The NRL's newest club have hit the incredible mark of 30,000 members in their inaugural season.
The Dolphins announced this week that the incredible milestone has been brought up ahead of the final round of the season, while the Dolphins are also anticipating a crowd of around 35,000 at Suncorp Stadium for their final regular season game against the Dolphins.
That anticipated crowd comes despite the Dolphins being well out of finals contention, although they can still avoid a bottom-four finish with a win this weekend.
The Redcliffe-based outfit sit in 14th spot on the table, but their home average of over 23,000 leaves them with the second best average crowd in the competition to date, only behind cross-town rivals the Brisbane Broncos, who have averaged north of 32,000 in what has been a successful season at Red Hill.
The Dolphins crowd average would likely be larger if all games were at Suncorp Stadium too, with sell outs at Redcliffe and the Sunshine Coast.
The Dolphins tally of 30,000 members also means they sit in third spot on the NRL's membership ladder, only behind the Brisbane Broncos, who have cracked 40,000, and the South Sydney Rabbitohs, who are approaching 32,000. Every other club comes in short of 30,000, although the Melbourne Storm are close to cracking the bartrier this year and last update and finished 2022 with over 35,000 members on board.
“We thank the NRL for taking the brave decision to bring the Dolphins into the competition because they believed that Brisbane and Queensland could sustain another club,” Dolphins' chief executive Terry Reader said in a statement.
“But what is really important is that through sheer weight of numbers, the people of Brisbane and Queensland have shown that they actually wanted another club.
“To have 30,000 people join as members and to average over 32,000 at the home of rugby league in Queensland, while being part of sell-out after sell-out at our smaller venues, is an amazing achievement for the Dolphins.
“We have also hit some impressive markers off the field within our sponsorship and commercial areas that will underpin the success of the Dolphins for years to come.
“While we were disappointed to miss out on the finals in our debut year, we have exceeded expectations both on and off the field, and with the new players we have arriving for next season and our continued growth in the commercial area, the Dolphins are set up for the brightest of futures.”
The Dolphins were wildly confident in the pre-season, with the club telling Zero Tackle they had sold out commercially before the New Year, and those indications have now followed through to fans and supporters.
The decision to play so many home games at Suncorp Stadium was also seen as a risk but has worked spectacularly for the club.
The club will likely only go from strength to strength next year, with new signings Herbie Farnworth and Thomas Flegler making the switch from the Broncos.
