QRL Archives - Redcliffe Today

Redcliffe Dolphins Crowned Hostplus Cup Premiers After Stunning Second-Half Shutout

Redcliffe Dolphins have overturned an eight-point halftime deficit to claim the Hostplus Cup premiership, overwhelming minor premiers Sunshine Coast after the break in a 28–18 Grand Final victory at Kayo Stadium.

Sunshine Coast had Redcliffe in trouble early, racing to 12–0 and taking an 18–10 lead into halftime. But the Grand Final changed dramatically after the restart as the Dolphins began finding space through the Falcons’ defence and, just as importantly, stopped giving them anything at the other end.

Sam Elliott’s try dragged Redcliffe within two before a tense stretch in which both teams had potential tries ruled out. Then came the break: Tevita Naufahu tore through the line, Jude Saldanha crossed to put Redcliffe ahead and Brian Pouniu completed his double barely three minutes later.

From 18–16 down, the Dolphins had surged to 28–18. Sunshine Coast had no answer.

Falcons Punish Redcliffe Early

The minor premiers took control through Zion Johnson in the ninth minute and Flynn Camilleri in the 16th, with Josh Lynn converting both for a 12–0 lead.

Redcliffe were making enough mistakes to keep themselves under pressure, but Jake Averillo’s 26th-minute try changed the feel of the contest. Pouniu followed five minutes later and Joshua James converted, pulling the Dolphins within two.

Sunshine Coast’s response was important. After forcing a dropout and earning another set through a ruck infringement, Taine Couper crossed in the 36th minute. Lynn remained perfect from the tee and the Falcons reached halftime ahead 18–10.

They had punished Redcliffe’s errors and regained control after the Dolphins’ first comeback. What they could not do was carry that control into the second half.

Elliott Ignites The Comeback

Redcliffe emerged with far greater penetration and were rewarded almost immediately.

After Sunshine Coast coughed up possession, Elliott broke through and scored in the 44th minute. James converted and suddenly it was 18–16.

The next 20 minutes were arguably the most important of the Grand Final. Sunshine Coast threatened through a Thallon Peters line break, only for the video referee to rule no try. Redcliffe then began punching holes through the Falcons themselves, with Naufahu breaking the line in the 52nd minute as James continued testing the defence with his kicking game.

The Dolphins also went upstairs shortly after the hour and were denied.

Instead of losing momentum, they came again.

Three Minutes Break The Falcons

A Zion Johnson error in the 65th minute gave Redcliffe another opening and Naufahu attacked it immediately, breaking through the line before Saldanha crossed seconds later.

James converted and Redcliffe led for the first time, 22–18.

There was no attempt to simply defend the advantage. James went back to the air, the Dolphins maintained the pressure and Pouniu crossed in the 69th minute for his second try.

Another James conversion made it 28–18 and left Sunshine Coast needing two scores against a defence they had been unable to breach since the 36th minute.

They never found them.

Redcliffe Do More With Less

Sunshine Coast actually finished with slightly more possession, 51 per cent to 49, and a marginally better completion rate. Redcliffe nevertheless produced 1,638 run metres to 1,277 and four line breaks to two, while averaging 40.96 metres per set compared with 29.7.

That attacking difference became increasingly pronounced after halftime. Naufahu’s carries caused particular damage, while Elliott’s break produced Redcliffe’s first second-half try and Saldanha’s came immediately after another breach through the Falcons’ line.

Sunshine Coast tried to control territory through the boot, kicking 21 times for 547 metres compared with Redcliffe’s 15 kicks for 374. The Falcons also forced three dropouts, but none of that pressure produced a second-half point.

For Redcliffe, that was the performance within the performance.

A side that had conceded three converted tries before halftime kept the competition’s minor premiers scoreless when the premiership was being decided.

Premiers On Their Home Ground

Sunshine Coast arrived at Kayo Stadium with seven consecutive victories behind them and had not lost since Redcliffe beat them there in Round 18. Their first half suggested that run might end with a premiership.

Instead, Redcliffe found another gear.

Pouniu finished with two tries, Elliott provided the immediate second-half spark and Saldanha scored the one that finally pushed the Dolphins in front. James landed four conversions, while Naufahu’s two line breaks were central to Redcliffe stretching a Falcons defence that had looked far more comfortable earlier.

There was no flawless afternoon behind the victory. Redcliffe completed at 70 per cent, made 14 errors and conceded six penalties. They simply became the stronger side as the Grand Final became harder.

By fulltime, an eight-point deficit had become a 10-point victory and a Falcons attack that scored freely early had been blanked for the entire second half.

At Kayo Stadium, Redcliffe had their premiership.

Match Details

QRL Hostplus Cup Grand Final
Redcliffe Dolphins 28 def Sunshine Coast Falcons 18
Halftime: Sunshine Coast 18–10
Saturday, 26 September 2026
Kayo Stadium, Redcliffe

Redcliffe tries: Brian Pouniu (2), Jake Averillo, Sam Elliott, Jude Saldanha
Goals: Joshua James 4/5

Sunshine Coast tries: Zion Johnson, Flynn Camilleri, Taine Couper
Goals: Josh Lynn 3/3

Published 26-September-2026

Redcliffe Dolphins Face Sunshine Coast In Hostplus Cup Grand Final

Sunshine Coast have not lost a game since July. The team that beat them then is the team waiting for them in Saturday’s Hostplus Cup Grand Final.

