Return and earn your spot: Dolphins seek to solve forward puzzle

The prospect of the Dolphins fielding a fully fit side come Round 1 has their forwards fired up and ready to fight for a place in Kristian Woolf’s best 17.

Newly re-signed Connelly Lemuelu is determined to claim a starting spot while 2024 Arthur Beetson Medal winner Max Plath is on the comeback trail after undergoing ACL surgery six months ago.

With captain Tom Gilbert, Origin reps Thomas Flegler and Daniel Saifiti and internationals Jeremy Marshall-King and Francis Molo on track for Round 1, as well as the arrival of Englishman Morgan Knowles, the club’s forward stocks are bursting.

“Definitely (it will be hard to return to the team). I'm very much a realist in that sort of sense,” Plath said.

“We've got some really good forwards and no-one has rights to any jersey whatsoever, so it's going to be a big motivation for me to try and get back into that team.

“I'm a realist and Woolfy will name the best 17, so if I can just put my hand up and try and improve my game, hopefully I can get back in.”

The emergence of the versatile Kurt Donoghoe has also made Plath’s aim of fitting into the side even more challenging.

“I've always thought from since I've met Kurt that he's a sensational player and whatever position he could play, he could absolutely brain it,” Plath said.

“I've said this a couple of times to some of the boys, but I'd much rather be the worst player in a winning team than being the best player in a losing team.

“Winning's everything for me and if that's Kurt's position, that's Kurt's position.

“I can figure out another way to help the team win, so, it's more so about having a really good team together and winning footy games.”

Lemuelu, who scored nine tries in 20 games last year, has provided plenty of impact on the edge but made no secret of the fact he was keen to start.

“I came off the bench [in 17 of 20 games] in 2025 and I'm pushing for that starting spot this year,” Lemuelu said.

“I've made it a goal of mine to be an elite back-rower and hopefully I can use this year to do that and become a starter.

“Then hopefully we'll go from there and get to extend my time a bit longer.

“(My game has) developed a lot (since coming to the Dolphins). I was obviously a fringe first-grader up at the Cowboys before I moved down and since coming here, I feel like I've established myself as an NRL player.

“I'm approaching 100 games this year, so fingers crossed I get to knock that milestone off, but we've had good people with Wayne and Woolfy, so just learning a lot and hoping to be better every year.