NRL news: Dolphins take long-term view with signing of promising hooker Harrison Graham
The Dolphins are taking a long-term view with the recruitment of one of the top young hookers in the game as their first foray into the player market.
NRL
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Promising young hooker Harrison Graham has agreed to terms to join the Dolphins on a development list contract as the new club continues to build its playing roster for the 2023 season.
The 20-year-old technically isn’t the club’s first NRL signing – having agreed to a development list contract – but his connection proves the Dolphins are investing in the future while putting together a competitive playing roster for 2023.
Born in Lismore, Graham moved north to Queensland as a kid and played his junior footy with Wynnum Juniors on Brisbane’s bayside.
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He went to high school at the prestigious Iona College where he captained the school’s rugby league team before joining the Wynnum Manly Seagulls Mal Meninga (2019) and Hasting Deerings Colts (2021) sides, helping take both to a grand final.
Graham also represented Queensland in the Under-18s State of Origin in 2019 alongside NRL rising stars Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow and Sam Walker.
The dummy half talent made his Intrust Super Cup debut in 2021 for the Seagulls, ironically against the Dolphins when he played off the bench in Round 13.
He scored a try, made five tackle breaks and 27 tackles in a debut which impressed several coaches across the competition and has earmarked him as one of the best prospective talents in Queensland.
Graham also played in this year’s Hasting Deerings Colts grand final to help steer the Seagulls to a thrilling 17-16 win over the Blackhawks.
The Dolphins are yet to announce their first NRL signing as discussions continue with players coming off contract at the end of 2022.
Brisbane Dolphins? New club adds flurry of ex-Broncos
- Robert Craddock and Chris Honnery
The Dolphins are set to announce the appointment of four former Broncos staff members in a backroom signing blitz that will bring crucial NRL experience to the new club.
The four staff members all worked with Dolphins chief executive Terry Reader during his 15 years at the Broncos as the club’s chief commercial officer and head of strategy.
None of the four, who cover areas including commercial, digital and media operations, are currently employed at the Broncos.
Though the Dolphins are yet to announce its first player signing it has been highly active behind the scenes recruiting staff it hopes will form a backroom powerhouse.
It follows after the new NRL franchise has already bolstered its football department with the signing of recruitment guru Peter O’Sullivan as recruitment chief and appointing Wayne Bennett as their inaugural head coach.
Former Queensland Origin hit man Ben Te’o has also joined the club as coach of the Dolphins Colts side next season with a view to potentially joining Bennett’s team of NRL assistants for the Redcliffe-backed organisation’s premiership arrival in two years.
“The approach only came in the last few days and it was an opportunity I couldn’t knock back,” Te’o said last week.
“When someone like Wayne opens the door for you to start your coaching journey, it’s an amazing opportunity.”
Former Broncos development coach Kurt Richards has also joined the Dolphins ahead of their 2023 campaign to oversee the club’s development-and-pathways program.
Richards took charge of the Broncos’ NRL Nines outfit in 2020 and is highly-respected in Queensland rugby league circles, having coached the Maroons’ under-16s side in 2015 which produced Broncos prop Tom Flegler and Titans million dollar man David Fifita
Star recruiter’s golden rules for Dolphins’ success
—Brent Read and Peter Badel
Recruitment guru Peter O’Sullivan waited more than 20 years to work with Wayne Bennett.
Which is why, as he prepares to enter the player market with a blank canvas and a $10 million war chest, he will take his time. Or at least as much time as he can as he and Bennett attempt to piece together a roster capable of taking The Dolphins to the finals in their first year of existence.
Finding players interested in joining the NRL’s newest club won’t be a problem — they are already throwing themselves at The Dolphins’ feet as they and their managers smell a payday.
O’Sullivan is reluctant to discuss names, but you can bet the likes of Brandon Smith, Christian Welch and Cameron Munster will be in the mix.
Money will be no object but The Dolphins will need to spend it wisely.
“One of my golden rules in recruiting is you can recover from a player you don’t sign, but it takes you years to recover from a player you shouldn’t have signed,” O’Sullivan said. “That is the golden rule for me. The big thing is we don’t sign anyone we shouldn’t. We don’t want to make any mistakes.
“This is something I haven’t done before so I am looking forward to that. I have been at recruiting clubs all the time.