Redcliffe’s 28–14 victory at Kayo Stadium in Round 18 is now seven Falcons wins and more than two months in the past. In that time, Sunshine Coast have secured the minor premiership and swept through September, while Redcliffe have followed them into the decider after putting 40 points on defending premiers Burleigh.

So much has happened since their last meeting that neither side is pretending it settles anything. But it gives this Grand Final a compelling starting point.

The Falcons return to the ground where their winning run last ended, against the only team to beat them in the second half of the season. Redcliffe meet the competition’s benchmark knowing they have already beaten them here — and knowing they will have to do it without Trai Fuller.

There is little separating them on the ladder and one win apiece between them this season. How they arrived here, though, could hardly have been more different.

Two Different Roads To The Grand Final

Sunshine Coast’s great strength has been continuity.

Coach Brad Henderson has been able to field a remarkably stable group, allowing combinations to develop across a season in which the Falcons finished three competition points clear at the top of the ladder.

Redcliffe have lived with almost the opposite reality. Players have moved between the Hostplus Cup and NRL squads, combinations have changed and, even in Grand Final week, the Dolphins may not know their final make-up until after Friday night’s NRL preliminary final.

Yet halfback Joshua James says the football underneath it all remains largely unchanged.

“We tend to keep the same sort of structure no matter who comes in and who’s in whatever position,” James said.

It is a fascinating contrast for a Grand Final.

Sunshine Coast have continuity of personnel. Redcliffe have built continuity of system.

The Falcons’ Biggest Weapon

Redcliffe captain Sheldon Pitama does not need convincing about what makes Sunshine Coast dangerous.

“I think their threat is their connection on the field,” he said.

The Falcons showed it again in their preliminary final, piling on six unanswered tries to lead Central Queensland 32–0 before the Capras finally broke through late in the game. Sunshine Coast won 32–16.

Their halves combination of Josh Lynn and former Redcliffe playmaker Thomas Casey has had a season to settle, surrounded by a group Henderson has largely been able to keep together.

That stability is reflected in the way the Falcons are approaching Saturday. They are not preparing to reinvent themselves for the biggest game of the year.

Henderson’s message has been to trust what carried them here — and do it a little better.

For Redcliffe, disrupting that connection may be the contest within the contest.

Redcliffe Have Already Shown Another Gear

Only four points separated Redcliffe and Burleigh at halftime last Sunday. Eight minutes into the second half, the preliminary final had been ripped open.

LJ Nonu intercepted and raced away in the 43rd minute before Fuller scored twice in five minutes, stretching a 16–12 halftime lead to 34–12. Burleigh fought back, but Jake Averillo’s late intercept try shut the door and sent Redcliffe through 40–22.

James still did not regard it as the Dolphins’ best football.

“I don’t think we played to the best of our ability, but to still come away with a comfortable victory in the end was pretty impressive,” he said.

Coach Dave Elliott was more interested in Redcliffe’s defensive resolve than the 40 points beside their name.

That will matter on Saturday. Sunshine Coast have spent a season showing how difficult they are to pull apart, and Redcliffe are unlikely to get through a Grand Final simply by waiting for the kind of opportunities Burleigh offered.

They will have to create some of their own.

Life Without Trai Fuller

Fuller will not be there to create them.

His suspension takes one of the competition’s most dangerous attacking players out of the Grand Final after a preliminary final in which he scored twice in five minutes.

Pitama did not attempt to minimise the loss.

“I think it hurts the game of rugby league to not have a player like Trai on the field,” he said.

Redcliffe, however, have spent much of this season adjusting to personnel changes. Elliott has described preparing his Cup side for the worst-case selection scenario, particularly when NRL commitments leave players unavailable, and treating any additions as a bonus.

Even this week, the final make-up of his side could be influenced by what happens with the NRL Dolphins on Friday night.

For James and the players who have carried Redcliffe through the Cup season, the answer is familiar.

The names can change. The structure stays.

One Win Each. One Left.

Sunshine Coast won the first meeting between these sides 18–12. Redcliffe answered 28–14 at Kayo Stadium.

Elliott has warned against placing too much weight on either result, particularly because he believes the Falcons have improved since their last visit to Redcliffe.

There is history running through the matchup as well. The clubs play for the James Ackerman Cup during the season, players have moved in both directions over the years and friendships remain across the two squads.

Former Redcliffe player Harrison McIndoe is now preparing to face the club that first gave him a Queensland Cup opportunity. Casey will confront his former club from the Falcons halves, while Redcliffe’s Patrizio Siolo spent five seasons with Sunshine Coast before joining the Dolphins.

Pitama describes the rivalry as almost derby-like.

For the Redcliffe captain, Saturday carries something more personal as well.

This will be his third Grand Final.

He lost the other two.

“Hopefully we can change that,” Pitama said.

