Sport Confidential: Broncos, Dolphins go to war over contracted Brisbane young gun
Teen sensation Karl Oloapu recently asked for a release from his contract – and the Broncos think the Dolphins are behind it. So is the new club in the wrong?
The Broncos and Dolphins are at war following allegations the NRL’s expansion club has tried to coax Brisbane’s best junior out of a contract with an eye-watering offer.
Teen sensation Karl Oloapu has become the centre of a River City Rumble between the Broncos and Queensland’s new club the Dolphins.
Oloapu, 17, has yet to finish high school but is one of rugby league’s hottest talents after being crowned player of the tournament at the Australian Schoolboys Championships.
And he has now triggered an off-field spat between the Brisbane rivals ahead of the Dolphins’ NRL launch in 2023.
Oloapu is contracted to the Broncos until the end of the 2025 season after committing to a three-year deal with Brisbane.
However, his new management recently requested a release from the contract – which was promptly rejected by Brisbane.
The Broncos privately believe Oloapu wants to quit the club because the Dolphins were willing to offer him a contract worth about double what he has agreed to with Brisbane.
The NRL’s rules prevent clubs from coaxing players out of contracts, unless they are given permission to negotiate by their contracted club, which has not occurred with Oloapu.
The Broncos also believe the Dolphins hunted boom centre Deine Mariner earlier this year in similar circumstances and have considered lodging a complaint with the NRL.
The Melbourne Storm complained to the NRL earlier this year about the Dolphins’ pursuit of under-contract Origin star Cameron Munster.
Dolphins CEO Terry Reader denied the NRL’s newcomers were breaching contracting rules by pursuing Oloapu, a Redcliffe junior with links to the club.
“I’m very confident (we aren’t breaching rules). We haven’t gone about breaking any rules or doing anything we’re not meant to,” he said.
“If someone is contracted then they are contracted. If they become available it’s a different story. What we have seen is clubs release players.
“Managers speak to clubs every day and we’re no different. Every club wants to sign quality players and so do we. If they are available and interested we want to talk to them.
“We’ve dealt with unusual circumstances. Not many clubs have to sign 34 players in one year, plus train-and-trial players, and put academies together.
“We have said from the start we will be patient and wait for the right player.”
The Oloapu tussle has frayed relationships between the Broncos and Dolphins as the clubs prepare to become fierce rivals in the battle of Brisbane.
The Broncos have already fought off the Dolphins’ advances on Mariner and are refusing to let Oloapu go to their new south east Queensland rivals.
A classy five-eighth, Oloapu will head straight into Brisbane’s full-time squad on a development contract worth $60,000 when he completes school this year.
He will then be promoted to Brisbane’s top 30 from 2024 – which will trigger a significant pay rise for the remaining two years of his current contract.
Broncos recruitment chief Simon Scanlan said Brisbane would not be releasing Oloapu, who the club rates highly and wants to develop into an NRL star at Red Hill.
“The club has a contract registered for Karl and we won’t be releasing him,” he said.
“They have asked for a release and it has been denied.
“Karl has come through our Academy program and is a highly-talented player. He has a great work ethic and is a very physical player.
“He will finish school this year and go into our full-time squad in the upcoming pre-season.”
BENNETT’S BOLD HAMMER PREDICTION
Wayne Bennett hopes star signing Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow can become the Dolphins’ version of former Test and Origin gun Darius Boyd.
Bennett landed arguably the Dolphins’ biggest fish yet on Wednesday in securing Tabuai-Fidow from the Cowboys on a two-year deal.
“Hammer” was released from the final season of his North Queensland contract to join the Dolphins for their NRL launch in 2023.
And Bennett is tipping big things for the Cairns product that is one of the fastest players in the NRL.
Tabuai-Fidow, 21, came into the NRL as a winger-centre before transitioning to fullback, a position he desperately wants to play full-time in first grade.
Boyd took a similar career path when he came into the top grade under Bennett at the Broncos in Brisbane’s 2006 premiership season before going on to become one of the game’s elite fullbacks.
Under Bennett’s tutelage for most of his career, Boyd played 337 NRL games along with 28 Origins and 23 matches for the Kangaroos – winning every Test.
And Dolphins coach Bennett hopes Tabuai-Fidow can follow in Boyd’s footsteps when he joins the Redcliffe club next month.
