Broncos great Corey Parker has tipped first-year NRL head coach Kristian Woolf to rise above the Wayne Bennett ‘curse’ in 2025 and thinks his Dolphins side can play finals footy for the first time this year. Woolf was Bennett’s assistant last season but has taken over the head coaching reins after the veteran mentor’s move back to South Sydney, and will get an instant chance to get one over his former boss in a round one grudge match between the two sides.
Bennett is a seven-time premiership winner and did wonders in his two seasons at the Dolphins, following their entry into the competition in 2023. The master coach may not have been able to guide the Dolphins into the finals during his two seasons but he helped shape a solid roster at the Redcliffe-based club and laid the foundations for success that Woolf will be hoping to build upon.
However, the reality is that many of Bennett’s former teams have struggled once he’s left the club, with South Sydney, Newcastle and the Dragons being the three most recent examples. It’s often been referred to as the Bennett ‘curse’ but Parker is confident Woolf can buck that trend and says his fingerprints on the Dolphins squad were clear to see, even when Bennett was there.
The curse is Wayne Bennett and we have seen the influence he has had on teams,” Parker said on SENQ Breakfast on Wednesday. “This year, there’s a new coach and you have to understand that last year with a 72-year-old Wayne, he was more of a man manager than he was a coach. Kristian Woolf has had a huge influence on this group and understands them all very well so his transition from assistant coach to head coach should be a seamless one.
“I’ve heard that training has ramped and there’s a bit more clarity about what the team is doing. If the Dolphins are able to stay injury free, they can certainly challenge some of the top teams. Their business model is also sound. They are not paying overs for a marquee player. Instead, they are developing their roster which will leave them in good stead.
“Will they play finals this year? I think they can. If they can have a fit team on the field for the majority of this season along with playing a consistent style of football. They have some strike players and x-factor. I think they can absolutely play finals football but it’s up to them.”
Maroons and Kangaroos star Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow is undoubtedly Woolf’s biggest star and young gun half Isaiya Katoa showed signs last year that he’s a superstar No.7 in the making. The Dolphins will also be boosted by the return of Origin forward Tom Gilbert, who missed all of last season with an ACL injury and have added talented edge forward Kulikefu Finefeuiaki to an exciting forward pack that contains the likes of Felise Kaufusi, Max Plath and veteran Kenny Bromwich.
Souths rocked by injuries ahead of Dolphins Round 1 clash
The Dolphins host the Titans at Redcliffe in the Pre Season Challenge on Saturday after belting the Cowboys 50-8 last weekend. Woolf’s side will then turn their attentions to the March 7 round one clash at home to Bennett’s Rabbitohs, who were dealt a double injury blow on Wednesday as Cameron Murray suffered a suspected ruptured achilles and Latrell Mitchell was ruled out of Saturday night’s Charity Shield game.
Murray had wrist surgery in the off-season but was firming to be available for the Rabbitohs in round one. However, Souths revealed on Wednesday that he injured his achilles at training, with Mitchell also picking up a hamstring complaint. Mitchell won’t play the against the Dragons this weekend in their final trial game but will be hoping to be fit for the season-opener against the Dolphins.
In a crushing blow to Souths’ hopes of returning to finals footy in 2025, Murray is expected to miss up to eight months, while Mitchell will get scans to determine the severity of his hamstring injury. Mitchell was slated to play his first game since Bennett’s return as coach after he was controversially allowed to use the All-Stars game for his one-match suspension. The fresh injuries leave the Bunnies in disarray, with Cody Walker and Campbell Graham also racing the clock to be fit for round one.
