Redcliffe Dolphins: Cup gains and losses for 2024

Even before Joshua James walked through the doors at Redcliffe Dolphins HQ, he knew that his Hostplus Cup coach Ben Te’o was going to have a big influence on him for season 2024.

The pair first met in 2020 by coincidence.

James was contracted to the Brisbane Broncos at the time but was not part of the famous “bubble” that occurred in the first year of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Training separately with Reece Walsh under the watchful eye of David Ballard - who at the time was the athletic coach for the club’s player development program – the half came across Te’o as the former Bronco and Queensland Maroons forward started doing personal training at Red Hill.

Ballard asked Te’o if he wanted to join the small group and the experience for then-teenager James was a bit surreal, as he started to learn from someone with a wealth of knowledge in both rugby league and rugby union.

“We did a bit of training together and before we knew it, all three of us were up in the bubble and that’s how we met,” James said.

“I remember sitting up in the lunchroom and Ben telling us all these stories about all the different places he’d been and all the things he’d done playing union and that for England.

“It was pretty crazy because it happened unexpectedly… he was training by himself and next thing we knew, we were sitting in the room having lunch with him, so it was pretty cool.”

That connection was re-established last year when Te’o – in his first season in charge of the Dolphins’ Cup team – reached out to James who was in Canberra, playing with the Raiders in their New South Wales Cup feeder team.

He wanted to see if James would join him at the Dolphins, but the 22-year-old was unsure whether he would be able to extend his future in Canberra.

However, when he was given a similar offer to what he was on in 2023, he decided it was time to come home.

“I knew the best option was to come back here,” the Wests Mitchelton junior said.

“I just thought the better option was to come home, bring my partner back up here, be closer to family and friends.

“It feels like we’re home again. It feels better… it just feels right.

“Ben’s made my job really clear. Before pre-season he texted me to see if I wanted to get a coffee and we sat down and talked about what he wants from me and what I want want from him throughout the year.

“We made it pretty known to each other what we need and want. It made it really clear for me, which has helped a lot.”

There are a number of new faces among the Dolphins squad for 2024.

As well as James, the club have signed Sunshine Coast forward Max Bailey, Gold Coast Titans and Tweed Seagulls flyer Treymain Spry, and Tweed duo Brent Woolf and Jaron Purcell.

James has been training with fellow new signings Zane Camroux and Latrell Siegwalt in the halves and he believes their combinations are coming together well.

“It’s been really good,” James said.

“All the boys have been really welcoming. There’s a lot of new faces around the club, which made it really easy because then you find one or two people you know or versed throughout your time.

“I’ve been working with Latrell and Zane in the halves. I remember me and Zane versed each other a bit down in NSW Cup for the last two years but I’ve only met Latrell this year.

“A lot of the senior boys aren’t even that old here so it’s a pretty young squad.”

But despite the youth amongst the Redcliffe line-up, James is confident they have the talent to go all the way.

While he is determined to use 2024 to strike a nice balance in his life between work, football and more, he believes the Dolphins could be in for a big season.

“My goal is for us to win the comp, really,” he said.

“I really do think it’s doable. We have a really good team here. We haven’t even had any of the boys from first grade come back yet and we still have a pretty strong team.

“Once we get them back, we’ll be even stronger. There’s that goal obviously but then it’s just to play week in, week out and do the best that I can for the team and hopefully get as many wins as we can.”

Redcliffe Dolphins 2024 gains and losses

Gains

Elijah Anderson (Canberra Raiders), Max Bailey (Sunshine Coast Falcons), Logan Bayliss-Brow (Brisbane Broncos), Zane Camroux (Wests Magpies), Cooper Hewett (Wynnum Manly Seagulls), Josh James (Canberra Raiders), Steven Numambo (Canberra Raiders), Jaron Purcell (Tweed Seagulls), Latrell Siegwalt (Wagga Wagga), Treymain Spry (Gold Coast Titans), Brent Woolf (Tweed Seagulls)

Losses

Joshua Beehag (retired), Cameron Cullen (retired from Cup/Wests Panthers), Jeremy Hawkins (retired), Cody Hunter (Sunshine Coast Falcons), Ben King (retired), Dunamis Lui (retired), Brayden McGrady (Tweed Seagulls)