The Dolphins have continued to strengthen their connection with the Torres Strait Islands, with Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow, Head Coach Kristian Woolf, Edrick Lee and members of the club’s Game Development and Community teams spending the week immersed in local communities during the club’s recent bye.
For Tabuai-Fidow, the visit was an opportunity to share his culture and reconnect with the community that has shaped him.
“It was a pretty special thing to do, especially from the club wanting to go up there and just have that exposure to where I’m from and my background,”
Tabuai-Fidow
“We went to schools, did clinics with them and got to sightsee as well. Having Woolfy up there… it was pretty cool to get up there, especially with the club.”
The group travelled from Brisbane to Horn Island before making the short ferry trip to Thursday Island, where they were welcomed by excited community members lining the wharf to greet one of their own.
The visit began with an evening rugby league clinic alongside the Ngurpay Brothers and Knights clubs, with more than 30 participants. Woolf and Edrick led defensive and safe tackling drills, while Tabuai-Fidow and the Game Development team ran attacking exercises and two-on-one skills.
The following day saw the group visit Our Lady of the Sacred Heart School, where students had prepared questions for Woolf and Tabuai-Fidow before the pair joined Year 5 and 6 students in a spirited handball competition. The school also presented jerseys to the visitors and shared plans to send a representative team to the Cairns Touch Carnival for the first time.
The group then met with Mayor Elsie Seriat OAM, who showcased proposed upgrades to the local rugby league facilities with the vision of hosting future QRL Country Round matches. The visit concluded with a special gift exchange, with the Dolphins receiving a handcrafted wooden Dhari as a symbol of the connection between the club and the Torres Strait community.
The Dolphins also joined NAIDOC activities at Tagai Primary Thursday Island, taking part in weaving, arts and crafts and a Deadly Labs Bush Soapmaking workshop, learning about native plants traditionally used to make soap while highlighting the importance of hand hygiene.
At Tagai State College’s Secondary Campus, Waybeni Koey Ngurpay Mudh, students welcomed the visitors with a traditional song before sharing stories that highlighted the strong family and community connections between Tabuai-Fidow, Edrick and local families. The visit concluded with a school assembly, where the players answered questions before Tabuai-Fidow recreated his trademark try celebration to the delight of the students.
The cultural experience continued at Island Stars, where the group enjoyed traditional dances and storytelling representing Badu Island, home of Edrick Island, and Saibai Island, where Tabuai-Fidow’s family connections lie. The evening concluded with a shared meal featuring traditional dishes including coconut chicken and rice, damper and chop suey.
Thursday included a fishing trip off Prince of Wales Island, where Tabuai-Fidow successfully dived for crayfish, before a guided tour of the Gab Titui Cultural Centre. The group then returned to the field for another rugby league clinic with the Roosters and Suburbs clubs, continuing to share skills with the next generation of players.
The visit finished with a home-cooked meal shared with local community members, where stories, traditions and experiences were exchanged in a fitting end to a memorable week.
While based in the Torres Strait, Woolf also travelled to Badu Island, where he spent several days visiting schools, engaging with the community and delivering additional rugby league skill sessions.
Tabuai-Fidow said Woolf’s willingness to embrace Indigenous culture is one of the qualities that makes him such a respected coach within the playing group.
“I think that’s a big one. Him growing up with Indigenous boys and girls, he sort of knows how to work us out and how to get the best out of us,”
Tabuai-Fidow
“I think that’s something special to have. We can go into our shell and be pretty quiet, but I think we’re growing out of that and just being proud of our culture. Obviously Wolfie’s proud of that as well and it’s something special to have as a coach and that bond you can build.”
More than a rugby league trip, the visit reflected the Dolphins’ ongoing commitment to strengthening relationships with the Torres Strait Islands community. Through cultural learning, community engagement and genuine connection, the club continues to build relationships that will endure well beyond the football field.
