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.
1. Matt Dufty (Canterbury Bulldogs)
Dufty is currently the only NRL-level fullback off-contract heading into the 2023 season.
Kalyn Ponga has a player option up his sleeve, but reports sound more and more like he will take it to remain in the Hunter, rather than shifting to the Dolphins or anywhere else.
With the likes of Clint Gutherson and Dylan Edwards taken off the market and a lack of high-profile fullbacks remaining, it is potentially the most pressing issue for the Dolphins right now.
Dufty has all the potential in the world.
He might have been let go by the Dragons on account of his defence, but his performances at the Bulldogs this year will be intriguing, with Josh Addo-Carr recently stating Dufty has had an "excellent" pre-season.
His attack is special - that much was made obvious time and time again during the 2021 season at the Dragons. He scored ten tries, made 11 try assists, 47 tackle busts, 10 line breaks, averaged 154 metres per game and handled the football 452 times across his 15 starts.
Given defence is the issue, playing under Wayne Bennett you'd assume will fix that in a heartbeat.
The fresh change has also reportedly given him a new attitude to football as he attempts to extend his NRL career without going to England.
He is the key signing the Dolphins must move on immediately.
