The Dolphins cracked the finals for the first time in the 2026 NRL season, and will look to build on that in 2027, but their premiership window that only just opened could be coming to an end.
The NRL's 17th side, now in the NRL for almost half a decade, have an enormous salary cap crunch coming in to the November 1 window for 2028, and will need to find a way to balance the books, and retain their top talent all at the same time.
Kristian Woolf's side have become one of the attacking excitement machines of the competition over the last 24 months, but it's likely defence and consistency they need to build on in the coming seasons if they are to challenge for the premiership.
The Dolphins have some of the NRL's best talent in the competition, and while it's not Isaiya Katoa off-contract this time around, the decision made in the halves to sign George Williams out of the Super League will raise eyebrows.
Here is the state of play for the Dolphins ahead of November 1, and the recruitment window for 2028 opening.
Current 2028 squad
Kain Anderson, Selwyn Cobbo, Kurt Donoghoe, Kulikefu Finefeuiaki, Zac Garton, Tom Gilbert, Isaiya Katoa, Killarney Lavender, Jeremy Marshall-King, Francis Molo, Tevita Naufahu, Max Plath, Brian Pouniu, Brad Schneider, Lewis Symonds, George Williams
Off-contract at the end of 2027
Jack Bostock, Herbie Farnworth, John Fineanganofo, Tom Flegler, Trai Fuller, Felise Kaufusi, Morgan Knowles, Connelly Lemuelu, LJ Nonu, Elijah Rasmussen, Sebastian Su'a, Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow
Current 2028 best 19
1. No player signed
2. Selwyn Cobbo
3. Kain Anderson
4. Brian Pouniu
5. Tevita Naufahu
6. George Williams
7. Isaiya Katoa
8. Francis Molo
9. Jeremy Marshall-King
10. Lewis Symonds
11. Kulikefu Finefeuiaki
12. Tom Gilbert
13. Max Plath
Interchange
14. Kurt Donoghoe
15. Zac Garton
16. Kilarney Lavender
17. Brad Schneider
18. No player signed
19. No player signed
The Dolphins, as mentioned, have a long list of players off-contract at the end of 2027, and that is led by star outside backs Jack Bostock, Herbie Farnworth and Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow.
Despite reportedly making a pact to take less and stay with the outfit, it's believed Tabuai-Fidow has re-signed on $1.3 or $1.4 million per season, while Bostock and Farnworth are likely to leave.
Another player in the crosshairs of potentially leaving the club is Thomas Flegler, who it's understood is receiving interest for his services from elsewhere, although a decision is unlikely to come any time soon on his future.
Even if the rumoured to leave players to exit the club, the salary cap will still be stretched for the Dolphins, and their focus at any rate will need to be signing consistent, cheaper players who can get the job done, particularly in defence.
Here are five potential targets for the Dolphins from November 1.
Option 1: Josh King (Melbourne Storm)
The Dolphins need improvements in the middle third, but they don't need flash and style.
They need players who get through an enormous amount of work at both ends of the park with minimum amounts of fuss.
Josh King, when you look at the state of the player market, is among the best of those players.
The other trade off of a player like King is that he will be well and truly in the price range for the Dolphins.
The Storm are going to have a very tough time of retaining the players off-contract on their own list at the end of 2027, and any sort of bidding war for King would be the end of their chances to retain him, unless all the other big names leave.