“This is a chance to get it right from the get-go. I want to learn the lessons that might have haunted other clubs in the past when they started off and had a big lull.
“You have to have young players coming through”
Bennett will obviously be a huge selling point for O’Sullivan and The Dolphins. O’Sullivan doesn’t know Bennett well, but the pair have a mutual friend in former Brisbane Broncos chief executive Chris Johns.
“I actually went up and talked to him (Bennett) in the mid or late 90s about going to the Broncs,” O’Sullivan said. “It never quite worked out then. I might be in my early 50s but it has always been a bit of a dream or ambition to work with him.
“To finally get that chance — I had to wait another 25 years — but it has actually happened. He has an incredible aura in the game and he will have an ability to bring players here, and more importantly get the best out of players. No doubt he will get the best out of me as well.”
O’Sullivan has built his reputation on unearthing some of the rugby league’s modern superstars. When he was at the Melbourne Storm, he was credited with identifying Greg Inglis and Israel Folau. When he was at the Sydney Roosters, he was behind the signings of Latrell Mitchell, Boyd Cordner and Roger Tuivasa-Sheck.
O’Sullivan’s judgment is as good as any in the game.
“I am all about good players and then it is a bonus if they come from Queensland,” he said. “It is probably a fact that if players have come from Queensland and gone to other clubs, it is going to be appealing for them to come home or closer to home.”
His move from the Warriors to the Dolphins led to speculation he may also make a play for prop Matt Lodge given their strong connection.
Lodge is the partner of O’Sullivan’s daughter Jessica. He also has ties to the Dolphins after making his return to rugby league with Redcliffe.
“Matt is under contract with the Warriors for ’22 and he has an option in his favour for ’23,” O’Sullivan said.
Bennett added: “We think ‘Sully’ is in the top tier of recruitment officers and we want the best for the Dolphins. We need the best people and Peter is in the top two or three recruiters in the game. November 1 is approaching and I needed a recruitment guy to hit the ground running, so the timing couldn’t be better.”
Parker’s bid to join Bennett at Dolphins
Broncos legend Corey Parker has offered to be Wayne Bennett’s right-hand man as the Dolphins super coach begins the search for the assistant he will personally groom for the top job.
Parker has ambitions to be an NRL head coach and the former Queensland Origin ironman has contacted Bennett with a view to being his chief lieutenant for the Dolphins debut season in the big league in 2023.
Bennett is taking a considered approach to appointing his primary assistant, mindful the successful candidate will be the man that must successfully succeed the 71-year-old as the Dolphins’ second NRL coach.
St Helens premiership coach Kristian Woolf has been linked to the Dolphins, while it is understood Bennett rates Penrith assistant Cameron Ciraldo, who built the defensive systems that took the Panthers to this year’s NRL title.
But Parker believes he has what it takes and is keen to reunite with Bennett, who handed the 39-year-old his NRL debut in 2001 and coached him to two grand finals, including Brisbane’s 2006 premiership win.
“I’ve spoken to Wayne,” Parker said.
“He has his own views and his own way of doing things, but I’ve let Wayne know I would love to work alongside him again if there was an opportunity.
“A lot of water has to go under the bridge before I become an NRL head coach, but I just wanted Wayne to know that when he is looking for an assistant, hopefully he can consider me for a role.
“I don’t know if anything will be there for me, but hopefully Wayne considers me.”
Parker possesses an excellent NRL playing portfolio. He is the second most-capped Bronco in history with 347 games, flourishing after the age of 30 with ball-playing skills that delivered 19 Origin appearances for Queensland and 13 Tests for Australia.
Since retiring at the end of 2016, Parker has taken up media work with Fox Sports and honed his coaching skill set as an assistant to former Broncos coach Anthony Seibold.
He has also worked in the Queensland Origin system with the Maroons’ junior teams, having helped mentor Roosters young gun Sam Walker and rising Broncos back-rower Brendan Piakura.
Parker has impressed with his analysis for Fox Sports and believes he can instil the relentless professionalism that defined his playing career at Brisbane’s new NRL club.
“I love coaching. I love the game generally and I enjoy seeing players improving and getting better,” Parker said.
