Best Dolphins name among many priorities planning exciting future

Players the calibre of Kalyn Ponga, Cameron Munster, Brandon Smith and Reid Mahoney are some that will gain high attention as the Dolphins get down to business as 17th NRL club.

Delighted to have secured the 17th NRL licence are (from left) Bob Jones (Chairman of the RDRLFC), Terry Reader (NRL Bid director) and Tony Murphy (CEO of the Dolphins Group). Picture: Steve Pohlner

Bomber’s Blast

Anthony Breeze

The wait is finally over for the three NRL bidding consortiums as the Dolphins were finally announced as the 17th franchise to participate in the NRL from 2023.

The planner for the Dolphins can now begin with many priorities high on their list.

Firstly, they must announce a coach and that will come in the next few days with supercoach Wayne Bennett expected to take on the role.

Once the coach is named he will write his list of available players to target after the November 1 deadline is lifted.

Players the calibre of Kalyn Ponga, Cameron Munster, Brandon Smith and Reid Mahoney are some that will gain high attention.

Merchandise is currently being made and will be available before Christmas so supporters of this new team can start getting their gear.

A sticking point will be what the team will be called. Names coming forward currently suggest Moreton Dolphins, Brisbane North Dolphins and Coastal Dolphins.

The club will go to the locals for more suggestions and a name will officially be announced in coming months.

Former Ipswich Force, Brisbane Bullets and Australian basketballer Nathan Sobey in action during the Australia v Nigeria game at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics. Picture: Adam Head

NBL changes

The NBL draw was released during the week and powerbrokers have changed the way the season will be played.

The changes will help them navigate through if Covid interrupts the upcoming season.

The start has been delayed until early December to give all teams time to confirm their rosters and get the players ready for a jam packed season.

The teams have also been grouped into two conferences.

Conference A consists of Brisbane, Cairns, Adelaide, Perth and Tasmania.

Conference B features Sydney, Illawarra, Melbourne, South East Melbourne and New Zealand.

The Bullets will go into the season with confidence having a fit Lamar Patterson and Nathan Sobley back in the swing.

New Brisbane coach James Duncan also has hit the ground running and has set some high standards for the players and club to achieve.

Game 1 will be a tough encounter as they will travel to Perth to met the Wildcats on December 3.

Quick thoughts

WINNERS: The Norths Devils who won a tough Intrust Super Cup grand final against Wynnum. They were the best team all year and deserved to lift the trophy.

Tyson Fury who retained his Heavyweight belt with victory over Deontay Wilder after some scary moments in Round 4.

Travis Head who showed the Aussie selectors that he is in form with a brilliant 230 against Queensland.

LOSERS: FINA who have finally started to clean up their sport and overhaul the poor leadership that has dragged the sport down.

Ben Simmons who can’t decide what he wants from his basketball career.

The two Melbourne Demon fans that went over the board wrongfully to watch the AFL Grand Final and now must suffer three months in jail in Western Australia.

Sporting birthdays October 14

1960: Steve Cram – Champion English runner who held the world record for the mile during his glittering career.

1973: Steven Bradbury - Speed skater who won gold at the Olympics in an unexpected finish.

1988: Glenn Maxwell - Champion Australian cricketer who when in form is the most entertaining cricketer in the world.

On this day

1916: The First PGA Men’s event was held in New York. Englishman Jim Barnes beat Jock Hutchinson by one stroke.

1964: Great Britain’s Mary Rand leaps a world record 4m 45cm to win the women’s long jump at the Tokyo Olympics.

1979: Ice hockey future Hall of Famer Wayne Gretsky scores his first NHL goal.

2001: Michael Schumacher wins his 4th F1 World Drivers Championship.

Farewell and thanks

Today’s column marks the end of Bomber’s Blast.

Over the past decade I have covered many different sports from around Ipswich as well as sporting achievements from around the world.

I have thoroughly enjoyed the opportunity of writing this column and I hope you enjoyed reading the stories.

I would like to thank the Queensland Times and especially the greatest sports journalist this city has seen in David Lems. He gave me the opportunity and an open mind to write about whatever sport I wanted to cover.

David also critiqued my work and gave me some valuable advice on how to structure stories and what people want to see in a story.

In finishing, I would like to thank you, the readers, who kept me doing something that I love. That’s writing about sport.