Redcliffe’s Rugby League Weekend: Dolphins Open NRL Season as Redcliffe Dolphins Launch Hostplus Cup

It’s here! The Dolphins kick off their 2026 NRL season campaign hosting the South Sydney Rabbitohs at Suncorp Stadium, hoping to get off the starting blocks with a win. The Redcliffe Dolphins QRL team also begin their Hostplus Cup campaign this weekend at Kayo Stadium against the Burleigh Bears.

An opening weekend double header at two separate venues.

Redcliffe Ready: Dolphins Open 2026 with Heavyweight Round One NRL Clash

There is no easing into 2026.

The Dolphins open their season on Sunday at Suncorp Stadium against a South Sydney side loaded with star power but arriving with question marks after a disrupted pre-season.

Tom Flegler and Tom Gilbert return to the starting pack; Selwyn Cobbo makes his club debut; and Redcliffe gets an immediate read on whether this roster is ready to turn two near-misses into a genuine top-eight push.

For Redcliffe, this is not just round one — it is a genuine early test of whether this squad is ready to convert potential into finals football.

Kick-off is at 1:05pm on Sunday, March 8.

Forward Pack Reinforced

The biggest substance in this team list sits up front.

Flegler returns at prop after nearly two years sidelined by a serious shoulder injury. His presence changes the tone of the middle immediately. Alongside him, Gilbert is named to start at prop in his first NRL appearance since Round 11 last season and will captain the side in his comeback game.

Morgan Knowles starts at lock in his first match for the club, adding further steel to a forward rotation that includes Connelly Lemuelu and Kulikefu Finefeuiaki in the back row.

At hooker, reigning 2025 Forward of the Year and Most Consistent Player Kurt Donoghoe gets the nod, with Bradley Schneider, Oryn Keeley, Felise Kaufusi and Trai Fuller on the bench.

After falling agonisingly short of the top eight in each of the past two seasons, this is the strongest middle Redcliffe has taken into a Round One game.

Strike Power Out Wide

If the pack lays the platform, the backline has the capacity to finish.

Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow remains at fullback, despite off-season speculation about a positional switch. Coach Kristian Woolf confirmed he would stay at the back, with Trai Fuller named on the bench.

Selwyn Cobbo lines up on the wing for his club debut, opposite Jamayne Isaako. Jake Averillo and Herbie Farnworth combine again in the centres, while Isaiya Katoa partners Kodi Nikorima in the halves.

The Dolphins finished 2025 as the number one attacking team in the NRL. Tabuai-Fidow has scored 16 tries in his past 10 games at Suncorp Stadium. Those numbers are not theoretical — they reflect how quickly this side can turn pressure into points.

Rabbitohs Bring Firepower — and Questions

On paper, South Sydney arrive with serious class.

Latrell Mitchell starts in the centres, Cody Walker at five-eighth and captain Cameron Murray at lock. David Fifita will make his club debut in the second row after a strong pre-season, while Alex Johnston returns fit and sits just two tries short of equalling Ken Irvine’s all-time premiership try-scoring record.

But the Rabbitohs’ preparation has not been smooth.

Hooker Brandon Smith has undergone scans on a calf injury that could sideline him for an extended period, adding to a growing injury list. Halfback Jamie Humphreys is suspended for the opening two rounds, while Jonah Glover was ruled out after breaking his jaw in the Charity Shield. Jayden Sullivan has been working back from surgery to treat an infection and remains a watch heading into the weekend.

That has placed pressure on the halves combination. Ashton Ward has been named at No.7 alongside Walker, stepping into a key organisational role in just his seventh NRL appearance. Wayne Bennett has been forced to manage significant reshuffling during the pre-season and may yet need further adjustments if availability shifts again.

In the forwards, Jai Arrow remains sidelined indefinitely with a shoulder issue. Sean Keppie and Bronson Garlick both failed head injury assessments in a pre-season fixture but are expected to be available following the required concussion protocols.

The result is a Rabbitohs side that has quality across the park but enters round one with moving parts. South Sydney enter Round One after a disrupted pre-season due to injuries and suspensions.

For Redcliffe, that matters.

What It All Means for Redcliffe

The Dolphins have won four of their past six games at Suncorp. South Sydney managed just three wins from 12 away matches in 2025.

