Dolphins forward shopped to rival club

Dolphins forward Josh Kerr has reportedly been shopped to the Brisbane Broncos, with the club unwilling to retain his services for 2026.

Despite excellent form, predominantly off the interchange bench, the former St George Illawarra Dragon who joined the Redcliffe-based outfit ahead of the 2023 season runs off-contract at the end of this year and has not yet been renewed by the NRL's 17th side.

The Dolphins, who have already added English forward Morgan Knowles to their list for next year, are also hopeful Thomas Flegler will play his first game in nearly two years for the club, further adding to the forward pack depth in Kristian Woolf's side, who have been flying high in recent weeks.

Kerr's form has been part of that, and landed him a spot in Billy Slater's extended squad for Game 3 of the 2025 State of Origin series, but now News Corp are reporting he could be on his way out, with salary cap pressures playing a role in the decision.

It's reported that the Dolphins want to keep Kerr, who is now 29 years old, but that the prop is exploring his options on the free market.

“We've had chats with my manager and missus and that too, I'm very happy and comfortable here. It's my junior club, I want to see it succeed," Kerr was quoted as saying by the publication.

“However, I've done the thing in the past where I thought I was playing for love at a club, but you learn very quickly it's a business and they don't really give a s**t.

It's understood he has been shopped south to the Brisbane Broncos by his management, who are on the lookout for players who can produce plenty on minimal wages given their top-heavy salary cap.

Brisbane have big deals for many players, led by fullback Reece Walsh, and Origin forward duo Payne Haas and Patrick Carrigan, but there are concerns about their depth in the middle third, with Michael Maguire's side inconsistent at best throughout the course of the competition.

While the Broncos, on paper at least, should be a finals team, they are in a fight to qualify this year, and it's clear Maguire is in the process of reshaping his squad.

The Broncos have not yet made a play for Kerr, but still have more than ten spots to fill on their roster for 2026.