Preview: Redcliffe Dolphins take on Clydesdales

Photos by Mitchell Ensby/QRL

The Redcliffe Dolphins will be looking for their seventh win of the season when they take on the Western Clydesdales at Kayo Stadium this weekend.

It comes after a comfortable 26-16 win over the Sunshine Coast Falcons at Sunshine Coast Stadium last Saturday in the battle for the James Ackerman Cup.

The cup is in memory of the former Falcons and Dolphins player who died in 2015 – two days after he suffered a head injury in a tackle by Francis Molo during a Queensland Cup game against North Devils.

Dolphins Hostplus Cup Coach Ben Te’o says it was a special win and an important occasion for the team and the family.

“There’s a lot of new, young players in the Redcliffe side, but also some staff who have been here for a long time who knew him and played with him,” Te’o explains.

“We all understood what it was going to be like, the presentation with the family coming out and photos with the family.”

The side also understood it was going to be a tough contest against a quality side at home.

“We travelled well and turned up with the right attitude,” Te’o says.

Dunamis Lui was player of the match but Te’o says Harrison Graham had his best game for the side and Valynce Te Whare played well in backing up after two minutes on field in the NRL team’s win over the Dragons two nights earlier.

“We’re moving up the ladder, once place at a time. I’m happy with them. We’re just making sure we’re worried about our performance, not thinking about results, just the way we’re playing our footy. That’s all I can ask,” he says.

The Dolphins are fifth on the ladder and face the Western Clydesdales (13^th) at Redcliffe’s Kayo Stadium on Saturday night (kick-off 5pm) in Round 12.

“We’ve been watching them closely, studied their style. We watched their game on the weekend. They’re a tough team, gritty,” Te’o says.

He says it will be good to be back at Redcliffe’s Kayo Stadium for this weekend’s game after games at Suncorp Stadium and Sunshine Coast Stadium in recent weeks.

Te’o says with the NRL team playing the Warriors in New Zealand on Saturday (3pm kick-off), fans can watch the game in the leagues club and come outside afterwards to watch the Hostplus Cup side in action.

Check out photos from the game (click through)

Photos by Mitchell Ensby/QRL