The Dolphins NRL team’s first pre-season is almost here and is beginning to take shape.
Over the next two months the training group will start to build into a full NRL squad as players of differing experiences join the squad.
As is the norm at clubs, it is always the least-experienced players that arrive on the very first day of training; the teenagers straight out of school; the Queensland Cup players getting their big chance on a train and trial contract; and the development list group that have been earmarked for a future NRL career.
Wave 1
Tory Bath
Bailey Butler (CQ Capras)
JP Donevski
Trai Fuller (Redcliffe Dolphins)
Lachlan Hubner (CQ Capras)
Cody Hunter (Redcliffe Dolphins)
Ryan Jackson
Setu Tu (Redcliffe Dolphins)
Michael Waqa
Tyler Szepanowski (CQ Capras)
Jack Bostock
Harrison Graham
Michael Roberts
Valynce Te Whare
Ray Stone
Wave 2
JJ Collins
Herman Ees'ese
Poasa Faamausili
Jamayne Isaako
Brenko Lee
Edrick Lee
Mason Teague
Jarrod Wallace
Wave 3
Tom Gilbert
Robert Jennings
Mark Nicholls
Kodi Nikorima
Sean O'Sullivan
Wave 4
Euan Aitken
Jesse Bromwich
Kenny Bromwich
Isaiya Katoa
Felise Kaufusi
Jeremy Marshall-King
Anthony Milford
Jeremiah Simbiken
Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow
Connelly Lemuelu
Conditioning and strength training will cover most of the action in the first few weeks – actual footballs are not seen too much early on.
Players who are in rehabilitation for long-term injuries – such as Ray Stone, who is coming of an ACL surgery – will likely be seen around training earlier than expected.
Fortunately there are only a few players who are actually returning from injury, with Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow’s ankle injury expected to be back to full fitness by January.
As the pre-season continues, waves of players will join training, with NRL players who did not play finals footballing starting in mid-November.
Those that played in the finals or are well into their NRL careers will turn up in December.
In January the Dolphins’ internationals that are currently playing for their countries of choice in the Rugby League World Cup will be required for training.
The pre-season sessions will be at full clip by then, with only a month or so until the trial matches start.
By then the Dolphins’ NRL debut match in the first week of March, and the beginning of a new history for the club, will be just around the corner.
