The Dolphins evolution hasn’t exactly gone to plan, with Wayne Bennett’s side missing out on a host of big names ahead of their inaugural season.
The Dolphins were named the NRL’s 17th club in September last year and everyone expected a flurry of star signings to follow Bennett to Redcliffe.
But only a handful actually put pen to paper as the same sequence kept repeating – the Dolphins would go after a marquee man only for them to re-sign at their club.
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Round 1
STARS WHO REJECTED THE DOLPHINS Brandon Smith Smith’s tour of the east coast last summer was a circus from start to finish as he stopped to be courted by just about every NRL club between Melbourne and Brisbane. But the party quickly ended when Smith declared on a podcast he’d love to win a premiership at the Roosters, despite having 12 months to run on his Storm contract. The Kiwi hooker issued a grovelling apology to the club, but a few weeks later still signed on a three-year deal with the Chooks. Harry Grant The Dolphins were willing to give the Kangaroos and Maroons hooker truckloads of cash, but Grant stuck loyal with the Storm. Bennett went after half of Melbourne’s pack and did manage to recruit Jesse and Kenny Bromwich, and Felise Kaufusi. But Grant opted against returning to Queensland and instead penned a four-year extension that will keep him at the Storm until 2026. Jahrome Hughes The Dolphins successfully poached several Storm stars but they couldn’t get their hands on a playmaker – and not from a lack of trying. Hughes confirmed a move back home to family and friends was “definitely an option” but opted to stay with the perennial contenders on a four-year extension to 2027. “They have the foundations to have a successful team and club, but there is still a risk there and there is no reason for myself to be taking those risks when I’m happy at the Storm,” he said. Cameron Munster This one probably hurt Bennett the most as Munster turned his back on his former Maroons coach – and an extra $1.6 million. Munster was widely slammed for failing to call Bennett and deliver the news – instead scheduling it to break while he was in the air to England for the World Cup. The Kangaroos five-eighth deliberated for months before deciding to stick with the club that has stuck by him through several scandals and signed a four-year extension until the end of 2027. MORE NRL NEWS ‘WHAT A SH**FIGHT’: NRL bad boy caught up in crazy Dubai boxing scandal ‘IT HAS SHATTERED ME’: Footy player fights 20-year ban as video clip emerges TRANSFER CENTRE: Dragons set to poach Warriors enforcer after immediate release ‘REGRET IT’: Seibold admits doomed Broncos reign was a ‘lucrative’ business decision Dragons and Tahs trains together! | 02:25 Kalyn Ponga Ponga is another Maroons star the Dolphins heavily pursued and at several stages looked to have their man. Bennett wined and dined the fullback but apparently the Ponga camp weren’t thrilled with some constructive criticism on where he can improve his game. The playmaker ended up signing a five-year extension worth $5 million to stay at the Knights until 2027. Reece Walsh Brisbane infamously released Walsh to the Warriors last year only for the teenager to get picked in the Maroons squad a few months later. The Dolphins offered the 20-year-old almost double the cash, but the Warriors would only release him, on compassionate grounds, to the Broncos. Walsh penned a three-year deal that will keep him at Red Hill until the end of 2025 as Bennett was once again left to look elsewhere. Patrick Carrigan Carrigan enjoyed arguably the biggest breakout season of any NRL player in 2022, after knocking back the Dolphins this time last year to sign a two-year extension with the Broncos until 2024. The star forward then made his Queensland debut and won the Wally Lewis Medal as State of Origin’s player of the series. Carrigan was then picked in Australia’s World Cup squad and came off the bench in the final as the Kangaroos beat Samoa to lift the trophy. Herbie Farnworth Farnworth signed a one-year extension earlier this year and his stocks would have only risen at the World Cup thanks to some strong performances for England. The Dolphins chased the Englishman and a cross-town move might still happen next year, but the 22-year-old is currently at the Broncos battling Reece Walsh for the No. 1 jersey. If Farnworth fails in his bid to become Brisbane’s fullback then a big-money move to the Dolphins could be on the cards. 