Redcliffe Dolphins’ best all-time players
With the Intrust Super Cup season set to kick off this weekend, we’ve pulled together a squad of the best ever Redcliffe Dolphins. See who joins rugby league Immortal Arthur Beetson in our team loaded with legends.
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With the Intrust Super Cup season set to kick-off this weekend we are taking a look back at some of the Redcliffe Dolphins all-time legends.
The Redcliffe Dolphins were founded in 1947 and some of the greatest rugby league players ever have pulled on the famous jersey including Immortal Arthur Beetson.
WYNNUM MANLY SEAGULLS’ BEST ALL-TIME TEAM
TELL US WHAT YOU THINK OF THE TEAM IN THE COMMENTS
BACKS
Ian Pearce: He was the first Redcliffe player to snare the Rothmans Medal. A speedy fullback. Who played for Redcliffe and Queensland. Also a member of the 150 club.
Aaron Barba: The brother of Ben Barba and new Dolphins signing Marmin Barba. Aaron could sniff out a try anywhere – scoring 58 tries in his two seasons with the Redcliffe Dolphins. He scored five tries in two grand finals. He was also called on to represent Queensland Residents, while playing for the Dolphins.
Tony Obst: A true club legend. He played 230 first grade games for the Redcliffe Dolphins. He won the 1980 Rothmans Gold Medal. The club has since named an annual award after Obst – The Tony Obst Award for Players’ Player.
Peter Leis: One of the club’s all time greats and is still the club’s all time leading try scorer. Leis passed away on July 12, 2019, aged 71. He first played for the Dolphins in 1966 and went on to become the club’s first 200-game player. He played for Brisbane and Queensland and was one of the top try scorers. Leis was twice awarded the Dolphins First Grade Player of the Year award in 1968 and 1969. In 2000 the Dolphins renamed its Player of the Year medal to the Peter Leis Medal.
John Ribot: Ribot played club football in the Brisbane Rugby League premiership for Western Suburbs and Fortitude Valley. He moved to New South Wales Rugby League before returning to Brisbane to play for the Redcliffe Dolphins in 1984 and 85. He represented Queensland in eight State of Origin matches between 1982 and 1985. Following his career Ribot became the foundation CEO of the Brisbane Broncos and also helped set up Melbourne Storm.
Trevor Benson: A member of the 200 club, Benson played 237 first grade games with the Redcliffe Dolphins. He represented Queensland in 1981 as a 19-year old and won the 1990 Rothmans Gold Medal.
Mark Murray: Murray joined the Dolphins in 1983 after stints at Norths Devils and Valleys Diehards. He played for Dolphins until midway through the season in 1986. He represented Australia six times and played in 15 State of Origin games. Murray went on to coach the Dolphins and in the NRL. He also coached the Queensland side in 1999.
FORWARDS
Petero Civoniceva: A man who doesn’t need an introduction. The Redcliffe junior who was picked up by the Brisbane Broncos early, went on to have an extensive NRL and representative career. He re-joined the Redcliffe Dolphins Intrust Super Cup team in 2013. The Intrust Super Cup Player of the Year award is now named after him.
Wally Fullerton-Smith: The forward, originally from Roma, made his first grade debut with the Dolphins in 1981. Known as a rib-rattling back-rower. He did stints in France and at Leeds before playing for St George from 1987 to 1992. He played 12 State of Origin Games between 1983 and 1990 and eight games for Australia between 1983-1988. The Dolphins named their Hit of the Year award after Fullerton-Smith.
Bryan Niebling: Known as Bryan “Horse” Niebling – he played in nine State of Origins while playing for Valleys and Redcliffe in the early 1980s. In 1986 he was awarded the Courier-Mail best and fairest award for the second time. He also won the 1986 Rothmans Gold Medal and represented Australia from Redcliffe.
Arthur Beetson: The rugby league legend and godfather of the State of Origin, started his career at the Redcliffe Dolphins before moving to Sydney. He won a premiership with the club as a player in 1965. He returned as a captain-coach in 1981. Beetson represented Australia as well – becoming the first indigenous Australian to captain Australia in any sport.
Greg Conescu: Greg “Turtle” Conescu played for Australia and Queensland in the State of Origin. His club football days were spent playing for Norths Devils, Gladstone Brothers, Redcliffe and the Broncos. He was part of the 1987 Redcliffe BRL grand final side.
Troy Lindsay: He holds the club record for the most first-grade games played at 314. Lindsay retired in 2008 but returned midway through the 2009 season to help a struggling Dolphins side. He moved to coaching after playing – taking the club’s Colts side to a premiership win in 2012. Lindsay coached the first grade team for the 2014 and 2015 seasons.
RESERVES
Ian Thinee: 164 games for Redcliffe. He came to the Dolphins from Rockhampton BRL Player of the Year 1971, Courier-Mail Player of the Year 1973. He was also the Brisbane Rugby league player of the year in 1971. He was integral to the success of the Dolphins. During his career for the Redcliffe side Thinee scored 23 tries. He has been named in many Teams of the Century including being names as one of the Former Origin Greats at Suncorp Stadium in 2007.
Ian Graham: There was no man prouder to wear the Dolphin on his chest each week. A Redcliffe junior who went all the way through to captaining the Dolphins to the club’s breakthrough first grade premiership in 1994. The same year he represented the Australian and Queensland Residents side. A tough defender who could also slip a clever late pass during attack.
Steve Cherry: Played 195 first-grade games for Redcliffe. He was a star centre in the 80s- missing out a spot in the Queensland side due to the likes of Mal Meninga, Gene Miles and Chris Close.
Ken McCrohon: The first player-coach of the Redcliffe Dolphins BRL side, Ken McCrohon, first played for Wests in 1954. After a stint in New South Wales he moved to Redcliffe. He was a player coach for four years retiring at the end of the 1962 season. In that time the Dolphins won the reserve grade premiership and were promoted to the top grade in 1960. His is the first name to appear on the club’s 70th anniversary jersey.
COACH
Anthony Griffin: Anthony was first appointed to the Redcliffe Dolphins in 1995 as the Development Manager, he coached the colts to a premiership in 1997 before departing. After working in the Melbourne Storm system he returned to the Peninsula in 2005 to take on the role of Head Coach. The side went on to win the title in 2006 and make the grand final in 2007. In 2008 he began his career at the Brisbane Broncos. Griffin was appointed the coach for the 2016 season, but left before it started, to take on a position with Penrith Panthers in the NRL.
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