“In saying that, I also love my role with Fox Sports, it’s a dream job to be commentating on the game I played, but coaching does make you warm and fuzzy inside, having the ability to help people.
“I really enjoyed working closely with Tevita (Pangai Jr) last year when he went through some troubles at the Broncos and if he didn’t get injured, he would have won a grand final at Penrith this season.
“As a head coach, you have to be all-in. I know there is a feeling that you have to serve your apprenticeship first having your own team in the Intrust Super Cup or NSW Cup, but I don’t think you necessarily have to do that to be an assistant somewhere.
“If you have experience and knowledge of the game, I think you can go into an NRL system.
“I’ve worked with a number of coaches over the past five years to help prepare me to be an NRL assistant.”
Parker is confident the Dolphins will not struggle in their formative years under Bennett.
“The Dolphins will be fine,” he said. “Long term you always want to grow the NRL product. I think there will be some short-term pain, not necessarily for the Dolphins, but some of the other struggling clubs because of the fight for talent.
“The Dolphins have the resources to hit the ground running and I think the city of Brisbane can handle a second team. But it will affect some of the other clubs, you can’t suddenly take 30 players away from other clubs to build a new NRL roster at the Dolphins and not expect some drop in standard.”
Parr could be the pick of the pack to lead Dolphins
Former Cowboys CEO Peter Parr is on the Dolphins’ radar as the NRL’s new expansion club ramps up its recruitment drive following the acquisition of recruitment chief Peter O’Sullivan.
News Corp understands Parr — the man who famously signed Johnathan Thurston to the Cowboys — is the frontrunner to be appointed the Dolphins’ inaugural football chief for their debut NRL season in 2023.
The Dolphins added another piece to their puzzle on Thursday, luring veteran scout O’Sullivan from the Warriors, and now Brisbane’s second team will begin the hunt to fill one of the NRL’s most crucial front-office positions – the head of football.
Parr is a frontline contender. It is believed Parr will be formally interviewed in the coming weeks by Dolphins coach Wayne Bennett and CEO Terry Reader after the NRL’s 17th team sorted out their recruitment chief with the hiring of O’Sullivan.
Currently a North Queensland board member, Parr has served for 20 years at the Cowboys, playing a key role in signing a generation of talent that helped the club break through for their maiden premiership win in 2005.
The centrepiece of the Cowboys’ resurgence was the signing of Thurston, who quit the Bulldogs in 2004 after Parr tabled the $220,000 contract that delivered the playmaker to North Queensland.
Parr has an association with Bennett spanning two decades. He was the Broncos’ coaching and development manager when Bennett coached Brisbane to their fifth premiership in 2000 before moving to the Cowboys in 2002.
Parr also served as a chief executive at the Cowboys, but spent most of his time in the head of football role that would see him work closely with Bennett and O’Sullivan if he joined the Dolphins.
Parr has been a key administrative figure in NSW’s recent revival as an Origin force, having won three of the past four series as the Blues’ team manager under coach Brad Fittler.
The Dolphins have yet to hold talks with any head-of-football candidate, with Bennett keen to first secure O’Sullivan as the NRL’s 17th team prepares to hit the open market from this Monday.
“We think ‘Sully’ is in the top tier of recruitment officers and we want the best for the Dolphins,” Bennett said. “We need the best people and Peter is in the top two or three recruiters in the game.
“Peter has been to a number of great clubs, he has worked for the Storm and the Roosters and he has achieved good results wherever he has been. He spotted a guy like Greg Inglis.
“November 1 is approaching and I needed a recruitment guy to hit the ground running, so the timing couldn’t be better.”
Broncos legend eager to be part of Dolphins future
– Peter Badel
Justin Hodges has formally expressed interest in being Wayne Bennett’s understudy at the Dolphins as the Broncos legend ramps-up his plans to one day coach in the NRL.
News Corp can reveal Hodges is on a shortlist of candidates to coach the Dolphins’ Hostplus Cup side next season following the sudden departure of premiership-winning Redcliffe mentor Adam Mogg.
Redcliffe powerbrokers are expected to make a call in the next 48 hours and Hodges is keen to launch his coaching career in Queensland’s premier rugby league competition with a view to graduating into the Dolphins’ NRL system.