Grand Final At Dolphin Oval

Officially, Kayo Stadium is the Grand Final venue.

To Pitama, it remains Dolphin Oval.

“There’ll be one team that touches the top of the tunnel down the end there, and it’s because it’s Dolphin Oval to us,” he said.

“So it’s a home game.”

Redcliffe train there. Pitama lives minutes away. The Dolphins have already won twice there during these finals and beaten Sunshine Coast there once this season.

There is another memory attached to the ground, too. Redcliffe walked into a Grand Final there two years ago and walked away without the trophy.

James was part of that side, but he has resisted turning 2024 into some grand source of motivation. His lesson from that day is simpler: prepare properly, keep the week familiar and do not suddenly become somebody else because it is a Grand Final.

Perhaps that is fitting for this Redcliffe team.

Across the field will be the minor premiers, seven wins deep and powered by combinations forged across an entire season.

Waiting for them will be a Dolphins side that has had to become comfortable with uncertainty — who is available, who comes in, who moves where — without allowing its football to lose its shape.

Sunshine Coast have not lost since they last came to Kayo Stadium.

Redcliffe know exactly who beat them.

On Saturday, they find out whether they can do it once more — with the Hostplus Cup waiting at the end of it.

MATCH DETAILS

Hostplus Cup Grand Final
Sunshine Coast Falcons v Redcliffe Dolphins
Saturday, 26 September 2026
Kayo Stadium, Redcliffe
Kick-off: 4:10pm AEST

Published 25-September-2026

Redcliffe Dolphins Beat Burleigh 40–22 to Reach Hostplus Cup Grand Final

Eight minutes. Three tries. A preliminary final blown apart — and the Redcliffe Dolphins are going to the grand final.

A year after Burleigh ended their season one game short of the decider, Redcliffe turned the tables with a 40–22 win at Kayo Stadium, exploding out of half-time to settle a contest that had threatened to become another Bears arm-wrestle.

Only four points separated them at the break. By the 53rd minute, the Dolphins led by 22, with LJ Nonu and a Trai Fuller double delivering the burst that changed the afternoon.

For Redcliffe, there was another layer to it. The road back to the grand final had brought them face-to-face with the team that ended the last one.

This time, they went through.

Read: One Win From the Grand Final, Redcliffe Dolphins Meet a Familiar Foe

Burleigh Come Ready for Another Fight

The Bears gave Redcliffe an early reminder that this wasn’t going to come easily.

Guy Hamilton’s 40/20 in the fifth minute put Burleigh on the attack, and Troy Leo turned the opportunity into points with a line break and try. Josh Rogers converted for 6–0.

Redcliffe took a while to find their rhythm, but when Jake Averillo broke through in the 15th minute, he didn’t need a second invitation. His try, converted by Joshua James, brought the Dolphins level and began to shift the game their way.

Averillo broke the line again five minutes later, and the pressure continued after a Burleigh ruck infringement gave Redcliffe a fresh set. Sam Elliott found his way through for the Dolphins’ second try before Jude Saldanha added another in the 24th minute.

At 16–6, Redcliffe had created some breathing room. Burleigh promptly took it away.

The Bears had a try ruled out by the video referee in the 33rd minute but were back across the line soon afterwards, Rogers scoring and converting to make it 16–12 at half-time.

It had become the sort of preliminary final Redcliffe knew very well: tight, physical and with very little room for a mistake.

Redcliffe Find Another Gear

The four-point margin lasted barely three minutes after the restart.

LJ Nonu scored first, then a dangerous-tackle penalty against Lochie Sheldon — who was also placed on report — gave Redcliffe another opportunity. Trai Fuller broke through and finished the job himself.

Burleigh had barely had time to absorb that setback when Fuller went through again. James converted all three second-half tries and, in a little over eight minutes, Redcliffe had gone from 16–12 to 34–12.

That burst also exposed the difference between the sides when Redcliffe managed to get runners into space. Despite having slightly less possession across the afternoon, the Dolphins made 1,547 metres to Burleigh’s 1,243 and broke 28 tackles to 12.

Their own defence was considerably harder to crack. Redcliffe missed only 12 tackles, less than half Burleigh’s 28, and finished with a 94.54 per cent effective tackle rate.

Those numbers mattered because this wasn’t an especially tidy Dolphins performance. They made 14 errors and conceded five penalties, giving Burleigh enough chances to stay interested.

The Bears Have One More Run

Mitch Watson pulled one back in the 55th minute, and Redcliffe later gave the Bears another opening when Domenico De Stradis made an error.

Troy Leo immediately broke the line, Fuller was penalised for a late tackle and Rogers took advantage, scoring and then converting to make it 34–22 with almost 13 minutes remaining.

For anyone who remembered what happened in this fixture a year ago, there was an uncomfortable parallel.

In the 2025 preliminary final, the Dolphins had Burleigh 16–6 down with seven minutes left and were seemingly headed for the decider. Two late Bears tries turned it into an 18–16 defeat and ended Redcliffe’s season. Burleigh then came to Kayo Stadium for the opening round of 2026 and beat them 22–12.

