'Worst thing' Dolphins can do ahead of NRL debut

2 years ago 265

When it comes to rugby league enlargement sides, Scott Sattler knows amended than astir what works and what doesn't.

A subordinate of the South Queensland Crushers successful their inaugural play successful 1995 arsenic a player, helium was aboriginal progressive successful the enactment of the Gold Coast Titans erstwhile they entered the contention successful 2007.

So Sattler has watched with involvement arsenic the Dolphins earned their spot successful the NRL arsenic the competition's 17th squad successful 2023.

The Crushers lone lasted 3 seasons, killed disconnected by Super League and the Broncos' tendency to instrumentality Brisbane to a one-club town.

And it's that rivalry that is the biggest red-flag for the Dolphins.

"The worst happening a caller nine tin bash is effort and spell toe-to-toe with the Broncos. Trying to bash everything to bushed them, connected and disconnected the field, that's conscionable a look for disaster," Sattler told Wide World of Sports.

"That's what the Crushers got wrong. What the Dolphins tin larn from that is you don't effort to bushed them disconnected the tract with your selling plans, don't effort to bushed them with your commercialized and firm packages.

"Although the Broncos didn't spell truthful good this season, they're ever going to beryllium a juggernaut successful the game, particularly successful south-east Queensland.

"Worry astir your ain backyard, and what you tin control.

Instead of creating an 'us against them' mentality, Sattler said the accidental exists for the Dolphins and Broncos to enactment unneurotic for the greater good, adjacent if they are fierce rivals connected the field.

"Be collaborative, arsenic opposed to warring everything. Both teams tin nonstop a truly beardown connection to fans successful south-east Queensland that they're present unneurotic to turn the game," helium explained.

"Yes, of people if they're playing each other, past they're rivals connected crippled day, but extracurricular of that, this is astir the excitement of rugby league and having 3 teams successful the region, if you see Gold Coast.

"If they effort and spell toe-to-toe with the Broncos, they'll get crushed."

Mastercoach Wayne Bennett will beryllium astatine the helm of the Dolphins erstwhile they enactment up successful 2023, with the nine capable to attack off-contract players from November 1.

With 7 premierships nether his belt, Bennett's beingness gives the Dolphins instant credibility.

"Your archetypal signings are truly important, to nonstop a beardown connection to the community, and to imaginable fans," Sattler noted.

"You privation to nonstop a connection that, archetypal and foremost, you tin triumph from time one. Your caput manager becomes your strongest recruitment tool.

"With Wayne Bennett arsenic the coach, it sends a connection to fans that you're going to marque a truly large impact, conscionable similar Melbourne did with Chris Anderson successful 1998.

"It makes recruiting a batch easier, it gives the nine an aura erstwhile you've got idiosyncratic similar Wayne successful charge.

"There'll beryllium players astir the contention that privation to travel and beryllium a portion of that."

The Dolphins volition play astir of their location games astatine Suncorp Stadium successful Brisbane, sharing the crushed with the Broncos. It's expected the gully volition beryllium done successful specified a mode that there's a crippled astatine Suncorp astir weeks.

"I don't deliberation the Dolphins request to pull caller supporters," Sattler explained.

"They conscionable request to pull the rugby league fans. You've got Souths supporters, Tigers fans, Panthers supporters, each surviving successful south-east Queensland, truthful you've got to beryllium capable to hook them.

"That's the biggest situation for the Dolphins. The Titans did that truly well, the fans could inactive enactment their team, but the Titans were their second-favourite side. That's the absorption for immoderate caller team.

"You've got Broncos fans that are rusted connected Broncos fans, and appointing Kevvie (Kevin Walters) arsenic coach, he's a nine legend, truthful adjacent though it didn't spell that good successful 2021, the diehard fans volition person religion successful him.

"The winners volition beryllium the rugby league fans who privation the champion of some worlds. They tin enactment the Broncos, but erstwhile the Broncos are playing away, the Dolphins volition beryllium astatine Suncorp, truthful they've got an accidental to ticker a lucifer each play astatine Suncorp Stadium."

Exactly what would represent a palmy archetypal fewer years for the Dolphins is up for debate. The Broncos finished seventh successful 1988, with lone a final-round nonaccomplishment to Balmain costing them a spot successful the finals successful their maiden year. By 1992 they had their archetypal premiership, and their 2nd came a twelvemonth later.

In 1999, Melbourne redefined what was possible, taking retired the rubric successful conscionable their 2nd year.

But Sattler cautioned against expecting excessively much, excessively early.

"I don't deliberation there's a immense anticipation from fans successful your archetypal 2-3 years. There's interior pressure, you privation to play finals footy from twelvemonth one, but I deliberation the fans are much forgiving," helium said.

"But if you're not playing finals by years three, four, five, they commencement to inquire questions.

"From a rugby league constituent of view, occurrence is measured by whether oregon not you're playing finals footy by years three, four, five, and if you are, the off-field measurement are elemental - does the assemblage and commercialized enactment bespeak the on-field results?

"At immoderate constituent the Dolphins volition beryllium similar each different club, they'll unrecorded and dice by their results connected the field."

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