Hodges is one of the Broncos’ greatest players, amassing 251 games and captaining Brisbane in the 2015 grand final in a glittering career that included 24 Origin matches for Queensland and 13 Tests for Australia.
Now the 39-year-old believes he is ready to embark on his head-coaching journey after serving as an assistant to Mogg at Redcliffe this year.
“You can’t expect to be coaching an NRL team if you don’t have your own teams in the lower levels and I’m ready to make that jump,” Hodges said.
“Redcliffe have a board meeting on Wednesday night to decide who will be coaching. I am waiting on an answer.
“I’m definitely keen to step up. I was there as an assistant to Adam Mogg and when he resigned (last week), I didn’t know what was going to happen, so I spoke to a few people at the Dolphins and they said they want me to stay around.
“I said I will put my hat in the ring if you want me to.
“Hopefully I can get something there, whether it‘s coaching the Queensland Cup team or even working with the Colts guys.
“Coaching a State League side and moving up to an NRL assistant and then being an NRL coach is the dream and that’s what I’m working towards.”
It is understood Bennett, the newly-minted mentor of the Dolphins’ NRL team, will have some input on the decision.
The super coach will implement a succession plan and is keen to groom some emerging candidates, including his primary assistant during the Dolphins‘ debut season in 2023, to establish his successor at the NRL’s 17th team.
Hodges and Bennett were a formidable force at the Broncos — they were captain and coach in Brisbane’s 2015 grand-final campaign — and the former skipper would relish reuniting with the 71-year-old in a mentoring capacity.
“I’ve always wanted to coach and my end goal is to get to the NRL,” he said.
“I know I have a long way to go and this (working with Redcliffe) is a chance to build more experience and it’s even better that Wayne will be the coach of the Dolphins NRL team.
“To be able to get advice from someone like Wayne would be priceless. He is involved in the Redcliffe set-up so having someone like Wayne around would be perfect for me in terms of my development as a coach.
“There’s a few coaches in the NRL you would love to learn from and Wayne is at the top of the list. I’ve known Wayne a long time as a player at the Broncos so to work with him in coaching would be awesome.”
Hodges has built a handy coaching portfolio. He was an assistant to former Queensland Origin coach Kevin Walters and made history by engineering the Maroons’ under-20s first defeat of NSW in 2018 after six consecutive losses to the baby Blues.
“I’ve been developing as a coach,” Hodges said.
“I’ve been in the Queensland Origin system and I’ve done the Queensland under-20s as well, we were the first coaching staff to beat NSW in six years.
“I definitely want to coach in the NRL one day and my time at Redcliffe under ‘Moggy’ has given me the scope to learn as much as I can as a coach.”
The risky investment Dolphins must avoid at all costs
– Travis Meyn
Wayne Bennett should snub Melbourne wild child Cameron Munster and build the foundation of the Dolphins for long-term NRL success by making Kalyn Ponga the face of the club.
Bennett has started eyeing potential recruits for the Dolphins’ NRL launch in 2023 after this week securing a four-year contract as the club’s foundation coach.
While assembling a support staff and off-field structures will be crucial to the team’s fortunes, the Dolphins’ inaugural squad will be critical to generating immediate support.
The Dolphins must focus on creating as big a fan base as possible for their debut season in the NRL and then look to consolidate and build on it in years to come.
To do that, they must nail the mix of youth, experience and star power to create the culture Bennett says is most critical to a club’s long-term success.
“Culture, every time. The talent will come,” Bennett said when asked what is the most important factor in building a club.
“We’ll train the talent, we’ll find the talent but it’s who we are and what we stand for that’s important I think.
“We’ve got a $9.5 million salary cap and you know you’ve got to get some marquee players so that will be our priority to get those and build those players around them.”
Despite his on-field talents and State of Origin stardom, Munster isn’t the right player to make the face of the Dolphins.
Putting aside his recent off-field dramas, which included entering rehab following the Storm’s white powder trio scandal, Munster is contracted at Melbourne until the end of 2023.
That means little in the NRL and he could seek a release from the Storm to launch the Dolphins, albeit at a price given Melbourne’s attitude towards letting contracted players go.
It’s hard to see Storm coach Craig Bellamy wanting to do his great rival Bennett too many favours.