This time the Bears couldn’t find the same escape route. Errors from Callum Gromek and Luke Gale interrupted their chase, and with six minutes remaining Averillo went over for his second try. James’ conversion made it 40–22.

Read: Back Where It Ended: Redcliffe Dolphins Return to the Stage That Broke Their Hearts

This Time, Redcliffe Go Through

There was plenty Redcliffe could have done more cleanly, but preliminary finals have a way of stripping games down to what matters.

When Burleigh controlled the opening exchanges, the Dolphins worked their way back. When the Bears closed to four before half-time, Redcliffe came out and hit them with three tries in eight minutes. And when Burleigh made one last push, there was no repeat of the collapse that ended Redcliffe’s season 12 months ago.

Averillo and Fuller finished with two tries each, Elliott, Saldanha and Nonu had one apiece, while James converted six of Redcliffe’s seven tries.

The road back to the grand final had brought Redcliffe to the team that ended the last one. Same opponent, same point of the season, with a place in the decider waiting on the other side.

This time, the Dolphins got there.

Published 20-September-2026

One Win From the Grand Final, Redcliffe Dolphins Meet a Familiar Foe

Twelve months after Burleigh snatched a Grand Final place from Redcliffe in the dying minutes, the Bears are back in the Dolphins’ way. This time, the preliminary final is at Kayo Stadium — and Redcliffe have had a fortnight to prepare for it.

Seven minutes. That was how close Redcliffe came to playing in last year’s Hostplus Cup Grand Final.

The Dolphins were 16–6 up on Burleigh at UAA Park when the preliminary final turned. Creedence Toia scored, Takitau Mapapalangi followed and Josh Rogers converted both as the Bears somehow escaped with an 18–16 win.

A year later, they have found each other again.

Sunday brings the same stakes but a very different setting. Redcliffe are at home, rested after earning last weekend off and coming off a regular season in which they finished second with the competition’s best points differential.

Burleigh have taken the longer route, losing 20–14 to minor premiers Sunshine Coast before keeping their season alive with a 12–10 win over Townsville last weekend.

One side has had a fortnight to prepare. The other has spent the past two weekends playing for its season.

Redcliffe Had to Earn the Week Off

If Redcliffe needed a reminder of how quickly a final can get away from them, they got one against Central Queensland.

The Capras raced to a 12–0 lead inside 12 minutes at Kayo Stadium and were still 16–4 ahead at half-time. Redcliffe had spent most of the opening 40 chasing the game; after the break, they changed it.

Jude Saldanha cut the margin before Brent Woolf crossed in the 63rd minute, with Joshua James converting to make it 16-all. More importantly, a Capras side that had found points freely in the first half was shut out in the second.

Then came Trai Fuller.

With four minutes remaining, the Redcliffe fullback broke through for the try that secured a 20–16 win and, with it, a weekend off.

There will also be a different look to Redcliffe’s spine on Sunday, with Dolphins NRL back Jake Averillo named at five-eighth alongside Joshua James. Averillo has played five Hostplus Cup games for Redcliffe this season, including three at five-eighth, so this is hardly a late September cameo.

The comeback showed plenty about this Dolphins side. The opening 20 minutes also gave them something to think about, particularly with Woolf expecting Burleigh to come at them early.

“We’ll Just See Who Breaks First”

Redcliffe had the weekend off, but Woolf still found his way to a football ground.

He travelled to the Gold Coast to watch Burleigh’s elimination final against Townsville, where the Bears built a 12–2 half-time lead and then held off a Blackhawks comeback to win 12–10.

“They’re going to be fired right up, especially early on,” Woolf told the Redcliffe Dolphins.

“It’ll be a grind for the first 20 or so. We’ll just see who breaks first.”

After the start against the Capras, the relevance is obvious. Redcliffe proved they could recover from 12–0 down; they would rather not spend another final finding out whether they can do it again.

Sunday also happens to be Woolf’s 50th Cup appearance for Redcliffe, three seasons after joining the club in 2024.

He has already experienced most of what September can offer here: the run to the 2024 Grand Final, followed a year later by the preliminary-final loss to Burleigh. What he hasn’t experienced with Redcliffe is a premiership.

Woolf believes this squad has the depth and ability to contend for one, although he wasn’t talking this week as though anything had already been achieved.

“We haven’t fulfilled those expectations as of yet,” he said.

Burleigh Don’t Need Directions

The Bears have already been to Kayo Stadium this season. They won there.

Back in Round 1, Redcliffe worked their way into a 12–10 lead after Karl Oloapu scored in the 61st minute, only for the closing stages to belong to Burleigh. Kane Bradley put the Bears back in front nine minutes later and Sam Coster crossed in the 76th to close out a 22–12 win.

It was Coster’s second try of the afternoon, and the Burleigh captain returns to the same ground on Sunday for what is set to be his 200th game for the Bears.

Six months of football have changed plenty since then.

Redcliffe built a 14-win season, with one draw and five losses. Their 577 points scored and 344 conceded produced a +233 differential — the best in the competition — and secured second place.

Burleigh finished fourth, then discovered immediately how different September can be. They led Sunshine Coast 12–0 in their opening final before losing 20–14 and being sent into sudden death against Townsville.

