Alfie or DCE? Artie or the Brick with Eyes?
Mouth-watering match-ups are across the park when you consider the cavalcade of stars who have lined up for the Dolphins and Broncos through the years.
As the NRL’s latest Queensland derby adds another chapter on Friday night, we look at the best of the best each side has to offer.
It’s far from an exact science given the Broncos have only been in the NRL since 1988, and had a monopoly on Brisbane’s top level league scene for years.
Conversely, Redcliffe entered the Brisbane Rugby League in 1960 and have gone on to claim 10 premierships, proving their worth as a heavyweight on the field and producer of talent pathways off it.
While technically Redcliffe and the NRL Dolphins are different clubs, we combined and narrowed the search for their best talent into three categories: if they were a Redcliffe junior; if they had a long career with the club; or if they had a shorter but left a meaningful legacy.
Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow gets picked at No.1 because of his impact since the Dolphins became a NRL entity, while others made few appearances for the club but have forged long careers elsewhere and still call Redcliffe home.
Compare that to the best Broncos side – who wins?
See the teams below and cast your vote >>>
GREATEST DOLPHINS TEAM
Fullback
Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow
Current NRL star. One of the fastest man in the modern game. Narrowly beats 1970s hero Ian “Bunny” Pearce, the goalkicking wizard and Dolphins icon.
Winger
John Ribot
Australian rep and a Redcliffe junior/legend who, ironically, helped build the Broncos. The unheralded QCup legend and all-time club leading pointscorer Liam Georgetown gets a nod here.
Centre
Chris “Choppy” Close
An immortal of the Redcliffe backline and Origin hero. Plucked from the 1980 Dolphins side on the Australian tour of New Zealand but it was his man-of-the-match effort in the inaugural Origin match that year which turned heads.
Centre
Brent Tate
A Redcliffe junior who won everything in the game, coincidentally much with the Broncos. Close call with Peter Leis, regarded as one of the greatest centres never to play in Sydney.
Winger
Dane Gagai
A modern great who played Q-Cup for the Dolphins; a big-game specialist. Gets the nod over Mitch Brennan, a speedster from the classic BRL era, because of Gagai’s longevity in the NRL.
Five-Eighth
Mark Murray
A local junior, Australian rep, and the heartbeat of the club. Isaiya Katoa is the face of the club these days and could push for a start once his career winds up. While Trevor Benson was the general of the 1980s sides and a master tactician.
Halfback
Daly Cherry-Evans
Redcliffe junior. 300+ NRL games, Premiership winner, and Kangaroo. Enough said.
Prop
Arthur Beetson (C)
The greatest to ever lace a boot. The spiritual heart of the club.
Hooker
Greg Conescu
”Turtle.” The premier Australian hooker of the mid-80s and established his reputation with the Dolphins from 1985 to 1987 before becoming an inaugural Bronco.
Prop
Petero Civoniceva
Redcliffe junior and legendary Kangaroo front-rower. Played the bulk of his career for the Broncos but you can’t argue with who claims him as a junior.
Second-Row
Bryan Niebling
A local product and one of the most feared “enforcers” in history during his stint from 1984 to 1987, during which time he became a Maroons and Kangaroos regular.
Second-Row
Wally Fullerton-Smith
A defensive powerhouse who specialised in bone-rattling tackles. His stint from 1980 to 1986 also saw him reach state and national honours.
Lock
Michael Crocker
Redcliffe junior. A winner who brought “agitation” to an art form. Made 204 NRL appearances as well as 13 Origins for Queensland and six Tests.
Bench
Dane Carlaw
Redcliffe junior who became a Broncos weapon in the backrow. Incredible athleticism for a big man; 6 Tests for Australia.
David Shillington
Another giant from the Redcliffe nursery who led the Aussie pack.
Tony Currie
A versatile outside back/centre and local legend with seven Australian caps.
Troy Lindsay
The Wildcard. He never played for Australia, but you cannot have a “Best Ever” Redcliffe side without the man who played 270 games for them.
Honourable mentions
Tony Obst
A Rothmans Medal winner (1980) and a fierce Dolphins back-rower.
Ian Thinee
A Redcliffe legend known for his incredible work rate and ball-playing.
Adam Mogg
A Q-Cup star who famously transitioned to Origin heroics.
Dave Brown
A dominant 1980s forward and Australian representative.
