Redcliffe Dolphins V Tweed Heads game preview

The Dolphins will need to defend well to beat Tweed Heads in their Hostplus Cup round 14 clash at Moreton Daily Stadium on Saturday night.

Moreton Daily chatted with Head Coach Scott Murray about how their season is tracking and what the side must do to beat Tweed.

He says the Dolphins will need to control the football and possession to keep a lid on the Seagulls’ attack, and that has been the focus at training this week.

“We’ve got to be good in defence. They’re a very attacking style of team, all over the park,” he says.

The Dolphins are seventh on the ladder, behind Tweed on 5^th but just one win separates them.

The home side hasn’t dropped a game since round six, with five wins and one draw adding to an earlier win in round two.

It followed a bumpy start to the season, with five losses in six games, but the coach says the turnaround was the result of growing confidence and hard work.

“I think we’re starting to play some good football,” he says.

|“We had been really close, but just being able to find a win and build on top of that. There are still areas we need to keep getting better at, but our effort has been outstanding.”|

He says the side has taken confidence from recent wins.

“We’re not making too many silly errors, which is helping, so we can control the footy,” Murray explains. “We’re not shooting ourselves in the foot to begin with.

“If a team wants to win against us, they have to work pretty hard.”

He says remaining positive has been key, as has believing in the work the squad has been putting in at training.

“At no stage did we panic,” Murray says.

“It was just a matter of getting that one win and we were pretty close to that. We just had to work a little bit harder at training.”

Standout players this season

“Lachlan Timm has been outstanding for us this year. He’s been playing a lot of minutes,” Murray says.

He also praises the efforts of fullback Trai Fuller and Setu Tu on the wing.

“He (Tu) has made that position his own and doing some special things. It’s really pleasing to see him do well,” Murray says.

Captain Cameron Cullen is still recovering from spinal surgery on a disk in his neck and Murray’s not sure if he will take the field this season.

“It will depend on how his neck responds to treatment and how quickly his body can be ready to play,” he says.

Dunamis Lui had been filling the role until he was signed by the Warriors.

Sheldon Pitama has now taken on captain responsibilities.

“We’ve got Lui back for a couple of games, but we had to find someone else who has respect in the playing group. Sheldon was an easy pick,” Murray says.

With three home games at Moreton Daily Stadium in four weeks, Murray is hoping for strong crowd support.

“The fans have been fantastic this year. We’ve had a decent record at home. We love playing at home and we love the support the fans give us,” he says.

“Saturday night at Moreton Daily Stadium sounds pretty good. They can enjoy it in the stands and support us to get the win.”

GAME DETAILS

Redcliffe Dolphins V Tweed Heads Seagulls

Where: Moreton Daily Stadium, Redcliffe

When: Saturday, July 9

Gates open at 3pm.

3.30pm - Dolphins vs Tweed- COLTS

5pm - Chinchilla Bulldogs V Junior Dolphins U8 & U10

6pm - Dolphins vs Tweed- Hostplus Cup

For the Hostplus Cup team lists, head to the website