They survived that one.

Their captain will bring a milestone of his own to Redcliffe. Sam Coster is set to play his 200th game for Burleigh on Sunday, another layer to a preliminary final already carrying plenty for both clubs.

So Redcliffe have the rest and the home ground. Burleigh arrive with two consecutive weeks of tight finals football behind them.

Neither route guarantees anything on Sunday.

And Here We Are Again

It would be easy to make this game entirely about last September, but Redcliffe have played too much good football since then for that.

They finished second, produced the competition’s best points differential and won the final that gave them the right to play this one at home. Burleigh, meanwhile, have already had to save their season once just to get back here.

Still, the parallel is hard to miss.

Redcliffe’s 2025 season ended against the Bears. Their 2026 campaign began against them. Now Burleigh are back again, with a Grand Final one win away.

There is one rather important change of address.

Last September, Redcliffe had to go to the Gold Coast. On Sunday, the Bears come to Kayo Stadium — the same ground that will host the Hostplus Cup Grand Final six days later.

For one of them, the next week will be spent preparing to come back.

For the other, Sunday is where the season ends.

MATCH DETAILS

Hostplus Cup Preliminary Final
Redcliffe Dolphins v Burleigh Bears
Sunday, 20 September 2026
Kick-off: 2.10pm AEST
Venue: Kayo Stadium, Redcliffe
Watch: Live and free on Qplus
The prize: A place in the Hostplus Cup Grand Final at Kayo Stadium on Saturday, 26 September

Published 18-September-2026

A Year Later, Redcliffe Dolphins Get Another Shot at the Team That Ended Their Season

Seven minutes.

That was how close the Redcliffe Dolphins came to reaching the 2025 Hostplus Cup Grand Final.

They led Burleigh 16–6 deep into last year’s preliminary final at UAA Park and appeared to have done enough. Then Creedence Toia scored. Takitau Mapapalangi followed him over. Josh Rogers converted both and, almost before Redcliffe could absorb what was happening, a 10-point lead had become an 18–16 defeat.

A year later, the road to the Grand Final has brought the Dolphins straight back to Burleigh.

Only this time, the Bears are coming to Redcliffe.

Sunday’s preliminary final at Kayo Stadium is a rematch with the side that ended Redcliffe’s last season, on the ground where the Dolphins could yet play twice more before 2026 is finished. Win and they will be back there six days later for the Hostplus Cup Grand Final.

Read: Two Wins From a Premiership: Redcliffe Dolphins Are Right in the Hunt

Burleigh has been here before

There is a symmetry to the past 12 months that would have been difficult to script. Burleigh ended Redcliffe’s 2025 season, then turned up at Kayo Stadium for Dave Elliott’s first Cup game as Dolphins coach on March 8 and won 22–12.

Go further back and these clubs have been getting in each other’s way in important games for decades.

Burleigh won its first Queensland Cup premiership by beating Redcliffe 12–10 in the 1999 Grand Final. Redcliffe returned the favour at Dolphin Oval in 2003, winning 31–18 to claim the title. In 2016 they met in the decider again, this time with the Bears winning 26–16 at Suncorp Stadium.

Two years later, Redcliffe beat Burleigh 13–6 in the major semi-final on the way to its most recent Cup premiership.

It is a rivalry woven through different generations of the competition and, for Redcliffe, through a much longer history. The club was founded in 1947, entered Brisbane first grade in 1960 and won its first BRL premiership five years later with a young Arthur Beetson in the side.

More than 60 years after that breakthrough, another Redcliffe team has arrived at another September game with Burleigh standing in the way.

The six months since Round 1

That 22–12 loss to the Bears in March did not set the pattern for Redcliffe’s season. The Dolphins won 14 of their 20 regular-season games, drew one and finished second on 35 competition points, three behind minor premiers Sunshine Coast. Their +233 points differential was the best in the competition.

There were some ugly afternoons mixed in with the good ones.

Ipswich provided perhaps the clearest example in June, scoring all 28 of its points before half-time at Kayo Stadium. Redcliffe rallied after the break but lost 28–18, and captain Sheldon Pitama made no attempt to soften the assessment afterwards.

“Too many errors, too many penalties,” Pitama said. “In this competition, you can’t come out of the sheds like that.”

He also spoke about the players taking “individual accountability and team accountability” into their video review.

The significance of those comments became clearer as the season went on. Redcliffe recovered, tightened its hold on second place and arrived in September with a home qualifying final against Central Queensland.

Then, rather inconveniently, another bad first half arrived.

The Capras scored three times in the opening 32 minutes and led 16–4 at the break. This time Redcliffe found a way out. Jude Saldanha crossed early in the second half, Brent Woolf levelled the scores with 17 minutes remaining and Trai Fuller put the Dolphins ahead for the first time with his 76th-minute try.

Redcliffe won 20–16 and, instead of playing sudden-death football last weekend, had the luxury of watching Burleigh survive a 12–10 scrap with Townsville.

A few familiar faces know how close is close

The qualifying final carried another milestone. It was Pitama’s 150th Cup appearance, all of them in Redcliffe colours.

