Who’s Who in 22, Sport: Terry Reader
As the Dolphins NRL club’s inaugural CEO, Terry Reader has had his work cut out for him in 2022, building a club from the ground up – on and off the field.
His work actually started well before his official appointment on October 20, 2021, as he led the Dolphins’ bid and was instrumental in securing the NRL’s 17th licence on October 13, 2021.
Reader says there has hardly been a moment to celebrate, since the Australian Rugby League Commission awarded the licence, with a short runway to round one of the NRL competition in March 2023.
Since October, he and the club have secured Super Coach Wayne Bennett as inaugural coach and built a strong team on and off the field to set the Dolphins up for success well beyond their first season.
Reader has also been key to locking in a solid sponsorship base, which has the club in an enviable financial position before they kick a ball.
He’s happy with the players he and Bennett have signed which will build a club that will be competitive from round one, but also one with depth for the future.
These include Felise Kaufusi, Tom Gilbert, Jesse and Kenny Bromwich, Euan Aitken, Anthony Milford, Kodi Nikorima, Ray Stone and Sean O’Sullivan.
They will be joined by a squad of rising stars who will have the chance to develop their game through the club’s pathways program.
The coaching team is also strong with Bennett at the helm and assistant coaches Kristian Woolf and Nathan Fine to back him up.
His goals before round one of the 2023 season including bringing the brand to life properly, now that players are at the club and training and playing kits have been finalised.
He is also keen to see the new NRL club engage with fans in the coming months as excitement builds for their debut game.
About Terry Reader
Reader brings extensive sports experience to the Dolphins including as part of the leadership team at the Brisbane Broncos during his 15 years with the club along with time at the Brisbane Lions.
At the Broncos, Reader’s roles included Chief Strategy Officer and Chief Commercial Officer, playing an integral role in organisational change, working with teams to achieve growth within business units exceeding $34 million in annual commercial revenue.
In October 2017, Reader was seconded by the Broncos to the Norths Devils, where he completely restructured the Intrust Super Club in a journey that led to the Devils being named club champions in 2018 before winning the ISC 2021 and 2022 premierships.