Bob Gehrke
A versatile and rugged 1950s forward, Gehrke was a cornerstone of Redcliffe’s early success and earned selection for Australia during the 1954 World Cup.
Brad Tessmann
A towering front-rower who came through the Dolphins’ system, Tessmann was a feared enforcer who represented both Queensland and Australia in the early 1980s.
Dave Trewhella
A tough-tackling hooker and Redcliffe local, Trewhella rose through the ranks to play for the Kangaroos in 1988 before a successful career in the Sydney premiership.
Greg Oliphant
A clever and gritty halfback, Oliphant was a key figure for the Dolphins in the late 70s and earned two Test caps for Australia during the 1978 Kangaroo Tour.
Jamayne Isaako
The NRL club’s first pointscoring superstar; record-breaking goal-kicker in the inaugural season.
Kotoni Staggs
Played for Redcliffe in the Q-Cup as a teen. A physical powerhouse with genuine X-factor. “I’ve got a lot of respect for the Redcliffe Dolphins and for them giving me the opportunity to start off with when I first came to Brisbane,” he said in 2023.
GREATEST BRONCOS TEAM
Fullback
Darren Lockyer (C)
The most capped Kangaroo in history who also rewrote all sorts of Broncos records across a glittering career. Could also be picked at five-eighth.
Winger
Wendell Sailor
The prototype for the modern power-winger. Was a major factor in the team’s success through the late 1990s to early 2000s.
Centre
Steve Renouf
Pure speed and grace. The greatest finisher in Brisbane history.
Centre
Justin Hodges
Unrivalled footwork and competitive “nastiness.” Had two stints at the club and drove the team to the 2006 premiership.
Winger
Michael Hancock
The workhorse who defined the early Broncos’ grit. Finished with 120 tries and was renowned for his wholehearted performances.
Five-Eighth
Wally Lewis
“The King.” The man the statue is built for. While his time at the Broncos was short he set the early benchmarks. Narrowly pips Kevin Walters.
Halfback
Allan Langer
The master of the short-kicking game and the support play. Probably the easiest selection for either side.
Prop
Shane Webcke
The toughest prop of the NRL era, Webcke bowed out after the 2006 decider and left a giant void for future forwards.
Hooker
Kerrod Walters
A lightning-fast dummy-half who revolutionised the role. Would have played a lot more rep footy if not for his brother Steve.
Prop
Glenn Lazarus
Five premierships across three different clubs. What else needs to be said: he’s a winner.
Second-Row
Gorden Tallis
“The Raging Bull.” A human wrecking ball … evidently on and off the field.
Second-Row
Brad Thorn
A dual-code legend and a mountain of muscle. The fact he was rated in the top five best Broncos ever by fans says a lot.
Lock
Corey Parker
The ultimate professional and tireless worker who morphed from metre-maker to offloading machine.
Bench
Kevin Walters
The ultimate clutch player off the bench or in the halves.
Payne Haas
The modern freak who averages 180m+ per game.
Sam Thaiday
A club icon who led with passion for 300+ games.
Tonie Carroll
A frightening, human sledgehammer. Others may have stolen more limelight but Carroll was the shadowy enforcer no premiership challenge can do without.
Honourable mentions
Petero Civoniceva
Possibly the unluckiest player to miss out, oddly he gets a run in the Dolphins side. Made of cement and was the perfect foil for Webcke.
Reece Walsh
The X-factor who can turn a game in one play.
Darius Boyd
Amassed 206 games for the Broncos. Won a Brisbane premiership in 2006 as a 19-year-old and in his second coming at Red Hill, he unseated Billy Slater as Queensland and Australia’s No. 1 in 2016.
Matt Gillett
The Bribie Island junior punched well above his weight in the back row. Dally M rookie of the year in 2010 and was named second-rower of the year as he helped Australia to World Cup glory in 2017.
Alex Glenn
No man eked more out of his body than Glenn the Gladiator to become a Broncos legend.
Shaun Berrigan
‘Berro’ was as cunning as a fox, tough as nails and arguably the most versatile player in Broncos history.
Gene Miles
Captained the club and was a hero to many including a young Gorden Tallis. Brought big-name gravitas to the Broncos as a key early signing when the club opened its doors.
Andrew Gee
The flint-hard prop was a bricks-and-mortar man of the Broncos pack throughout the 1990s in a 255-match career that spanned a remarkable 13 years.
Originally published as Broncos v Dolphins: All-time greatest teams revealed for ultimate Queensland derby