Dave Elliott described him beforehand as “a stalwart of the club”, revealing that when the playing group was asked to choose its captain at the start of the year, about 90 per cent nominated Pitama.

Sam Elliott has his own reason for understanding what this stage of the season can mean.

He played 11 Cup games for Redcliffe in 2022, including the Grand Final loss to Norths, before eventually joining the Devils. In 2024 he was on the other side when Norths beat Redcliffe 34–20 in another Grand Final at Kayo Stadium.

When the forward returned to Redcliffe for 2026, he did not pretend the old result had been forgotten. “I feel like there’s unfinished business,” he said earlier this season.

There has been quite a bit of that around Redcliffe lately.

The Dolphins were Grand Finalists in 2022 and again in 2024. Last season was very different: they were ninth late in the campaign before four straight wins carried them all the way to Burleigh and that 16–6 lead with seven minutes remaining.

This year there has been no late scramble. Second place brought a home qualifying final, the win over the Capras brought a weekend off, and now the preliminary final comes to Redcliffe as well.

Read: Talobilla Park Set to Become Peninsula Sports Hub in Kippa-Ring

Burleigh comes back into view

There will be time before Sunday to examine the team lists, the match-ups and what Redcliffe needs to do differently from that opening-round meeting in March.

For now, there is enough in how the two clubs arrived here.

Burleigh has been on both sides of some important pages in Redcliffe’s Cup history: Grand Finals in 1999, 2003 and 2016, the 2018 finals series and those extraordinary closing minutes last September.

Then came Round 1 this year. Now comes Sunday.

The winner advances to the September 26 Grand Final, also at Kayo Stadium. For Redcliffe, that means a season that began at home against Burleigh could reach its defining weekend at home against Burleigh, with another game on the same ground waiting six days later.

After several Septembers spent getting painfully close, Redcliffe has earned another chance to see where this one leads.

Published 16-September-2026

Two Wins From a Premiership: Redcliffe Dolphins Are Right in the Hunt

Redcliffe have spent much of 2026 looking like a team capable of going deep into September. After Sunday’s 20–16 escape against Central Queensland, the equation has become considerably simpler: two more wins and the Dolphins are Hostplus Cup premiers.

They have also earned themselves the best possible preparation for the first of them.

Sunday’s qualifying-final victory at Kayo Stadium sent the Redcliffe Dolphins directly into a home preliminary final, giving them a weekend off while Burleigh and Townsville fight for the right to meet them.

For a side that finished second and closed the regular season with four straight victories, that is a strong position. But the manner of Sunday’s win may tell us more about Redcliffe’s premiership prospects than some of the bigger scores that came before it.

The Run Into September

Redcliffe finished the regular season with a 14-5-1 record, three competition points behind minor premiers Sunshine Coast.

The ladder contained another number worth noticing. The Dolphins scored 577 points and conceded 344, leaving them with a +233 points differential — the best in the competition, ahead even of the Falcons’ +187.

Their final month showed where much of that difference came from.

Redcliffe shut out the PNG Hunters 32–0 in Port Moresby, then returned home and put 46 points on Brisbane Tigers. Tweed were beaten 30–12 a week later before the Dolphins finished the regular season with a 44–26 victory over Western Clydesdales.

Those were four very different afternoons, but together they took Redcliffe into September on a run no other finals opponent could ignore.

The Tigers match was perhaps the clearest display of their attacking ceiling. Redcliffe ran in eight tries, Jude Saldanha scored three, Trai Fuller crossed and Joshua James contributed a try and seven conversions.

Tweed made them work differently. Redcliffe led only 12–8 at halftime and the scores were level early in the second half before the Dolphins pulled away.

Then came September, and a much sterner examination.

The Capras Made Them Earn It

Central Queensland arrived at Kayo Stadium in serious form of their own, having won five straight matches and eight of their previous nine.

For 40 minutes, they looked every bit like it.

The Capras scored three first-half tries and took a 16–4 lead into the sheds. Redcliffe had been hurt by errors and poor decisions, and suddenly the comfortable victories of August did not count for much.

What followed was probably more instructive than another big winning margin would have been.

A penalty try to Saldanha brought Redcliffe back into the contest before Brent Woolf forced his way over in the 63rd minute to make it 16-all. With three minutes remaining, James found Jaron Purcell, who put Fuller through the gap for the try that settled it.

Redcliffe 20, Central Queensland 16.

It was not their cleanest performance of the past month. At this stage of the season, that hardly matters.

Finals football has a way of changing the questions. Opponents bring form of their own, mistakes become more expensive and one poor half can put an entire season in danger.

Redcliffe had one of those halves on Sunday. They found a way out of it.

Five Straight, With Something Bigger Ahead

Sunday extended the winning streak to five and continued a season in which Redcliffe have spent much of their time around the top of the competition.

There is plenty of experience behind the run.

Captain Sheldon Pitama played his 150th Cup match against the Capras, with every one of those appearances coming in Redcliffe colours. Fuller remains capable of producing the sort of moment that decided Sunday’s final, while James has been heavily involved in the Dolphins’ attack through the closing stages of the season.

