Show your colours, back the bid

Moreton Daily’s campaign to convince the Australian Rugby League Commission to grant the Dolphins the 17^th NRL licence is gathering momentum, with almost 6000 pledges signed and the region ready to go red on May 21.

We launched the campaign on May 7 in a not-so-subtle attempt to help the ARLC make the right decision.

It has started the bid process, with three clubs vying for one licence to join the competition in 2023.

Those looking for inclusion are the Dolphins, Easts-backed Firehawks and Ipswich-backed Brisbane Jets.

This is a moment more than 70 years in the making and your chance to be part of history.

Our aim is to paint the town red and mobilise footy fans from Bowen Hills to Bundaberg.

BACK THE BID

There are a number of ways you can back the Dolphins’ bid. Visit moretondaily.com.au/dolphins-nrl to:

• Sign the pledge
• Download social media graphics to show your support
• Share your Dolphins memories and photos

PAINT THE TOWN RED

Wear red to work and decorate your office in your favourite shade of crimson on May 21 to show your support and for the chance to win some great prizes.

Want to know more? Visit the website

Excitement builds

Dolphins’ Chairman Bob Jones says excitement is building at the club and beyond.

“It doesn’t matter where I am, people are asking, ‘are we a chance of winning the bid?’,” Mr Jones says.

When he was in Mackay for the first game of the season, he was wearing a Dolphins shirt and a man came up to him and said the Dolphins had to win the licence. It happened again in Newcastle more recently.

“It’s not just Queensland. It’s really encouraging,” Mr Jones says.

“From a local point of view, and within the club, people are excited. The people of Brisbane, I have no doubt, will get behind us.”

Mr Jones says the club prides itself on having passionate supporters and it needs them more than ever as it builds its case for an NRL licence.

“It’s very important, the community support. It’s behind what’s enabled our club to go from where we were in 1947 to where we are today,” he says.

History of high aspirations

Dolphins Group CEO Tony Murphy says the club has aspired to be the best it can be since it formed in 1947, left the Murrumba League for the Brisbane Rugby League in 1960, was promoted to Division 1 a couple of years later before winning the Grand Final in 1965.

“We have got a history of wanting to play at the highest level, the next league up,” Mr Murphy says.

He says there were five international players in the first-grade team before the NRL granted the Broncos a licence and players left to play in the national competition.

“In all our strategic plans, our No.1 focus has been to play in the best competition we can. It’s been the Queensland Cup, but there’s now an opportunity to play in the NRL. It’s an opportunity that only comes along every 30 years or so. This is our best shot.

“We are the most successful club in the QCup competition, we know how to run a football club. Businesswise, we’ve been trying to get ourselves in the best position.”

The man driving the bid, experienced sports administrator, former Brisbane Broncos Chief Commercial Officer and Brisbane Lions Commercial Operations Manager Terry Reader, says the Dolphins have been waiting for an opportunity to be part of the NRL since 1987.

“The opportunity has arrived and now we need the community to follow us, and support the bid, as we look to become the 17th NRL team,” Mr Reader says.

He says the club is ready to hit the ground running the moment it is given the green light, with all the necessary infrastructure in place, and a solid financial position to ensure it will be a viable NRL club.

“The club is very well set up and has all of the infrastructure to go tomorrow,” Mr Reader says.

He says the Dolphins are ‘NRL-ready’, will not be faced with high start-up costs and can immediately focus on recruiting staff, building a competitive roster of players and bringing the Dolphins’ NRL brand to life.

DOLPHINS NRL BID: THE FACTS

• If the club wins an NRL licence, it will continue to have Intrust Super Cup, Colts and junior teams representing the Redcliffe Dolphins.

• NRL games will be mostly played at Suncorp Stadium, where bigger crowds can watch the action. This will ensure the club can be competitive and viable in the NRL. The Dolphins will still play some games at Moreton Daily Stadium in Redcliffe each year.

• The NRL club’s full name and colours will be decided after the licence is issued, but red will be remain the dominant colour and Dolphins will be the dominant name. A dolphin will also be the main feature of the logo.

• The Dolphins will continue to call the Moreton Bay Region home, with its base at Redcliffe – just as the Brisbane Broncos call Red Hill home.

Want to know more? Visit the website

DID YOU KNOW?

The region the club represents has:

• More than 10,000 registered junior rugby league players in the north of Brisbane, Moreton Bay and Sunshine Coast

• 5500 registered players, and 17 junior clubs in the Moreton Bay Region

• 3500 registered players in the Sunshine Coast Rugby League

If successful, the Dolphins would look to affiliate with up to two other Queensland Cup clubs on top of the Redcliffe Dolphins under the clubs affiliate/feeder team banner, enabling the Dolphins to support the QRL competitions and also have a broader presence and connection outside the Moreton Bay Region.

Want to know more? Visit the website

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