Dolphins prop Daniel Saifiti has revealed new coach Kristian Woolf was the main reason behind his move to the club for the 2025 season.
Saifiti was tapped on the shoulder mid way through the 2024 campaign by the Newcastle Knights and asked if he would consider finding a new club despite having years to run on his deal.
It came as the Knights battled a bloated salary cap.
While he maintained he would not move on for a pay cut, Saifiti eventually came to terms on a deal with the Dolphins for the next three years, and he revealed his prior relationship with Woolf, who was an assistant coach at the Knights in 2019, was the key reason for his signing.
“I think though the roster's top notch there, there are representative players all over the park, but probably the main thing was coming under Woolfy again," Saifiti told the media on Tuesday in his first press conference as a Dolphins' player.
“I only had him for one year in 2019, but me and him built a real close relationship there and we've kept in touch ever since.
“When he rang my manager, I pretty much knew after that first phone call that this is the club for me, so I'm just glad he made the call and I'm here now.”
Saifiti will be expected to stand up as a forward pack leader at the Dolphins, who had signed Thomas Flegler from the Brisbane Broncos for the same purpose last year, only for the former Brisbane Broncos' prop to suffer a nerve injury to his shoulder that threatened his career.
Flegler has now had surgery and it's anticipated he will make a recovery, although it's unclear at what point of the season he will be available.
Once fit, it's likely he and Saifiti would become the Dolphins' new front row pairing as they move on from the Jesse Bromwich era, with the former Melbourne Storm and New Zealand Kiwis player retiring at the end of 2024.
Saifiti said he believes the Dolphins are a 'finals footy team'.
“They were close to making it last year obviously and didn't make it at the end, but I think we knuckle down in the pre-season, fix the wrongs from last year … get fitter, hold each other accountable and I think this is definitely a finals eight footy team and a finals eight forward pack," Saifiti said.
The Dolphins will have added fire for their opening game of the season when they clash with former and inaugural coach Wayne Bennett at home against the South Sydney Rabbitohs.