Yet the stronger case for Redcliffe is not really about one or two names.

They have beaten minor premiers Sunshine Coast 28–14 this season. They finished with the competition’s best points differential. They closed the regular season with four wins of 18 points or more, then won a completely different sort of game when their finals campaign began badly.

That does not make Redcliffe inevitable premiers. Sunshine Coast finished three points clear at the top and also won its qualifying final, while every team still alive has already survived enough football to get this far.

What Redcliffe have done is put themselves in a position where much of that can unfold without them.

Next weekend, they can watch.

One Game From the Grand Final

Redcliffe’s next match will be a preliminary final at Kayo Stadium on the weekend of 19–20 September against the winner of Burleigh and Townsville.

Win it, and they are in the Hostplus Cup Grand Final.

There is an added local dimension to where this season could finish. The 2026 QRL Grand Final Day will also be played at Kayo Stadium on Saturday, 26 September.

So after a season spent chasing the top of the ladder, Redcliffe now have the possibility of playing the rest of their football without leaving home.

Sunday’s first half against the Capras was enough of a warning that nothing about the next two steps should be treated as straightforward. It was also a reminder of why September cannot be judged purely by margins and ladder positions.

Redcliffe were 12 points down at halftime and three minutes from the end they were still locked at 16-all.

They won anyway.

After 20 regular-season matches and one tense afternoon of finals football, the Dolphins are now one victory from a Grand Final and two from a premiership.

For a club making its 10th consecutive finals appearance, this is where another strong season has finally brought them: a week off, a home preliminary final, and the premiership very much within reach.

Published 6-September-2026

Redcliffe Set to Host Mal Meninga Cup Grand Final This Weekend

QRL

Kayo Stadium at Redcliffe will host the 2026 Mal Meninga Cup grand final, with the Wynnum Manly Seagulls taking on the Townsville Blackhawks in a 2.05pm kickoff that will showcase some of Queensland’s most exciting Under-19 pathway talent.

The decider brings two of the competition’s form sides to one of Queensland’s most passionate rugby league venues, with the 10,000-capacity stadium expected to draw a strong crowd from across the Redcliffe Peninsula and the broader Moreton Bay region. Kayo Stadium has been a regular host of Queensland Cup grand finals and major pathway fixtures, and Saturday’s final continues that tradition.

The Blackhawks earned their place in the decider with a hard-fought 20-18 win over the Redcliffe Dolphins at the same venue in the week prior, a result that stung the home side but showed the quality of the competition at this level.

Redcliffe pushed hard throughout, with Adam McSherry crossing for a try and landing all three of his conversions to keep the Dolphins in contention, but Townsville’s Archie Mesritz delivered a double and Taj Lateo sealed the win with a late try from five-eighth that proved the difference.

A stadium that knows how to deliver a grand final

Kayo Stadium, formally known as Dolphin Oval when it first opened in 1979, has hosted Queensland Cup grand finals in 2001, 2002, 2003, 2019, 2021 and 2022, as well as NRL games and NRLW matches in recent seasons. Significant upgrades between 2016 and 2020 brought the venue to NRL standard, with new grandstands on the western, eastern and northern ends lifting total capacity to approximately 10,000.

Kayo Stadium to host Mal Maninga Cup — Photo Credit: Kayo Stadium/Facebook

Broadcast-quality light towers installed in 2023 now make the stadium one of the most capable boutique rugby league venues in Australia, able to host night games, carnivals and major events to the same standard as metropolitan venues.

Saturday’s 2.05pm kickoff puts the final in the early afternoon window, giving families and footy fans across the Moreton Bay region a clear run to the ground after a morning at the beach.

What brought the two sides to this point

Wynnum Manly claimed their semi-final berth with a hard-fought 22-14 win over the Tweed Seagulls. Winger Bond Bradley spearheaded the attack with a clinical hat-trick for the Bayside outfit. Harrison Bath crossed for another, while Payton Gifford and Bailen Noy shared the goal-kicking duties, slotting three conversions between them to secure the result.

Townsville’s path was tighter. The Blackhawks beat Redcliffe 20-18 in the elimination semi, with Mesritz’ double and tries to Ashyr Kelso, Reweti Ngarimu and Lateo enough to hold off a Dolphins side that competed fiercely at home. The narrow margin underlines how closely matched the competition has been across the season and sets up a grand final that could go either way.

How to watch

Saturday’s Mal Meninga Cup grand final kicks off at 2.05pm at Kayo Stadium, Redcliffe, on 9 May 2026. Full grand final action streams live on Qplus, presented by National Storage, at qplus.tv.

Published 6-May-2026

Redcliffe Dolphins Hold Nerve After Early Blitz to Beat Devils 22–10 in QRL Hostplus Cup Arm-Wrestle at Premiers’ Park

Redcliffe did the damage early — and then closed it out when it mattered.

In Round 7 of the 2026 QRL Hostplus Cup at Premiers’ Park, the Dolphins rode a sharp opening burst and composed finish to defeat the Norths Devils 22–10 in a contest that stayed alive far longer than the scoreline suggests.

