Luke Howarth (Petrie, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Defence Industry) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

HOWARTH () (): What an outstanding first season it has been for the Dolphins in the National Rugby League. I'm sure even the member for Blair would agree, even though his Ipswich Jets didn't get the nod. But the Dolphins have done extremely well. With a win over the third-placed Warriors in front of a packed out Suncorp Stadium on Saturday, it is no wonder that, in their first season, the number of members the Dolphins have has passed some 30,000, a feat reached by only three other NRL sides. In 2023 alone, the Dolphins community and game development team have driven over 25,000 kilometres, making 241 school visits and covering more than 200 junior clubs stretching throughout Brisbane, Moreton Bay, Sunshine Coast and Wide Bay and all over Central Queensland.

With an average crowd attendance at Suncorp Stadium at a whopping 32,000 per game in their first year, the Dolphins are now No. 1 in NRL for on-field jersey sales and No. 2 for sponsorship dollars. 'Dawn of the Dolphins' on Stan was the highest-watched feature on streaming services. If you haven't watched it, get into it. The $8 million investment by the former coalition government went a long way to helping them get into the NRL. At the last election, the coalition committed $16 million for a high-performance centre, which we'll keep fighting for and will promise again at the next election. Thanks to everyone involved. You did a great job. We look forward to 2024.