Former Origin representatives Mark Geyer and Scott Sattler have explained both the good and the bad that comes with being a key member of an expansion side.
The pair's words have come as the recently admitted Dolphins have begun making waves on the player market in an attempt to create a roster ahead of the 2023 season.
Having spent three seasons with the ill-fated Western Reds in the mid-nineties, Geyer revealed that becoming a highly paid member of the Perth-based side often had its disadvantages.
Speaking toย The Daily Telegraph,ย the premiership Panther claimed that quite literally becoming the face of the franchise had led to a few hairy moments away from the playing field.
โIt was a billboard,โ he said.
โAs soon as you exited Perth airport, there I was.
โThis giant picture of me, arms folded, and dressed in a singlet, right next to the words โWeโre Ready For Youโ โฆโ
Despite the marketing campaign containing more cheese than your average toasted sandwich, Geyer also stated that his enlarged head forced him to grow eyes in the back of it.
โFirst time Iโm out for a beer, I hear somebody say โhey, thereโs that bloke from the f โฆ ing billboardโ," he said.
โThen next minute, itโs on.
โFor a while there, somebody wanted to fight me every time I went out.โ
While off-field attention was a resounding 'con' across his 32-game stay in Western Australia, the 53-year-old divulged that some 'pros' also came with his hefty contract.
โBut of course, great perks too," Geyer continued.
โFree drinks, free food, I even got a new Ford with that bright red kangaroo splashed across the front.
โSo I was hard to miss.
โBut it was incredible.
โSuddenly youโve got this exciting, new thing in your life. I was 26 thinking โwow, how good is this?โ.โ
Although Geyer's time with the Reds ended when they were wrapped up at the completion of 1997, Sattler's history with fresh-faced sides runs deeper given he played for each of the Seagulls, Crushers, and Chargers between 1992 and 1998.
As the son of South Sydney legend, John Sattler, the son of the gun already had a profile within the game ahead of his first-grade career's commencement.
However, the 49-year-old believed that joining forces with a trifecta of Queensland start-ups did wonders for his public image.
โBeing part of a shiny new toy, itโs exciting,โ Sattler said.
โAnd for marquee player, this will be an incredible opportunity to expand their brand.
โWith only one other team in Brisbane, the city really is wide open to attack.
โImportantly for senior players too, theyโll also get a say in establishing the values and principles of this new club for years to come.
โWhile even for fringe players, this is your opportunity to become an NRL starter.โ
Still, as the pair also agreed that they had suffered from a 'god complex' whilst out on the town, they were willing to offer a warning to those that join the Dolphins not to get too big for their britches.
Although the league's 17th side will have from November 1 until kick-off in Round 1, 2023 to formulate their roster, Geyer held the view that the only thing that mattered for the geographically unaffiliated side was the scoreboard.
โYou have to win, thatโs it," he said.
โEverything is about winning.
โBut the great conundrum is that winning usually comes over time.
โSo you can go get the 20 best blokes on the market, but for whatever reason they donโt gel. You can have Munster, Ponga, Harry Grant, Christian Welch, but if you start losing โฆ thatโs when demons will start knocking on your door.โ
Irrespective of the fact that the Reds, Seagulls, Crushers, Giants, and Chargers now reside in rugby league's graveyard, the three-time Kangaroo still felt that if players are offered the chance to jump ship to swim with the Dolphins, it will be a decision they won't regret.
โTo be one of those first Dolphins [would be] incredible,โ Geyer said in finality.
โNew club, Wayne Bennett as coach, itโs all such a great opportunity.โ
Though the Redcliffe-based side isn't able to officially sign the first members of their roster until the commencement of next month, the red and white-clad club has already been linked with names such as Cameron Munster, Reagan Campbell-Gillard, and Kodi Nikorima.