This quickly became an arm-wrestle after the opening exchanges — shaped by momentum swings, discipline, and a handful of key moments.

Early blitz sets the tone

The Dolphins came out of the blocks with intent, dominating the engine room and cashing in quickly.

Jack Bostock opened the scoring in the 6th minute, with Joshua James converting to make it 6–0. Bostock struck again at the 18-minute mark, and although the conversion was missed, Redcliffe had early control.

Moments later, Mason Lome-Hindle crossed to extend the lead to 14–0, capping a three-try opening that forced Norths out of their structure and into chase mode.

This early blitz forced the Devils into a desperate search for a response before the oranges, as the Dolphins’ clinical execution in the red zone threatened to turn the match into a first-half blowout.

Devils hit back before the break

To their credit, the Devils steadied.

Zakaria Taibi’s try in the 33rd minute broke the Dolphins’ momentum, and Brandon Finnegan’s conversion cut the margin to 14–6 heading into halftime — a crucial shift that kept the contest alive.

By hitting the chalk just minutes before the break, he broke the Dolphins’ scoring momentum and proved the Redcliffe line could be breached, shifting the energy from a potential rout to a genuine contest.

Sin bins spark the turning point

The game’s most volatile stretch came early in the second half, when discipline faltered on both sides.

Jordan Plath (48’) and James Flack (50’) were both sent to the sin bin, opening the field and injecting chaos into the contest.

The Devils took advantage.

Brody Tamarua crashed over in the 58th minute to bring it back to 14–10, putting genuine pressure on Redcliffe and shifting momentum squarely toward the home side.

But the moment that lingered came seconds later, when a missed conversion by Finnegan left the Devils four points adrift.

Dolphins close the gate

That miss proved costly.

Domenico De Stradis crossed in the 65th minute, and with Joshua James converting, the Dolphins pushed the margin back out to 20–10 — a decisive swing just as the Devils had threatened to take control.

James then iced the result with a penalty goal in the 72nd minute, stretching the lead to 22–10 and effectively shutting the door.

His successful kick pushed the margin to 10-22, effectively “closing the gate” by making it a two-converted-try game with only eight minutes to play.

From there, Redcliffe’s defensive structure held firm through the final exchanges.

The cost of small moments

For the Devils, the fight was undeniable — but so was the cost of small moments.

The Devils’ missed conversion at the 59th minute was the match’s tactical sliding-doors moment; it kept the margin at four points instead of two, stripping the Devils of the option to play for a draw and forcing them into high-risk errors late in the piece.

For the Dolphins, it was a performance built on timing and control — strike early, absorb pressure, then finish with authority.

Published 25-April-2026

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.

NRL Round 1
Dolphins vs Rabbitohs preview →

Hostplus Cup Round 1
Redcliffe Dolphins vs Burleigh Bears preview →

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

NRL Round 1
Go back to Dolphins vs Rabbitohs preview →

Tom Opacic Returns: Redcliffe’s Homegrown Talent Back on Familiar Ground

In a heartwarming twist for local rugby league fans, Redcliffe-born Tom Opacic has returned to the Dolphins’ training ground, sparking excitement about a possible homecoming for the talented centre.

Read: Spot Santa in Redcliffe: Queensland Rail Brings Holiday Cheer to the Tracks

“Look who’s back”

The Dolphins’ social media channels buzzed with excitement as they shared images of the 30-year-old participating in training sessions. For many long-time supporters, this marks a full-circle moment as Opacic returns to the club where his rugby league journey began.

View this post on Instagram
A post shared by Redcliffe Dolphins (@dolphinsrlfc)

Tom Opacic : career journey

Opacic’s professional career has taken him across multiple prestigious clubs since his NRL debut with the Brisbane Broncos in 2016. After three seasons with the Broncos, he moved to the North Queensland Cowboys in 2019 and then joined the Parramatta Eels in 2021. Most recently, he transitioned to England’s Super League with Hull Kingston Rovers in 2023.

Despite signing a contract extension that would have kept him at Hull KR until the end of 2025, Opacic departed the English club at the conclusion of the 2024 season. His exit opened opportunities for both parties, with Hull KR securing Rhyse Martin as his replacement.

Future prospects

While no official signing has been announced, Opacic’s presence at training suggests potential involvement with the Redcliffe Dolphins in the 2025 Queensland Cup season. As the feeder club for the Dolphins NRL outfit, this arrangement could also serve as a pathway back to the top flight, particularly with one position remaining in the NRL squad’s top 30.

View this post on Instagram
A post shared by Redcliffe Dolphins (@dolphinsrlfc)

However, competition for spots remains fierce, especially in the centres where the NRL side boasts the formidable pairing of Jake Averillo and Herbie Farnworth. Nevertheless, Opacic’s experience across multiple professional environments could prove valuable for both the Queensland Cup side and as depth for the NRL squad.

Read: Industry-Standard Training Takes Off at Redcliffe State High School

For the Redcliffe faithful, Opacic’s return is more than just a professional move; it’s a celebration of a local hero coming full circle, promising an exciting future for the club and its fans alike.

Published 13-December-2024