Both clubs have spoken openly about top-eight ambitions in 2026. Both have strengthened key areas. But round one is about execution, not projection.

With Flegler and Gilbert back in the engine room, Cobbo bringing fresh edge speed and Katoa now firmly established as the club’s on-field organiser, this is the most balanced Dolphins side Redcliffe has taken into a season opener.

The peninsula has watched this build year by year — from expansion curiosity to genuine contender. Expectations are no longer about competitiveness. They are about progression.

A fast, physical start at Suncorp would not just open the season. It would tell Redcliffe that 2026 is the year the Dolphins move from chasing the eight to belonging in it.

Dolphins v Rabbitohs
Sunday, March 8
1:05pm
Suncorp Stadium
Broadcast on Nine Network, Nine Now, Kayo and Foxtel

Published 4-March-2026

Also happening this weekend at Kayo Stadium…

Redcliffe Dolphins Begin QRL 2026 with September in the Rearview — and Burleigh Bears in the Crosshairs

The QRL Hostplus Cup season opens for the Redcliffe Dolphins exactly where last year ended — against the Burleigh Bears.

An 18–16 preliminary final defeat at UAA Park last September left Redcliffe one step short of a grand final. Not outplayed. Not overwhelmed. Just edged in a contest decided by fine margins.

Now 2026 begins at Kayo Stadium with the same opponent across the line.

The memory is fresh. The response comes first.

Head-to-Head: Margins Define It

Across 22 meetings between the Dolphins and Bears, Redcliffe hold a narrow historical edge:

• 12 wins
• 9 losses
• 1 draw

Recent clashes underline how little separates the sides.

The most recent meeting — that 18–16 preliminary final — was decided late. Earlier in the 2025 regular season, Burleigh recorded a 30–12 result. These contests are shaped by discipline and execution rather than dominance.

Fortress Kayo

Venue numbers strengthen Redcliffe’s position heading into Round One.

At Kayo Stadium, the Dolphins win 66% of their matches — 79 victories from 120 appearances.

Burleigh’s record at the venue sits at 38% (5 wins from 13 games).

Nearly half of Redcliffe’s 2026 QRL regular season — 11 of 23 matches — will again be played on the peninsula. Early home conversion plays a major role in ladder stability across the 12-team competition.

Round One begins where Redcliffe are statistically strongest.

What Last Season Proved

The Dolphins finished sixth in the 2025 regular season before pushing deep into the finals and falling just two points short of a grand final appearance.

That run confirmed Redcliffe as one of the competition’s most consistent sides. Their late-season form and defensive resilience carried them through the finals and within a single score of the decider.

Rather than rebuilding in 2026, the Dolphins begin the new campaign looking to build directly on that momentum.

Program Strength vs Program Strength

Overall win rates underline how competitive both clubs have been historically:

• Redcliffe overall win rate: 58% (150 wins from 259 games)
• Burleigh overall win rate: 62% (159 wins from 256 games)

Both enter the 2026 season as established QRL contenders.

The margin between them last September was two points — and the numbers suggest this contest may again come down to execution.

The Round One 17

Continuity defines Redcliffe’s opening lineup.

Declan Dowson anchors the back at fullback. Steven Numbo and Jude Saldanha provide width, with Montel Lisala and Michael McGrath completing the backline. Karl Oloapu and Joshua James combine in the halves.

Through the middle, Jack Johnson, Jordan Plath and Riley Price headline the forward pack alongside Domenico De Stradis, Sam Elliott and lock Sheldon Pitama.

The interchange — Max Plath, Mali Le Pou, Patrice Siolo and Elijah Rasmussen — adds forward depth and defensive stability.

This is not a side searching for combinations. It is a team beginning the season with cohesion already established.

The Moment

Redcliffe do not open 2026 chasing credibility. They open defending momentum.

They hold the historical edge.
They dominate at Kayo Stadium.
Burleigh hold the most recent victory.

Two points separated them in September.

Now the Redcliffe Dolphins begin their QRL campaign with the chance to answer it — immediately.

Redcliffe Dolphins v Burleigh Bears
Round 1 — QRL Hostplus Cup 2026
Venue: Kayo Stadium, Redcliffe
Date: Sunday, March 8
Kick-off: 1:10pm AEST
Competition: Hostplus Cup (QRL)

Published 4-March-2026