The NRL’s newest team has once again been forced to defend its name, when a press conference to announce Wayne Bennett as their inaugural coach was hijacked by the issue on Thursday.
The Dolphins were last week unveiled as the winning bid in the race to the competition’s 17th licence and they will enter the league in 2023, with now-71-year-old Bennett at the helm.
But they immediately caused controversy upon revelation the NRL team will be known simply as the Dolphins, dropping Redcliffe from the name of the club that still has lower grade teams referred to by the full name.
The reasoning has been the NRL wants the Dolphins to draw fans from a wider region than just the Moreton Bay area north of Brisbane, despite the team being based at Redcliffe and sharing their home games between Moreton Daily Stadium and Suncorp Stadium.
But News Corp reports a host of influential figures including Moreton Bay mayor Peter Flannery, Queensland Origin legend Petero Civoniceva, and federal minister Peter Dutton are leading a campaign to have the Dolphins add Moreton Bay to the front of the name.
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The press conference on Thursday once again turned towards the issue.
“We’re known as The Dolphins and that’s what we’ll be known as,” Dolphins Group boss Tony Murphy said.
“I’m pretty good mates with Peter Flannery and all of the councillors. I’ve known Peter for 20 years and get on very well with him.
“Peter is very keen to push his agenda which as mayor of Moreton Bay Regional Council, he’s got to do that.
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“It’s all part of his job. I can understand they really need to have something that can solidify their council.
“We’re in Moreton Bay, that’s where our base is and where we’re operating from, but we’re a national brand and need to appeal to way more people than south east Queensland.”
Murphy denied Flannery and others were guaranteed the team would be known as the Moreton Bay Dolphins during the bidding process and said the club could survive if council pulled its funding.
“We have, it has been told to them,” he said.
“We had lots of meetings with the council. The council really just came on as one of our major sponsors.
“With the amount of sponsors that have been knocking on our door, I’m sure we’ll have that covered (if they withdraw).
“We do sit right in the middle of Moreton Bay Regional Council and they’re a wonderful council. Mayor Flannery has a job to do. He’s got to make sure Moreton Bay Regional Council is out there in front of people.
“It’s been a difficult road for those guys to unite Petrie, Redcliffe and Caboolture together. They saw this as an opportunity.
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“We will push Moreton Bay every day of the week but we’re a national brand. The Redcliffe Dolphins will always survive, they will play in the Queensland Cup.
“The Dolphins is a national brand and we’ve got to treat it like a national brand. That’s the name we’re going to stay with.
“I’m sure we will have some more discussions with council. There’s no problem. We’ll get things worked out, that’s for sure.”
The Dolphins have not ruled out adding a geographical aspect to their name before their NRL debut in 2023.
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