Trai Fuller: ‘He’s ready to go’

Dolphins fan favourite and lionheart Trai Fuller will make his NRL return in the Battle for Brisbane tomorrow at Suncorp Stadium (5.30pm kick off).

His inclusion in the starting side comes as usual fullback Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow moves to centre following the withdrawal of Max Feagai (shoulder injury).

Head Coach Kristian Woolf says it’s a change Tabuai-Fidow was happy to accommodate for the good of the team, which has been ravaged by injury for most of the 2025 season

“Him, like everyone else is just as excited about Trai getting an opportunity as well. I think that’s a real indicator of what sort of team person he is,” Woolf says.

“Hammer’s a team player. He’s happy to put his hand up and change positions because he knows it’s best for the team. We know we can trust him there and we know he’ll do a good job.”

It’s familiar territory for Tabuai-Fidow, who has played at centre for Queensland and the Dolphins previously.

Fuller makes his long-awaited comeback after recovering from an ACL injury, suffered playing for the Redcliffe Dolphins in the Queensland Cup at the end of last season.

“He’s ready to go. He looks confident in what he’s shown in Queensland Cup (this season) and what he’s shown in training. He’s going to be a great addition to us,” Woolf says.

“He’s been on the cusp of coming back into first grade for three or four weeks now. He’s done a terrific job with himself with his injury (ACL recovery) and come out the other end really well.

“Like all guys who come back from a knee reconstruction, it does take a little while to get back into playing footy and to get your full confidence playing footy.

“He did take a couple of weeks playing Queensland Cup but the last couple of games he played, he started to look like the old Trai and started to have a real influence on the game and helped Redcliffe win a couple of games as well.”

It’s news that will be welcomed by fans and his teammates.

“He’s brave. Everyone loves playing with Trai because they know how brave he is, they know how committed he is, they know that he’ll do his absolute best in every moment of the game and he’ll put his body on the line,” Woolf says.

Bouncing back

The Dolphins will be looking to bounce back after their 64-12 loss to the Roosters in round 23.

“We’ve just had to address that quickly and move forward from it. It wasn’t us, we’ve seen some things that we haven’t seen all year and we don’t want to see again,” Woolf says

“The reasons for it, I’m not quite sure but we just need to move forward.”

It was a fiery encounter with the Roosters, which got the better of the Dolphins. While the Battle for Brisbane will offer its own level of emotional intensity, Woolf is confident they can keep a lid on it this week.

“I think we got a good lesson last week. I didn’t dislike the way our blokes stood up themselves at the start of the game. I think they had to do that,” Woolf says.

“They (the Roosters) probably settled down to play footy a little bit better than we did and that’s a real learn(ing) for us going forward.

“We’ve had a normal sort of week. We’ve been on the cusp of needing to win games and every game being a little bit must-win. If we’re going to play finals, the players are very aware of that.

“This game’s just another big game for us. Obviously, it’s got a bit more rivalry. There’s plenty of guys who have spent a lot of time at the Broncos … they want to play well.

“We know it’s going to be hyped up in the media, we know there’s going to be a really big crowd there. It’s a game that people want to be a part of.”

So, does it irk him that the Broncos keep referring to his team as the Redcliffe Dolphins?

“I’m not bothered by that at all. We are Redcliffe.”

And he’s hoping plenty of their fans make the trip to Suncorp Stadium to show their support.

“I hope everyone can get past last week, like we have. We’re going to need their support and we need that to be a relatively even support as well (at the stadium).

“We know how big a club the Broncos are and how much support they have. I’d love to see just as many Dolphins’ fans there.”