area for us and we’re making sure Sunshine Coast residents know we are serious about things and that we’re their team,” he said.
“We’ve got strong ties with the region already.
“We’re playing a game there (against the Eels in June), we have player pathways and academies there, we have links with club partners there and a link with UniSC.”
The Dolphins are the major sponsor of the Sunshine Coast Junior Rugby League.
Mr Reader said the region’s footy fans had been crying out for a side to get behind.
“Other teams have gone to the Sunshine Coast to play some games, especially during COVID, but we are right on the doorstep. We’re a team they can support,” he said.
“The Dolphins are for the Sunshine Coast and for the whole northern corridor that goes up the coast (from northern Brisbane to about Mackay).
“The northern corridor has not a team to call their own, but now they have a side that’s just down the road.
“We’re conscious that we’re doing things on the Sunshine Coast to make sure people know we’re their team and hopefully they will get on board to support the club.
“The team is called the Dolphins (as opposed to Redcliffe Dolphins), because we represent that whole northern corridor, which is the fastest-growing part of Queensland.”
Mr Reader said many people from the region had already got behind the team (tickets for a four-game package including the game on the Sunshine Coast have proved to be hot) and he expected many more locals to get behind them, including long-term residents and new arrivals.
“A lot of people are moving to the region as second-generation fans of Sydney teams like Parramatta, Manly and Canterbury, and now they have a team they can support here with their families.”
He said the Dolphins could play more games in the region, once Sunshine Coast Stadium is expanded. Work is expected to start next year.
“We’d like to make it (the Dolphins’ presence) bigger and better there and we’re working with Sunshine Coast Council on how that could look, post-renovation,” he said.
“It’s important for us to play one game in our inaugural year there and then we’ll wait and see the timeline on the development of the stadium so we can map it out (for future games there).”
The Dolphins will this year play eight home games at Brisbane’s Suncorp Stadium, three at Redcliffe’s Kayo Stadium and one at Sunshine Coast Stadium.
Capturing our imagination
The Dolphins have come a long way since it was announced in October 2021 that they would enter the NRL this year.
A modern, fan-first focus has been key to their early success.
A recent documentary series, Dawn of the Dolphins, provided them with plenty of exposure.
“That has brought in a lot of fans, some who weren’t even rugby league fans to start with,” Mr Reader said.
“That was big for us, to launch our brand on a national scale, to bring in people so they feel like they’re more involved.
“It’s the power of telling your story and getting people invested: bringing new fans to the game.”
The Dolphins have focused on getting their fans involved.
“We’ve tried to set our brand different to others: we don’t take ourselves too seriously,” Mr Reader said.
Their slogan ‘Phins up!’ – best used with a playful fin gesture (with one hand behind the back) – has helped.
“The kids love it,” Mr Reader said.
“It’s sort of become a catch-cry in Australians sport; it’s everywhere. I think that’s attracted a lot of people.
“We’ve had people contact the club and say ‘thanks for bringing the fun back to rugby league’.
“They love our game days.”
Mr Reader said the club had focused on establishing a strong foundation despite the hype, and some criticism, from outside the club.
“We haven’t listened to the noise from outside,” he said.
“We had about 15 months (to prepare) and we had a plan and strategy and we delivered it. It seems to be working.”
But the team still had to perform on game days to really catch the attention of prospective fans, and they’ve done just that.
They caused a huge upset in their first game, against the Roosters, and won four of their first seven games.
“The team’s performance has amplified everything,” Mr Reader said.
“It’s a good position to be in and I think everyone’s enjoying it.”
The Dolphins were criticised in some quarters, before the season started, because the squad they compiled did not seem to include an established star.
But Mr Reader said that was not the case.
“People said we didn’t have a marquee signing but we signed the biggest marquee name in the game on day one, when we signed Wayne Bennett as coach,” he said.
The recruitment of the seven-time premiership-winning coach has so far proved to be a masterstroke.
“You only have to look at what he’s done in the past and what he’s done here already to realise how important it (the signing) was, to build a new fanbase and to bring a new group of players together,” Mr Reader said.
“He’s getting all the players to buy in and their efforts to start the season show what sort of coach he is and the way he does things. We’re very lucky that he was available and we’re very lucky to have him as our inaugural coach. He’s done a wonderful job.”
Bennett is signed for three years, when current assistant coach Kristian Woolf is poised to take over. Woolf coached St Helens to three straight titles in the English Super League.
“We have a good five-year plan in place, which brings stability to the club, and it makes sure we’re a club that players want to be at,” Mr Reader said.
“At first, players and fans didn’t know what they would be getting at the Dolphins: it was a bit of an unknown.
“But I think people now know and they are getting on board, with the colour of the team, the excitement, the brand, the way the club is run, the players and how they have come together.
“It’s only positive for supporters and players of the club, now and into the future.”
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