Battle of Brisbane feuds: Wayne Bennett’s cheeky sledge over Dolphins Tom Flegler raid

It was the $5 million ambush that eroded Brisbane’s grand final group - and Dolphins coach Wayne Bennett couldn’t be happier. Part I of the feuds that define the Battle of Brisbane.

Tom Flegler rejected a big-money deal from the Roosters as the Dolphins lifted the lid on the $5 million ambush that stole the Origin enforcer and teammate Herbie Farnworth from the Broncos.

The Dolphins are sweating on the fitness of Flegler (shoulder) in the hope the Queensland Origin bookend will be fit to face his former Broncos club in Friday night’s derby at Suncorp Stadium.

The Dolphins have already lost one ex-Bronco in Farnworth (AC joint) and a fitness test on Flegler on Thursday will determine if the flame-haired firebrand gets the green light for the Battle of Brisbane.

The Broncos won both on-field duels with the Dolphins last year but it was another Battle of Brisbane off the field – the bidding war for Farnworth and Flegler – that etched a spicy early chapter in Queensland’s Book of Feuds.

The Broncos never wanted to lose Farnworth and Flegler but the Dolphins struck painful blows, successfully completing a poaching raid that snared two key players from Brisbane’s grand-final team last year.

Flegler inked a four-year deal with the Dolphins worth in excess of $3 million, while Farnworth’s three-year contract to reunite with coach Wayne Bennett at Redcliffe made him one of the highest-paid centres in the game on around $700,000 annually.

Wayne Bennett.

Flegler has played a leading role in the Dolphins’ stunning surge to the top of the league and Bennett believes the 24-year-old can challenge Broncos superstar Payne Haas as the NRL’s No.1 prop.

“I couldn’t believe our lucky stars we got him,” Bennett said.

“He finished last year as one of the top forwards in the game and the beauty is he still has a decade in front of him.

“He has all the qualities you need to be the best in the coming years, he has the toughness to back up his talent.

“There is huge upside in Tom.

“I believe he can be up there with the best props in the game.

“It’s taken a little bit of time for him to mature, but he is a player that is going to put his stamp on the game in the next few years.

“We’ve given him a great opportunity and it’s great that Jesse Bromwich is here to give Tom a senior mentor in the front row.”

The Broncos blooded Flegler in the top grade in 2019 but it was a series of meetings last year during the 2023 pre-season that opened the door for a Dolphins defection.

Salary cap pressures were looming at a Broncos club keen to upgrade Pat Carrigan, Payne Haas, Reece Walsh and Ezra Mam.

Brisbane were determined to keep Flegler, but as negotiations continued, it became evident the Broncos were losing the battle.

Then came a turning point in talks.

Data showed Brisbane prop Corey Jensen was performing as well as Flegler, statistically at least, on less than half the money.

Flegler had been inconsistent as he battled suspensions and moments of ill-discipline.

The Broncos believed if Flegler left, Jensen was capable of stepping up into a starting role.

Flegler could see the writing on the wall.

Suddenly, the bidding war had shifted. The Roosters held talks with Flegler and had the salary-cap space to be competitive, but the Tully tearaway’s reluctance to relocate to Sydney put the Dolphins in the box seat.

Thomas Flegler in action for the Dolphins this season. Picture: Chris Hyde/Getty Images

“I was always confident we would get Tom, the Broncos couldn’t compete with our offer really,” Dolphins recruitment boss Peter O’Sullivan said.

“The Broncos had a talented crop coming through and you just can’t keep them all in the salary cap environment.

“I thought Tom was always one of the best props in the game. I remember seeing him come through the under-19s and he and Tino (Fa’asuamaleaui) were head and shoulders above every other forward in that age bracket.

“Nothing has changed in my eyes.

“The Roosters were keen on Tom, but he wanted to keep living in Brisbane, that was a big factor for us and the Broncos couldn’t beat us in a bidding war, so it was right time, right place.

“I thought he could be in the top echelon of props, so we paid him accordingly.

“He is big, athletic, aggressive and he is a good person. He has beautiful late footwork and a good offload.

“He’s never had a senior prop like Jesse Bromwich to help mentor him and guide him along. Flegler had young middles around him at the Broncos so Jesse has been really important for his development.”

“Tom has already been outstanding, he has been even better than I expected with his talk and leadership.”

Flegler says he is relishing his tenure at the Dolphins and is determined to turn Redcliffe into the type of powerhouse that made the Broncos the code’s glamour club of the 1990s and 2000s.

Herbie Farnworth has been ruled out of the derby with a shoulder injury. Picture: Bradley Kanaris/Getty Images

“The move has been good. I had been at the one place for my whole footy career so far,” Flegler said.

“I only played the first game (of the Broncos-Dolphins derby last year).

“It was big and hyped up. It’s great for rugby league and Brisbane.

“The Broncos are well established in the NRL and one of the biggest sporting clubs in Australia,

“We’re just worried about what we can do. That’s what will get us places.

“We’ve got a good fan base. I’m not too worried about us matching how big their club is.

“Winning footy stops a lot of talk and makes things a lot easier.

“If we start winning on the field then things take care of themselves off it.”

Bennett has been equally rapt with Farnworth’s contribution since joining the Dolphins, who will sorely miss his presence in the centres on Friday night in the third instalment of the Battle of Brisbane.

“I was at the Broncos when he got there as a kid. I’m so pleased I have the opportunity to coach him again,” Bennett said.

“I saw his attitude as a 15-year-old kid coming from England and I’ve never seen anything like it, his drive.

“Herbie will make us a lot stronger in the backline.

“He’s a great athlete and a wonderful young man and he can play a number of positions.

“The new recruits bring pressure inside the team now.

“The benefit of fresh blood is other players now have to lift themselves if they want to be in the team.”

Originally published as Battle of Brisbane feuds: Wayne Bennett’s cheeky sledge over Dolphins Tom Flegler raid