Developing league’s gen-next

Photos: Tristan Croll, courtesy of the Dolphins

More than 100 local junior rugby league players were given top-quality guidance from NRL-level coaches at the first Dolphins Gala Day at Moreton Daily Stadium on Sunday.

Dolphins’ Head Coach Wayne Bennett and former Cowboys and Titans NRL mentor Neil Henry were part of the day, which also included a workshop for 26 local junior coaches.

The session went for almost two hours and some valuable lessons were learned.

“We had four under-13 players and four under-14 players – including both female and male players – from the 13 surrounding junior clubs in the area attend,” Dolphins’ Game Development Manager Shane Morris explains.

“We also had two coaches from each of the clubs, so the coaches were getting some education as well.

“The participants really enjoyed the experience and the players gained some real value out of the coaching.”

The players were put through a drill rotation that focused on developing core rugby league skills such as passing and catching.

They also took part in a round of games about the introduction to the NRL’s RISE program, which was facilitated by Henry.

Dolphins’ Academy strength and conditioning coach Anthony Wood provided physical movement training, while former Redcliffe Dolphins Queensland Cup coach John Dixon took the players through tackle technique work.

Coach Bennett was highly involved with all the groups, moving around to give specialist coaching.

The Dolphins are planning to hold similar Gala Days annually at Redcliffe, as well as on the Sunshine Coast, Wide Bay and in Central Queensland.

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By Tristan Croll, courtesy of the Dolphins