“He is an extremely good athlete and it looks like he looks after himself well,” he said.
“We all know what he can do, we’ve seen it. It’s about getting an opportunity and he wasn’t getting that at the moment.
“He’s only a young player and is going to get better with time. He can play centre, fullback and wing. Players like that are pretty handy these days.
“Darius Boyd came to the Broncos as a winger-centre and ended up being a great fullback.
“He’s got all the credentials. It’s just a matter of it all falling into place. He has to work hard and be committed to being that player.”
Tabuai-Fidow was given first crack at North Queensland’s No. 1 jersey this year before a knee injury in round 4 saw Scott Drinkwater take over the role.
Drinkwater produced the best season of his career to make the fullback jersey his own, prompting Tabuai-Fidow to seek a release.
Bennett praised the Cowboys for not standing in the way of the 50-game Tabuai-Fidow, a Cairns product who the club developed.
“It wasn’t his fault or anybody’s, it was just the way the team worked. They all played well and he missed out,” he said.
“It was one of those things that happens in footy and he was looking at the same thing next year.
“To their credit, they released him and allowed him to look at other opportunities. It’s selfish to keep those guys that are regular first graders at any other club.
“It is a credit to the Cowboys for not trying to hold him back. They knew they couldn’t really give him an opportunity. They didn’t get many injuries this year so you can’t just keep hanging on because of that.”
TALLIS AND JONES TAGGED IN
Broncos legend Gorden Tallis will be back on the footy field on Sunday when he competes in a family league day.
Along with NRL commissioner Kate Jones, Tallis has jumped on board Family LeagueTag – an eight-a-side tag version of rugby league which is open to kids (5-15) and their parents.
The rules are similar to rugby league and allow families to play together, with parents banned from scoring.
“This is a great way for families to spend time with their kids while being active and enjoying our game,” Tallis said.
Jones helped Wests Brisbane get the support of the NRL for the pilot program, which runs every Sunday for the remainder of October at Purtell Park in Bardon.
Registrations are still open to anyone interested in playing.
“The NRL is very proud to support Wests Brisbane’s Family LeagueTag pilot season,” Jones said.
“I will be taking the field with my husband, kids and their mates.
“The Commission wants to grow participation in our game in all its forms including tag and touch.
“This is an easy and affordable way for families to enjoy our game together.”
Anyone can play and to register your interest visit https://bit.ly/familyleaguetag or contact Pat Webster on 0401 212 176 or patwebster9103@gmail.com
DOLPHINS TRUMP THE TITANS
Queensland’s expansion war is over with the Dolphins winning the battle over the Titans for the signature of Herman Ese’ese.
As revealed last week, tensions between the new Queensland NRL rivals broke out after the Gold Coast prop agreed to terms with the Dolphins, angering Titans recruitment chiefs.
The Titans believed they were still in the race and tabled a two-year offer for Ese’ese on the very day the prop had inked a one-year deal with the Dolphins.
The former Broncos bookend stood to earn more than $200,000 extra by remaining at the Titans, but Ese’ese has honoured his word and will join the NRL’s 17th franchise next season.
Meanwhile, the Dolphins have bolstered their roster by signing four Central Queensland Capras rookies. Playmaker Radean Robinson and forward trio Bailey Butler, Lachlan Hubner and Tyler Szepanowski have been handed train-and-trial deals after impressing in the Queensland Cup.
HUNI’S MEGA SHOWDOWN
Justis Huni is poised for the biggest fight of his career as Australia’s heavyweight golden boy sets his sights on challenging for a world title in 2023.
Sport Confidential can reveal former IBF cruiserweight world champion Mairis Briedis has agreed to fight Huni next year, with the parties discussing a likely date of March 4 at Brisbane’s Nissan Arena.
Briedis lost his world-title belt to Huni’s stablemate Jai Opetaia in July on the Gold Coast and the Latvian legend is ready to step up to the heavyweight division to get his career back on track against Huni.
The Brisbane-born Huni is currently in Los Angeles sparring America’s best heavyweights to improve his development as he eyes a breakout year in 2023.
Unbeaten in six fights, Huni has never faced any one of the quality of Briedis, but if he beats the former world champion, the 23-year-old is tipped to surge up the global rankings and into world-title territory.
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