The 2023 Dolphins season is historically the inaugural season for the Dolphins club in the professional National Rugby League (NRL) football competition in Australia. With Wayne Bennett as head coach and Jesse Bromwich as the regular team captain, the Dolphins competed in the 2023 NRL Telstra Premiership but did not qualify for the finals. Nevertheless, they finished in thirteenth place, ahead of four other established teams. Dolphins goal-kicking winger

Jamayne Isaako Jamayne Isaako (born 5 June 1996) is a New Zealand professional rugby league footballer who plays as a er and for the Dolphins in the NRL. He previously played for the Brisbane Broncos and the Gold Coast Titans in the National Rugby League. ...

recorded both the highest number of NRL tries and points in the 2023 competition; a feat last achieved by Canberra Raiders goal-kicking Mal Meninga in 1990.
In Round 9, the Dolphins played their first golden point game but lost 30–31 to the Canberra Raiders at McDonalds Park, Wagga Wagga.

The NRL later conceded that match officials missed a crucial knock-on call late in Canberra's golden-point victory when the former regained possession after knocking the ball into the arm of a Dolphins player. "The NRL's head of football

Graham Annesley Graham Annesley (born 26 May 1957) is an Australian former politician. He was a member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly representing Miranda for the Liberal Party from 2011 to 2013. From 3 April 2011 to 28 August 2013 he was the Min ...

said referee Peter Gough was obscured in his view of the knock on, but the sideline officials should have pulled the play up." Otherwise, Annesley advised that no policy changes could be considered until the current season is over. In Round 13, an illegal try on the seventh tackle of a set was awarded to the

St. George Illawarra Dragons The St. George Illawarra Dragons is an Australian professional rugby league football club, representing both the Illawarra and St George regions of New South Wales. The club has competed in the National Rugby League since 1999 after a joint-ve ...

in their 26–12 loss to the Dolphins at

Kayo Stadium Dolphin Stadium (also known as Kayo Stadium and previously Moreton Daily Stadium under naming rights) is a sports stadium in the suburb of Kippa-Ring in the Moreton Bay Region, north of the adjoining Brisbane metropolitan city, Queensland, Aust ...

; the decision would not have been overturned even if the Dolphins had lost the game.

2023 Club awards

In September, the Dolphins' Inaugural Presentation Ball was held at Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre, and the club's annual awards were announced. * Academic Award:

Euan Aitken Euan Aitken (born 16 June 1995) is a Scotland international rugby league footballer who plays as a er or for the Dolphins the NRL. He previously played for the St. George Illawarra Dragons and the New Zealand Warriors in the National Rugby L ...

(for continued study in an MBA) * Adventure Kings Fan-Voted MVP (Most Valuable Player):

Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow (born 5 September 2001), also known by the nickname of "Hammer", is an Australians, Australian professional rugby league footballer who plays as a for the Dolphins (NRL), Dolphins in the National Rugby League. He has also ...

* Arthur Beetson Medal Player of the Year:

* Best Back: Jamayne Isaako * Best Forward: Mark Nicholls * Club Person of the Year: Shane Morris (Dolphins' Game Development Manager) * Most Consistent: Jamayne Isaako * Players' Player: Jamayne Isaako * Rookie of the Year:

Isaiya Katoa Isaiya Katoa (born 18 February 2004) is a Tonga international rugby league footballer who plays as a or for the Dolphins in the NRL. His rise to fame was in the 2022 season when he played an integral role in Barker College’s CAS Premiershi ...

Player movements

All 2023 signings

Pre-season challenge

The 2023 NRL pre-season was played in February, before an eleven-day lead-up to the commencement of the regular

2023 NRL season The 2023 NRL season is the 116th season of professional rugby league in Australia and the 26th season run by the National Rugby League. Teams For the 2023 season, the number of teams in the NRL has increased from sixteen to seventeen with the ...

Regular season

League table

For the

, the number of teams increased from sixteen to seventeen with the inclusion of the Dolphins, a fourth Queensland-based club, playing most of their home games at Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane.

Result by round

Matches

In 2023, the Dolphins play seven of their twelve home games at the 52,500-capacity Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane, one at

Sunshine Coast Stadium Sunshine Coast Stadium is a multi-sport venue located at Kawana Waters on the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, Australia. The stadium is the main venue in a sporting precinct that also includes seven fields. Development Sunshine Coast Stadium was fir ...

and the three other at

in Redcliffe, which also serves as a training and administration base.

Optus Stadium Perth Stadium, currently known as Optus Stadium for sponsorship reasons, is a multi-purpose stadium in Perth, Western Australia, located in the suburb of Burswood. It was completed in late 2017 and officially opened on 21 January 2018. The s ...

in Perth will also host one home game. This will occur in Round 23 against the Newcastle Knights during a double-header with the other game being between South Sydney Rabbitohs and Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks.
In the 'Score' column below, the Dolphins' score is recorded first and the opponent's next.

2023 Squad

References

{{Dolphins (NRL) Dolphins season