Grandstand completion supports Redcliffe Dolphins plan for place in the NRL

The unveiling of the new northern grandstand at the Redcliffe Dolphins’ Stadium in South East Queensland means that it is “NRL ready” according to Club Chairman Bob Jones.

The official opening on Tuesday of the northern grandstand at the Dolphin Stadium in Redcliffe, is, according to Jones, the "final piece of our infrastructure puzzle" in the club’s objective to be Brisbane’s second NRL team.

Backed by $6.5 million in funding from the Federal Government and Moreton Bay Regional Council, the expansion of Dolphin Stadium, which first opened in 1979, sees its capacity raised to 11,500, 10,000 of which will be seated.

With assets valued in excess of $100 million, including the 11-hectare Dolphin Stadium precinct, the club says its infrastructure is comparable to any other NRL club. The Dolphins precinct offerss a Leagues Club (with 40,000 members), the Dolphins Leisure Centre that includes a gymnasium and pool and the Dolphins’ Central Shopping Centre which, along with the leisure centre, has been operating for over five years with key anchored tenants.

The Dolphins has already constructed office space designed specifically to cater for the operation of an NRL team.

Commenting on the club’s aims, Jones advised “tis stadium will be a wonderful acquisition for the local community and will be a beacon for our traditional rugby league grass roots base and opportunities to host other major events for the region. With this in place, the Dolphins NRL Bid now has all the ingredients to provide a strong, community-based team that would represent as a true Brisbane club in the NRL.

“We have welcomed (Australian Rugby League Commission) Chairman Peter V’landys’ comments that the NRL would be enhanced by a second Brisbane team in the NRL, and we firmly believe no other bid can match the levels of community engagement, infrastructure base and financial stability that the Dolphins NRL Bid has in place.”

Moreton Bay Mayor Peter Flannery said the Council’s $2.5 million contribution to the project was an investment in the local economy, events, and hopefully an NRL licence.

He stated “now the stadium upgrades are complete, we’ve set the Dolphins up right in front of the sticks to make this conversion into an NRL licence.

“The Dolphins run rings around every other contender in terms of their business prowess and financial position, and with more than 5,200 locals playing rugby league the growth potential here is huge.”

The Dolphins will reportedly seek to utilise Dolphin Stadium for a couple of games per year and as a training ground, with the majority of its NRL fixtures to be played at the 52,500-capacity Suncorp Stadium.

Image: Dolphin Stadium. Courtesy of the Dolphins NRL Bid.