NRL 2022: Wayne Bennett’s Dolphins sign Storm star Jesse Bromwich, South Sydney’s Mark Nicholls

After missing out on several high profile stars, Wayne Bennett has landed a South Sydney prop and 10-year Storm legend to fill the Dolphins’ front row.

The underfire Dolphins have struck a double blow in the player market with Wayne Bennett poaching Kiwi Test star Jesse Bromwich and South Sydney’s grand final prop Mark Nicholls.

The Courier-Mail can reveal Nicholls has inked a two-year, $500,000 deal with the Dolphins in a recruitment boost for the expansion newcomers, who have come under fire for missing out on a number of big-name NRL stars.

The Dolphins announced the acquisition of Bromwich from the Melbourne Storm on a two-year deal on Friday and are also expected to land former Queensland Origin prop Jarrod Wallace from the Gold Coast Titans.

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Nicholls has been in negotiations with Dolphins hierarchy in recent weeks and formally advised Souths teammates on Thursday he will leave the club at season’s end.

Test and Origin stars Brandon Smith, Tino Fa’asuamaleaui and Christian Welch have rejected interest from the second Brisbane team, but Bromwich and Nicholls have backed Bennett’s Dolphins vision for their foundation season in 2023.

And the Dolphins are gathering steam in the marketplace, with the Redcliffe-based club targeting Wallace, while ex-Bronco Matt Lodge has not ruled out a reunification with Bennett.

Bromwich will turn 34 in his first season at the Dolphins and CEO Terry Reader said he would be a valuable acquisition.

“In building a squad from scratch, we have always been focussed on ensuring we add some real experience to the group we will assemble for the 2023 NRL season,” he said.

“Jesse will bring a host of good qualities to the Dolphins’ inaugural roster, not the least of which will be his exposure at the highest levels of rugby league.

“He has been one of the shining lights of the strong Storm system for the last decade so will bring a tremendous level of professionalism with him.

“Jesse has been a part of three NRL grand final victories and has played 29 Tests for New Zealand, so we know he is a winner.

“He comes from a club that has always been big on creating standards and this will be a new and exciting opportunity for Jesse to create and set a standard for future Dolphins players.”

Nicholls had the option to remain at Souths, but the 32-year-old will join Bromwich, Queensland back-rower Felise Kaufusi, hooker Ray Stone and Broncos winger Jamayne Isaako as the Dolphins’ initial recruits for their debut season.

A veteran of 110 NRL games, Nicholls joined Souths from Melbourne in 2018 and had the best season of his career last year, amassing 27 games and captaining the club twice in their grand-final campaign.

Bennett relished coaching Nicholls at the Rabbitohs and believes the no-fuss bookend can bring an experienced edge to the Dolphins’ inaugural pack.

“Mark had a great relationship with Wayne Bennett at Souths and he was keen to be coached by him again,” said Nicholls’ manager Shaun Pyne.

“The Dolphins need some experienced forwards for their first season and someone like Mark will be a handy addition for their pack.

“Mark is one of the most low-maintenance, hard-working players in the NRL. He’s been in great systems at the Storm and South Sydney so his professionalism will rub off on younger players at the Dolphins.

“Wayne has been great through this process. He was keen to sign Mark, so he said ‘let’s get this deal done’.”

The Dolphins are also in the box seat to secure former Wallace.

A veteran of 177 NRL appearances for the Broncos and Titans, Wallace is off-contract this year and entertaining a move to Redcliffe.

The Titans have loaded up on their forwards, investing millions on the likes of David Fifita, Tino Fa’asuamaleaui, Moeaki Fotuaika, Isaac Liu and Sam McIntyre.

Wallace, 30, is in the final season of a lucrative four-year contract at the Gold Coast and admitted reuniting with Bennett at the Dolphins was an attractive proposition.

“At the end of the day I am off-contract,” he told Channel 7 recently.

“It’s up to the (Titans) too. They might not want to keep me, they might want to go with a younger squad.

“When I was playing under Wayne at the Broncos, I loved that time with him. He really brought my career back to where it needed to be.”

Dolphins sign $550k 34YO prop

- Travis Meyn

The Dolphins have struck in the NRL player market by snaring Melbourne Storm prop Jesse Bromwich for their 2023 launch.

Bromwich has signed a two-year deal worth $1.1 million to be one of the NRL expansion club’s foundation players.

