Dolphins stars face race against time as Cyclone Alfred closes in

Dolphins players fear they may not be able to make it home to their loved ones despite the NRL booking a charter flight to Redcliffe.

The Dolphins have been handed a massive boost ahead of their clash against South Sydney on Friday night, with the NRL securing them a charter flight home.

After being informed that there was a very real possibility they could be “stranded” from their loved ones as Cyclone Alfred makes landfall, Dolphins players have been given the good news there is a flight booked for them that should touch down just before Cyclone Alfred crosses their Redcliffe home.

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The NRL made the controversial call to push ahead with the match earlier this week, despite protests from players and loved ones, with three Dolphins stars deciding not to make the trip south so they could be with their families.

Originally the Dolphins were confident they would return to Queensland after their match against Souths wrapped up, with Broncos players making the same journey home after flogging the Roosters on Thursday night.

However, with winds picking up, Qantas, Jetstar and Virgin all announced that they won’t be operating flights to and from Brisbane, Gold Coast and Ballina airports until at least Sunday morning.

The Dolphins could be stranded in Sydney. Picture: Supplied

“The Dolphins face the prospect of being stranded … and are now desperately searching for a way to get home after full-time at about 10pm (AEDT) on Friday,” Code Sports reported on Friday.

“As of Friday morning, the Dolphins had no idea how they were getting home and were liaising with the NRL.”

And while Broncos players made it home it was anything but straightforward.

With airports closed they took off from Bankstown Airport and flew into Wellcamp Airport in Toowoomba before boarding a bus that arrived in the Queensland capital after 1am on Friday morning.

But in positive news for the Dolphins side, three hours before their 8pm (AEDT) kick-off, the club were informed a charter flight from Sydney to Toowoomba on Saturday morning had been locked in.

Alfred is expected to cross the Queensland coast north of Brisbane, near the Dolphins’ base, about midday Saturday as a Category 1 tropical cyclone, meaning they should touch down just in time if everything goes to plan.

Kodi Nikorima stayed behind to be by the side of his pregnant partner Bree Tobler. Photo Steve Pohlner

The news comes after three players — Mark Nicholls, Kodi Nikorima and Kenny Bromwich — stayed behind with their young families when the side flew to Sydney on Wednesday.

Bree Nikorima, the partner of Dolphins playmaker Kodi, is six months pregnant and has two young children and said the NRL’s decision to move the game and leave families behind during a cyclone was “disgusting”, in a since-deleted Instagram post.

While former Dolphins coach Wayne Bennett refused to weigh in on the NRL’s decision to relocate the game in his pre-match press conference.

“That’s a Dolphin issue. It’s not one that we have,” Bennett said on Thursday.

“They’ll handle it.

“They got on the plane yesterday. There’ll be 17 guys that’ll be as keen as any to play.

“They’re a wonderful club. I was really proud of my time there with them, and they’ll do their best with whatever they put on the field.”

Originally published as Dolphins stars face race against time as Cyclone Alfred closes in