20-years for THIS? Player challenges ban | 00:28 MORE NRL NEWS ‘GOT TO OWN THAT JERSEY’: Woods’ warning to ‘under pressure’ Dragons ‘TWO ALPHA MALES’: De Belin buoyed by Dragons bust-up as ‘special’ season builds ‘GOT FEISTY’: Dragons, Waratahs settle age old debate in fiery League vs Union battle Reed Mahoney The Dolphins were one of several teams interested in recruiting Mahoney after he became a star at the Eels in 2020. But just over 12 months ago it was Phil Gould’s Bulldogs who landed the hooker on a four-year deal that will keep him at Belmore until 2026. It was an early blow for the Dolphins, one of the first of many as a few weeks they also missed out on Brandon Smith to the Roosters. Isaiah Papali’i The Dolphins came in with a huge offer for Papali’i after the 2021 Dally M Second Rower of the Year was lowballed by the Eels. But the young backrower wanted to stay in Sydney and instead signed a lucrative three-year deal with the Wests Tigers until 2025. The rejection came just a few months after the Dolphins were announced and it saw Bennett change tact to largely focus on signing Queenslanders. Reagan Campbell-Gillard Campbell-Gillard’s camp declared around November 1 last year that the Blues forward was keen to play under Bennett at the Dolphins. But just a week later RCG put pen to paper on an extension at the Eels, keeping him there until 2025. Plenty of players have used the Dolphins’ interest to squeeze a few more pennies out of their current club – but this one appeared the most blatant. Tino Fa’asuamaleaui Fa’asuamaleaui was at the top of the Dolphins’ wishlist but they missed out on the Maroons and Kangaroos star after he met with Bennett. Fa’asuamaleaui had coffee with Bennett “out of respect” but the Gold Coast captain wanted to help lead his club back to the finals. Instead of becoming the Dolphins’ marquee man, he signed an extension to stay at the Titans until 2026. Rabbitohs lock in Cook | 02:37 Jeremiah Nanai The Dolphins went after Nanai in a bid to complement the signing of senior trio Felise Kaufusi, Jesse and Kenny Bromwich. But the teenager instead penned a one-year extension at the Cowboys and his stocks have risen with every performance since re-signing in April. Nanai went on to make his Maroons and Kangaroos debut, winning both the State of Origin shield and the World Cup. An option for 2024 but will cost the Dolphins a fortune. Dylan Edwards The Panthers fullback was linked to the Dolphins at the start of the year but he chose the premiers over a new franchise. Edwards went on to win back-to-back titles and the unsung hero was named the Clive Churchill Medallist in the grand final this year. The 26-year-old is off contract at the end of 2024 and if his form continues the Panthers will be unlikely to keep him, which could spark another crack from Bennett. Ben Hunt Hunt was certainly entertaining the idea of coming home to play under his former Maroons coach if the Dragons didn’t play ball on his new deal. It dragged on and at one stage looked like Hunt could indeed be joining the Dolphins for the 2024 season. But the Dragons stumped up the $900,000 per season asking price and Hunt re-signed until the end of 2025. Cody Walker Bennett once called Walker the best five-eighth he’s ever coached and was certainly keen on bringing the Rabbitohs playmaker to the Dolphins. But the one-club veteran is settled in Sydney and never realistically entertained the idea of moving his family to Brisbane. Walker will this week pen a two-year extension to stay at Souths until the end of 2025, meaning the 32-year-old will finish his career at Redfern. Dragons teammates separated at training | 00:30 DOLPHINS BEST 17 THEY MISSED OUT ON 1. Kalyn Ponga 2. Reece Walsh 3. Dylan Brown 4. Herbie Farnworth 5. Dylan Edwards 6. Cameron Munster 7. Jahrome Hughes 8. Reagan Campbell-Gillard 9. Harry Grant 10. Tino Fa’asuamaleaui 11. Jeremiah Nanai 12. Isaiah Papali’i 13. Patrick Carrigan 14. Ben Hunt 15. Brandon Smith 16. Reed Mahoney 17. Cody Walker STARS THEY CAN STILL CHASE 2023 season: Marty Taupau, Josh Mansour 2024 season: Mitchell Moses, Matt Burton, Stephen Crichton, Joseph Suaalii, Jeremiah Nanai, Luke Brooks, David Fifita, Herbie Farnworth, Dom Young, Liam Martin, Nelson Asofa-Solomona, Victor Radley, Tom Starling, Maika Sivo Get all the latest NRL news, highlights and analysis delivered straight to your inbox with Fox Sports Sportmail. Sign up now!! DOLPHINS SQUAD: Euan Aitken (2024), Jesse Bromwich (2024), Kenny Bromwich (2025), JJ Collins (2023), Herman Ese’ese (2023), Poasa Faamausili (2023), Oliver Gildart (2023), Tom Gilbert (2025), Jamayne Isaako (2025), Robert Jennings (2024 MO 2025), Isaiya Katoa (2025), Felise Kaufusi (2025), Brenko Lee (2023), Edrick Lee (2024), Conelly Lemuelu (2024), Jeremy Marshall-King (2024), Anthony Milford (2024), Mark Nicholls (2024), Kodi Nikorima (2024), Sean O’Sullivan (2025), Ray Stone (2024), Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow (2024), Mason Teague (2024 MO 2025), Valynce Te Whare (2024), Jarrod Wallace (2024) Development players: Harrison Graham (2023), Jack Bostock (2023), Jeremiah Simbiken (2024 CO 2025), Michael Roberts (2023)
