Trai Fuller: ‘It’s always felt like home’

Praised by Wayne Bennett for his courageous style of play and loved by long-time Dolphins fans, Trai Fuller has locked in a two-year deal with the club he calls home.

The deal elevates him to the Dolphins top 30 full-time squad and will cover the 2025 and 2026 seasons.

“It’s special for me, especially with everything this club has done for me. I’m just grateful to be here for another two years,” Fuller says.

“It’s always felt like home, ever since I came down here in 2016.”

The deal rewards his scintillating form as back-up fullback for the Dolphins, and now a valued member of the club’s top 17 every week.

Fuller originally from Eidsvold, 430km north of Brisbane, made his way to the Dolphins as a teenager after a stint with the Broncos under-20s team.

He soon became a fan-favourite in the Queensland Cup with Redcliffe Dolphins as part of the 2018 premiership team.

At just 78kg and 170cm, he’s nimble and deceptively strong, finding the try line 52 times in 88 games with the Redcliffe Dolphins.

It earnt him a full-time train and trial contract with the NRL Dolphins last year but it took until round 25 for him to get his chance to play, scoring an individual try on debut.

In 2024 the 27-year-old has produced even better form, appearing in nine matches for the Dolphins, excelling at fullback or as an impact player off the interchange bench.

He says it has been worth the wait and he’s grateful to his coaches for helping him take his game to the next level.

His dynamic playing style and courage in defence have caught the attention of other clubs, reportedly including the Broncos, but Fuller says he was not tempted to go anywhere else.

“I’ve always planned on staying here whether that was (Queensland) Cup … to get the chance to be up there with NRL now, it never really crossed my mind to go anywhere else,” Fuller says.

He’s happy at Redcliffe and so is his family.

“Everything’s around here for me and it’s hard for me to leave especially when I’ve got everything set up here,” Fuller says.

Dolphins’ Chief Executive Terry Reader says Fuller’s story is one for the believers.

“Trai has done everything right to get himself into this position,” Reader says.

“Last year, he had limited opportunity in the NRL but demonstrated his talent and development by being named Player of the Year in the Queensland Cup competition.

“This season, he has showed he belongs in the NRL and the new contract is the reward for that. 

“He is the perfect example of one of the reasons the Dolphins were admitted as a team to the elite competition – so talented young players from the area didn’t have to leave Brisbane to make it in the NRL.

“He has made the Dolphins his home and now Trai gets to be part of the NRL journey for at least another two seasons.”

Fuller will come off the bench when the Dolphins play the Gold Coast Titans at Suncorp Stadium on Sunday (4.05pm kick off).