From fill-in to full-time: Fuller content to play his new role

Since his NRL debut, Dolphins fan favourite Trai Fuller has been making the most of his limited opportunities at the top level and has been rewarded with elevation to the top 30 next year.

Celebrated by the club as a pathway player who has shown himself to be NRL-ready, Fuller claimed Queensland’s Intrust Super Cup player of the year honours last year after earning a train-and-trail contract at the start of the season which was extended to this year as well and has now become a two-year deal. 

“It's special for me, especially with everything this club has done for me, just grateful to be here for another two years," Fuller said.

“(Being elevated to the top 30) it's been pretty long but, well worth the wait."

One of the older players to make their NRL debut at age 26, Fuller has looked up to the likes of Cody Walker who got their start late and given the way he burst onto the scene, there were questions about whether he’d look to other clubs to get more game time.

However Fuller, who has been part of the Redcliffe Dolphins in their Colts and Cup squads since making the move across town as a teenager following a stint with the Brisbane Broncos Under 20 side, wasn’t ever considering a move away from a place that has “felt like home”.

Trai Fuller scores on debut

“I've always planned on staying here whether it was just Cup or to get the chance to be up there with NRL now, never really crossed my mind to go anywhere else," Fuller said. 

“It's always felt like home ever since I came here since 2016.

“Everything's around here for me and it's hard for me to leave, especially when I've got everything set up here."

Filling in mostly as fullback for Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow when he has either been injured or on representative duty, Fuller’s form has forced the hand of coach Wayne Bennett to select him as part of his 17.

However, with 'The Hammer' back in the side, Fuller is now learning how to play his part for the team in an unfamiliar position closer to the middle; but is drawing on the experience of other players like Kodi Nikorima to nail down his new role.

“Anywhere the coach wants to put me, I'm just happy to be in there playing in first grade," Fuller said.

“It's been a lot different. I've never really played that position that much, maybe a bit when I was younger.

“(Nikorima's) actually had a yarn to me about that position and a lot of things that can help me out, along with Kurt Donohue as well, he's helped me out with a few pointers.

“They've been good for me. It's pretty valuable, especially having someone like Kodi who has played in a similar position as me.

"And also the Bromwich boys, [Felise] Kaufusi and all the boys that's been here for a long time and (they share their) experience; you can't really teach that."

Last week in his first outing off the bench this year, the Dolphins let a 26-12 lead slip against the Panthers who were able to force the game into golden point, before Nathan Cleary stepped up in his first game back in nine weeks due to a hamstring injury to slot a match-winning two-point field goal to win the game.

Panthers v Dolphins – Round 20, 2024

While there was some discussion after the game about young half Isaiya Katoa’s decision to go for a try rather than back himself to slot a field goal, Fuller said the side supported him to make the call.

“[Katoa] pretty much one of our leaders out there and we'll trust him with whatever he thinks is right and a lot of the boys have been around him, getting around him, but it's all good," Fuller said.

“Those tight games, especially against a team like Penrith; (this experience) only just helps us towards the back end of the season and with that game management as well."

The Eidsvold Eagles junior also said whole side had taken lessons from that game where they missed 48 tackles and were putting in the work needed to try and turn things around against the Gold Coast Titans this Sunday.

“Defence is a massive one for me," Fuller said. “I'm not the biggest, so I've just got to stick to the way I know how to tackle and don't try and switch up my tackle tech, just because I'm in there; have to just keep tackling the way I tackle.

“(Defence has) been a pretty big focus, especially with all our missed tackles, but we'll be better this week.”