The Dolphins are set to miss out on a key contract target in Patrick Carrigan.
While it had previously been reported that the star of the future and hard-nosed middle forward had turned down a contract offer from the Brisbane Broncos, it's now understood the Red Hill-based outfit have gone back to the drawing board to prepare a contract upgrade.
It had been tipped the Dolphins were set to strike and unveil Carrigan as one of their first signatures.
Touted as a future captain of both the Broncos and Dolphins, the front-rower would have fit the bill perfectly for the Dolphins, who are looking to sign local Queensland talent in an attempt to engage a fan base between north Brisbane and the Sunshine Coast, the region they have effectively earmarked as their own upon entering the Brisbane market to challenge the Broncos.
According to The Daily Telegraph though, the offer from the Broncos has been increased to around $500,000 per season, and will keep him at Red Hill until at least the end of 2024 when he re-signs in the coming days.
Carrigan has met with Dolphins coach Wayne Bennett and toured the facilities in Redcliffe in the time he has been spending to make his mind up.
It's understood Carrigan will sign the deal with Brisbane this week, leaving the Dolphins still without their first marquee recruit.
The club have been heavily linked to Kalyn Ponga and Brandon Smith however, with the latter set to decide his contract status in the coming weeks following a return to Melbourne after touring facilities at the Dolphins, Gold Coast Titans, North Queensland Cowboys and Sydney Roosters.
Broncos' director of football expressed his hope that Carrigan would stay in Brisbane.
“We are very hopeful that Pat stays,” Ikin told the publication.
“We believe he will. Pat has an enormous work ethic both in games and with respect to his rehabilitation (from a knee reconstruction in May).
“He drives the other guys hard at training and we know he is off-contract at the end of next year.
“At the moment, we are in the process of trying to extend Pat and like we do with all the players we want to keep, we are pitching hard.
“We are confident Pat sees his future at the Broncos.”
Carrigan's seemingly impending contract extension at the Broncos will see him continue to build a hard-nosed middle third alongside Payne Haas and Thomas Flegler.
Carrigan missed much of the 2021 season with an ACL injury, but is set to return to full fitness ahead of Round 1 in 2022, when the Broncos open their season against the South Sydney Rabbitohs.