If Munster did launch the Dolphins in 2023, he will be 28 and expect at least a $1 million-a-season salary to make the move north. On the back of his recent behaviour, and average on-field performances in 2021, it is a risky investment.
Bennett will back himself to get Munster’s career back on track, but he is a risk the Dolphins should not be investing in.
The big money should be going to Ponga.
Ponga will turn 25 in 2023 and has more wide-reaching appeal across demographics than Munster. Kids love him and he is yet to realise his true potential due to Newcastle’s struggles with consistency. He would thrive under Bennett and a strong structure at the Dolphins.
Ponga will be hitting the sweet spot in his career when the Dolphins launch and is a genuine NRL superstar that is starting to mature.
Bennett could complement Ponga’s brilliance with the experience and tenacity of South Sydney five-eighth Cody Walker.
Walker, 31, will be nearing the end of his career but could provide the leadership needed in the spine to nurture the club’s young talent.
After coaching Souths for the past three years, Bennett has told the Rabbitohs they have nothing to worry about when it comes to him poaching players. But this is professional sport.
Parramatta hooker Reed Mahoney will also turn 25 in 2023 and is a highly-rated by Immortal-in-waiting Cameron Smith.
Smith lauded Mahoney’s competitive nature and he hails from the Sunshine Coast region the Dolphins are trying to infiltrate. He could be a 10-year player for the club.
The Dolphins then need experience, leadership and an enforcer upfront.
Melbourne prop Christian Welch has had issues with concussion but is a cleanskin, smart player from Brisbane with tremendous leadership qualities.
The Dolphins must also make a play for Gold Coast forward Tino Fa’asuamaleaui.
Fa’asuamaleaui, 21, is another long-term option who hails from Gympie and has been touted as a future Queensland Origin captain by Gorden Tallis.
With this fab five in place, the Dolphins will have the bedrock to attract immediate interest and set themselves up for long-term success with a strong junior base.
“I want the good players to come here and want to feel comfortable here but there’s just more than me being here that will bring them here,” Bennett said.
“The thing I want to establish here is a trust and the players can feel this is a place they’re going to be comfortable and welcomed at and build a relationship with staff and players.
“My dream is to have players come in as six-year-olds and play NRL, I really mean that. I can’t think of anything more exciting for a young player to know they can play for the Redcliffe Dolphins, come through the system and play first grade.”
FIVE PLAYERS THE DOLPHINS MUST TARGET
KALYN PONGA
The Queensland Origin fullback is technically off-contract for the 2023 season and would be the ideal candidate to be the face of the Dolphins. Ponga, 23, has untapped potential and could be the best player in the game in the right system. He has age on his side, is adored by fans and would thrive under a coach like Wayne Bennett. He is a better choice than Cameron Munster to be the Dolphins’ marquee signing.
TINO FA’ASUAMALEAUI
The Gold Coast Titans enforcer has all the ingredients to be a terrific acquisition for the Titans. At 21, Fa’asuamaleaui is only in the infancy of his career but is already a State of Origin regular for Queensland and was the Titans’ best player this year. Fa’asuamaleaui hails from the Gympie region which would help the Dolphins’ reach on the north coast and could become the club’s on-field enforcer.
REED MAHONEY
The Parramatta hooker has been given a ringing endorsement by Queensland legend Cameron Smith, who is a huge fan of his competitiveness and tenacity. Mahoney, 23, is a long-term option for the Dolphins. He was on the cusp of playing State of Origin this year and is on the rise. The Dolphins need to land some key spine players and Mahoney looks like the best dummy-half option on the market along with Melbourne’s Brandon Smith.
CODY WALKER
Walker is 31 and will be nearing the end of his career, but he is exactly the type of playmaker the Dolphins need. The South Sydney star has a strong relationship with Wayne Bennett and could provide the experience and leadership needed in a key position. Walker would be signing his final NRL contract from 2023 and he could make a real difference at the Dolphins.
CHRISTIAN WELCH
The Melbourne Storm prop has been one of the NRL’s most improved forwards over the past few years. Welch hails from Brisbane and could bring experience and leadership for an emerging group of forwards. He has had some issues with concussion in recent years but that shouldn’t scare off the Dolphins. A clean skin and well-spoken, Welch is a sponsor’s dream and would be an asset off the field for a new club.
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