The Dolphins have been widely ridiculed for their recruitment strategy thus far ahead of their inaugural season in the NRL.
The club, who have been able to negotiate with players coming off-contract at the end of 2022 for the best part of four months, have managed just a handful of signings and, as yet, are yet to sign a decent spine option.
While they have reportedly missed out on a stack of options at dummy half - including Brandon Smith, Reed Mahoney and Apisiai Koroisau - the club are yet to be majorly linked with other positions in the spine, despite talent left off-contract dwindling.
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On top of the options at dummy half, they have also missed out on the likes of Patrick Carrigan and Christian Welch, who both elected to re-sign with the Brisbane Broncos and Melbourne Storm respectively.
They have managed to raid the Storm, signing Kenneath Bromwich, Jesse Bromwich and Felise Kaufusi, while Mark Nicholls has signed from the South Sydney Rabbitohs, Ray Stone from the Parramatta Eels and back Jamayne Isaako from the Brisbane Broncos, as well as little-known duo Valynce Te Whare and Isaiya Katoa.
They have also managed to add two development deals for 2023 in brother of James Roberts, Michael Roberts and Harrison Graham.
Wayne Bennett recently indicated the club would now be happy to sit back on their hands and wait for more contracts to fall once the season kicks off, however, with 22 still to sign, the merits of that strategy have been called into question.
That has become even more so the case when you consider five of their signings thus far are veteran forwards who will all either be, or approaching, the wrong side of 30 by the time the first ball is kicked in 2023.
Recent reports have indicated Raidersโ second-rower Corey Harawira-Naera and Titansโ prop Jarrod Wallace could be on the radar for the Dolphins, however, for now, we will treat it as if those signatures havenโt happened.
This is a club who desperately need spine players, outside backs and young forwards, so here are the five signatures they should be chasing immediately.
5. Jaxson Paulo (South Sydney Rabbitohs)
The Dolphins need to chase some backs they can get cheaply, and Jaxson Paulo is one of them.
The grand final winger for South Sydney is highly regarded and has already scored 13 tries in his 25 NRL appearances across the last two seasons.
While his development - like so many other young guns - has been stunted by a lack of reserve grade football since the start of 2020, the fact he has managed 25 NRL games without that to push his case is testament to his work ethic and consistency once on field.
He has never looked over awed during his time on the park and is now reportedly set for a move into the centres as 2022 rolls around, giving him an extra layer of versatility.
It's hard to imagine the Rabbitohs aren't already in the process of making him an offer to stay at the club long-term given he is set to be in their best 17 for this season, but the Nerang junior, at just 22 years of age, still has plenty of improvement left in him and could form a long-term combination in the outside backs with the already signed Jamayne Isaako from the Brisbane Broncos.
He won't be the answer to all their problems, but he would be better than a solid signing at this stage.
