Dolphins players touchdown at Wellcamp Airport after ex-TC Alfred halts travel to Brisbane

Toowoomba’s Wellcamp Airport has once again been the Qld touch down point for rugby league stars stuck in NSW while their families bunkered down for the now ex-tropical cyclone Alfred.

Redcliffe Dolphins touchdown at Toowoomba’s Wellcamp Airport on Saturday morning after Round 1 game in Parramatta, near Sydney. Picture: File

With all flights to Brisbane cancelled, Redcliffe’s rugby league stars looked to be stranded down south until at least Sunday – until Toowoomba’s aviation legends stepped up yet again.

The Redcliffe Dolphins arrived safely in Toowoomba early Saturday after losing 16-14 to the South Sydney Rabbitohs in Parramatta on Friday night.

The club was able to secure an emergency flight through Toowoomba’s Wellcamp Airport on Saturday morning after it was feared they would not be able to return to their loved ones in time for ex-TC Alfred’s arrival.

The team’s quick trip to the Garden City comes only days after Wellcamp helped the Brisbane Broncos re-enter the state ahead of the major weather event.

News Corp Australia previously reported the Dolphins were informed they had found a safe passage home only three hours before they were set to kick off against the Rabbitohs in the Round 1 head-to-head.

The decision to go ahead with the game drew criticism when players Kodi Nikorima, Mark Nicholls and Kenny Bromwich pulled out of the Round 1 clash due to concerns for their families facing the impact of a possible tropical cyclone.

The move prompted some to question the NRL’s decision to move the game, with Kodi Nikorima’s wife, Bree, calling out the organisation on Instagram.

“Leaving the families behind to ride out the direct line of the cyclone alone. Some with no support at all,” she said in a post on Instagram.

“I’m 6 months pregnant with 2 young kids in an area that can flood, disgusting.”

Despite this, Rabbitohs coach Wayne Bennett offered his support to the NRL.

“They have done the right thing. It’s important to everyone involved in the game, the fans, the TV stations,” he said.

Originally published as Dolphins players touchdown at Wellcamp Airport after ex-TC Alfred halts travel to Brisbane