Bromwich is the second Storm player to commit to the Dolphins after the Redcliffe club snared Queensland Origin forward Felise Kaufusi.

Bromwich will turn 34 in his first season at the Dolphins and CEO Terry Reader said he would be a valuable acquisition.

Jesse Bromwich is set to join the Dolphins in 2023 after the Dolphins confirmed his signing. Picture: Getty Images.

“In building a squad from scratch, we have always been focussed on ensuring we add some real experience to the group we will assemble for the 2023 NRL season,” he said.

“Jesse will bring a host of good qualities to the Dolphins’ inaugural roster, not the least of which will be his exposure at the highest levels of rugby league.

“He has been one of the shining lights of the strong Storm system for the last decade so will bring a tremendous level of professionalism with him.

New year, new signing - This is a big one! Jesse Bromwich joins the Dolphins in 2023.#AlwaysADolphin 🐬 pic.twitter.com/MrUrYmhGyF

— Dolphins NRL (@dolphinsnrl) January 21, 2022

“Jesse has been a part of three NRL grand final victories and has played 29 Tests for New Zealand, so we know he is a winner.

“He comes from a club that has always been big on creating standards and this will be a new and exciting opportunity for Jesse to create and set a standard for future Dolphins players.”

Bromwich joins Kaufusi, Broncos winger Jamayne Isaako and Parramatta hooker Ray Stone as the Dolphins’ foundation signings so far.

MORE TO COME.

BENNETT HITS BACK AT DOLPHINS CRITICS

—Travis Meyn

Wayne Bennett has hit back at claims the Dolphins are shaping up to be NRL flops, insisting

the expansion club will be competitive from day one and he is more interested in sustained success than a short-term sugar hit.

The Dolphins have copped criticism following a lacklustre start to their player recruitment drive after securing the NRL’s 17th licence in October for inclusion from the 2023 season.

After three months in the market, the only notable signings the Dolphins have made are Queensland Origin forward Felise Kaufusi, Broncos winger Jamayne Isaako and Parramatta hooker Ray Stone.

The Dolphins have actively attempted to sign the likes of Melbourne star Brandon Smith and Gold Coast forward Tino Fa’asuamaleaui, but are yet to land a genuine marquee recruit.

They are still in the market for Newcastle sensation Kalyn Ponga and the fluidity of the NRL player circus means any number of big name stars could become available over the next year.

Bennett, a seven-time premiership-winning coach, said the Dolphins wouldn’t be pressured into signing players just to fill their inaugural roster.

That means it could be a number of years before the Dolphins secure their ideal playing roster as available talent dries up for their 2023 launch.

Wayne Bennett is remaining patient. Picture: Liam Kidston

“We won’t be rushing to sign players just to sign players,” he said.

“If we have to wait 12 months for the right player then we will wait. The long-term view is what’s important to me.

“Of course we want to be competitive from the start and I’m confident that will be the case.

“We’ve got world class facilities and the club (Redcliffe) is 74 years old. We’ve got under-6s through to state league.

“We’ve got extremely good people right across the organisation. Everything is successful about the joint.

“If we can all just be patient, and let us do our jobs, then we will get the right players. The players will want to come here at the right time.

“We’re not going to fail on the last leg of the journey with this club with all the things they’ve got already going for them.”

Bennett, 72, has experience when it comes to building clubs.

He was the foundation coach of the Brisbane Broncos, helping assemble a team in 1988 that started from nothing and was in a battle with local Brisbane Rugby League clubs.

Bennett said the Dolphins’ solid foundation was a huge bonus for the club but Covid had presented other obstacles as they looked to assemble a roster.

Bennett is confident the NRL’s best players will want to wear the Dolphins’ jersey. Picture: Liam Kidston.

“When we built the Broncos we didn’t even have a ground,” Bennett said.

“We got that decision right but it was the most difficult part of it. Where are we going to train? What facilities would we have? We had nothing compared to what they’ve got today.

“We were spending weeks trying to figure out where to train and were at war with all the Brisbane clubs as well. None of that is happening now. It’s peaceful.

“A lot of Origin players were at Brisbane clubs at the time and they wanted to come to the Broncos. The difference this time is we’ve got to bring them back or recruit interstate players.

“We haven’t been able to get on planes. Everything is on Zoom and it’s not the same.”

Originally published as NRL 2022: Wayne Bennett’s Dolphins sign Storm star Jesse Bromwich, South Sydney’s Mark Nicholls