Fuller factor: Trai feels the love

Image: Trai Fuller in action during the 2024 season.

Dolphins NRL fan favourite Trai Fuller says he feels “the love” he gets from home crowds, whose cheers grow louder every time he grabs the ball and makes a run for the try line.

There’s also palpable anticipation the electrifying fullback could do something special at any moment.

“Yeah, I feel that. It’s always good to have everyone cheering for you,” Fuller says.

“I’ve been at Reddy for ages ... I think everyone likes to see a Redcliffe boy up there, playing in the NRL. I feel the love and it’s good.”

Fuller, 28, made his NRL debut in 2023, scoring a trademark individual try during the game.

He played four games and scored two tries for the Dolphins NRL side at the back end of season 2025, after suffering an ACL injury in September 2024, playing for the Redcliffe Dolphins.

Fuller also scored four tries playing in the Prime Minister’s XIII team which beat PNG 28-10 in October, and also learnt some valuable lessons.

“Just be myself, trust in what I’m doing. It was a good experience to go over there,” he says.

Making the Dolphins no.1 jersey his own regularly has been difficult, with Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow the side’s full-time fullback, but Fuller has made every opportunity count.

He’s hoping 2026 will bring more chances to play in the NRL team.

“Wherever that is I don’t know yet ... I’m just trying to play as much as I can,” he says.

Fuller says he hasn’t yet had a conversation with Head Coach Kristian Woolf about where he might fit into the side in 2026, with preseason training the priority.

“We’ve all just been focusing on trying to get fit and get ready for the season,” he says.

The Dolphins narrowly missed the 2025 NRL finals, with a horror run of injuries taking their toll. Despite this, they were the highest scoring team during the regular season and are widely tipped to be a force to be reckoned with in 2026.

“I think we’ve been pretty unlucky since we got into the NRL. We only missed out on the finals by a win, or so, and we’ve had a lot of injuries,” Fuller says.

“It would be good if we can all stay on the field. I reckon we’ll be able to push towards finals this (coming) year.”

Fuller says Woolf has never spoken much about the injury toll, instead putting his faith in the players available for selection each week.

“He’s always had trust in all us boys or whoever he puts in there,” he says.

“We have been missing a few stars, so it’s been kind of tough.”

Fuller’s current Dolphins’ contract runs through to the end of 2026, but he’s hoping to call Redcliffe home beyond then.

“I’d like to stay here. I love it here, but we’ll see what’s going to happen. I’ll go with the flow,” he says.