Cricket talent walks: Accusations of nepotism rock Gold Coast Dolphins club

Private coaching ties have sparked allegations of favouritism in the Gold Coast Dolphins’ under-17 cricket selections, with parents accusing selectors of prioritising paying clients over top local talent — claims the club fiercely denies.

Top Coast cricket coach Simon Belston (L). Photograph : Jason O'Brien

The selection process for the Gold Coast Dolphins under-17 representative cricket team has come under fire with the club rejecting allegations from some parents that private coaching clients had been prioritised for selection over non-paying trialists.

Gold Coast Dolphins selector Simon Belston is the head coach of Peak Performance Cricket (PPC) academy, which charges upwards of $120 per hour for one-on-one coaching sessions.

An exodus of some of the Gold Coast’s most prominent junior cricketers to rival regions, including multiple members of The Southport School’s GPS premiership-winning First XI, has been linked to perceptions of bias and nepotism at the Dolphins.

Multiple parents contacted by this masthead expressed belief that Belston’s private coaching at Peak Performance presented a conflict of interest at the selection table and had resulted in talented players walking away from the region.

Dolphins president Matt Willis denied the allegations, insisting accusations of favouritism had followed the last four Lord Taverner’s coaches.

Willis said just four players of 14 selected last week had ever received coaching at PPC, and only one had trained with Belston within the past six months.

“There is absolutely no way there is any nepotism shown by Simon or any of the other coaching staff towards these PPC players,” Willis said.

13-15 years boys South Coast cricket team 2024. Pictured: Ishaan Sandhu

“There’s more young children that he coaches (at PPC) that have missed out on Lord Taverner’s selection than have made the squad.

“This is where a lot of kids’ sport has got to these days: we can’t fit everyone into these squads and there are always going to be boys that are unlucky to not make the squad, just as there are going to be some boys that are probably fortunate and can consider themselves lucky.

“We are a premier cricket club and every time anybody puts on a Dolphins shirt we’re looking to win it. So we will pick the best teams and squads that we feel will win games of cricket for us.

“If that includes boys that Simon coaches (privately) then so be it.”

Willis said that a panel of selectors included Dolphins life members Chris Swan, Andrew Robinson and Damian Wallis, plus first grade captain Cal Taylor, Belston, and Lord Taverner’s coach Reece Williams.

Gold Coast Junior Cricket treasurer Jagdev Sandhuu said he had withdrawn his Queensland U15 representative son Ishaan from the Dolphins 2025/26 Lord Taverner’s squad in protest over the selection process.

Sandhu is one of three Gold Coast players who have chosen to represent Souths, while another walked away from the region to represent Redlands.

“From what I’ve observed, and I’m very much into Gold Coast junior cricket, it is unfortunate that I had to move my son away from here because I can see there is a blatant conflict of interest going on with Simon Belston,” Sandhu Sr said.

“There are a lot of boys who are being overlooked just because they don’t get training from him.

“What they (Belston and coach Williams) do if you are a bottom-age player they don’t give you much opportunity, and only those who get training from Belston get the opportunity.

“The year before there were a couple of boys who were not given the chances they deserved.”

The father of TSS 2024 premiership-winning captain Dushant Thaman said his son was dropped midway through last season for another spinner without explanation.

“My son was the only kid from the Gold Coast who made Queensland U17, he was the highest wicket-taker at the national carnival, but because of people who were training with this guy (Belston), he was dropped without giving any explanation,” Jeev Thaman said.

“I said how could you drop a kid who has been playing first grade for Broadbeach-Robina (local premiers) and took two wickets in the grand final for a kid who isn’t even playing third grade? He just said this kid is the better spinner.”

Another parent, granted anonymity to speak candidly, said his son had chosen a new club because it had protection in place against nepotism, after missing out on the Dolphins.

“One of the reasons I took my son to a different club was because they actually have a policy that nobody involved in selection or coaching the Lord Taverner’s team is allowed to be a private coach. They remove that nepotism perception, or reality, and I really like that.”

Another parent advised that they had been warned that private training for their Lord Taverner’s-hopeful son was wasted unless it was conducted under Belston.