Can the Dolphins break the post-Wayne Bennett curse and make the finals in 2025?
Season Preview
It is hard to predict where the Dolphins will finish in 2025 for one reason – Wayne Bennett.
A lot of pundits are picking the Dolphins to miss the top eight, with some even suggesting they can even finish as low as last, and you can bet that a lot of the reason for negativity around the Dolphins’ 2025 season is they have to deal with hard fact that clubs struggle short-to-medium term after Bennett leaves. Looking at the clubs for the first three seasons after Bennett’s departure, only three times has a team made the finals in all of those subsequent seasons.
One difference between the Dolphins and other clubs post-Bennett is the coach replacing the great man (Kristian Woolf) is highly regarded, with three Super League titles and some impressive results with Tonga under his belt. One could safely say if he wasn’t contracted to the Dolphins would have been on the shopping list of most NRL sides who parted ways with the coach over the past few seasons. This pre-season has been tougher than ever according to players in the media, so Woolf is already making his mark heading into his first head coaching gig in the NRL.
The Dolphins head into the 2025 with a settled backline full of quality, with Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow (aka The Hammer) set to play fullback for most of the season after the luckless Trai Fuller was badly injured in the Queensland Cup finals series. The three quarters field no less than a Centre of the Year and the NRL Rookie of the Year from 2024 in Herbie Farnworth and Jack Bostock respectively, and they have the point-scoring machine in Jamayne Isaako and the fast and versatile Jake Averillo for company. The halves have Isaiya Katoa – who is ready to shine in 2025 – and Kodi Nikorima was outstanding against expectations last season. And for the first time in the Dolphins’ history there appears to be some decent depth in the backs when injuries strike.
The forward pack was always a question in 2024 with the mix between experience and firepower a sometimes feeling a little unbalanced, and certainly long term injuries to two of the Dolphins’ biggest names in the pack didn’t help. But the forward stocks have been improved in 2025 with the arrivals of Daniel Saifiti and Kulikefu Finefeuiaki – and hopefully the Dolphins are able to get a full season out of Tom Gilbert to boost the engine room. Doubts remain over how much game time their 2024 star recruit Tom Flegler will manage, but if they get half a season it will be a massive plus.
The question, Bennett curse aside, is have the Dolphins improved enough to break into the top eight in 2025? They spent more time in the top eight (and top four) than a lot of clubs last season, but there’s a number of clubs that finished lower than them in 2024 who will have eyes and genuine claims on making the top eight in 2025, cross-town rivals the Broncos one of the main contenders. Most will say their squad is still limited and they haven’t improved enough, or Bennett’s curse will affect them. But one only has to see how the Dolphins have defied expectations and critics so far in their short NRL history to know writing them off before the season starts is at your peril.
Best Signing
Kulikefu Finefeuiaki
Embed from Getty ImagesThe obvious answer for best 2025 signing for the Dolphins would be Daniel Saifiti arriving from Newcastle, with the seven-time NSW Blues player a decent replacement for the Dolphins’ now-retired Jesse Bromwich. But given the Dolphins’ success of recruits from North Queensland we’ll take a punt and say Kulikefu Finefeuiaki is ready to take his game, and the Dolphins’, to the next level.
Whilst his stats are good enough but a little modest, the gut feel he is ready to step up and really make his name in 2025, in a position where the Dolphins needed a little more firepower, as outstanding servants Kenny Bromwich and Felise Kaufusi are another year older. Finefeuiaki played 25 games for the Cowboys last season, giving the Dolphins a player they can rely on, which is a bonus given their dire injury record since their inception.
Other 2025 new signings for the Dolphins sees some good depth coverage for the outside backs in Max Feagai and Junior Tupou. Although, it is hard to fault the Dolphins’ back five from 2024, so they might have to be patient.
Key Player
Isaiya Katoa
Embed from Getty ImagesAfter the Dolphins settled on trusting the halfback spot to Isaiya Katoa for most of 2024, he duly delivered an excellent season and enhanced his already growing reputation.
Which makes his late season benching all the more peculiar, which although worked out for their drubbing of the Broncos, he wasn’t there when the Dolphins needed to beat Newcastle to make the finals. And he probably would have made the difference with his kicking game at least. He did have the fourth highest kicking metres per game in 2024.
With two NRL seasons under his belt now, and some impressive performances for Tonga, Katoa is ready to deliver on the promise showed already with the Dolphins and take his game and the team to a new level.
Player to Watch
Tom Gilbert
Embed from Getty ImagesNot a rookie or a new signing, but a valuable player the Dolphins have been without for most of their first two season is Tom Gilbert. The Origin forward hasn’t been seen for the Dolphins since he was injured in 2023 State of Origin game one, but his form before then was outstanding, hence the Origin call-up.
He should provide some extra firepower in the forwards, which will balance out the honest toiling but aging Dolphins pack. He will also provide some leadership on the field, with the rumours swirling he will be announced as the Dolphins’ new captain at their season launch soon. He’d be a fine choice.
