Terry Reader Interview | Dolphins CEO Discusses Warriors v Dolphins Final

0:00Celebrate Fathers Day with sensational savings on big brand fragrances. Like Atari Forever wanted absolute 100 mil per film now 169.99.75. Or Emporio Marni Strungle with you 100 mil EDP only 149.99.76. Gemma Stwares House, the real house of fragrances. Welcome back, it's been bullet proof in the last few weeks of the NRL as the dolphins. They are on absolute fire. I think it's a seven-match winning streak. We've just caught up with the boss of the Warriors now. It's time to catch up with their chief executive. His name is Terry Reader and he's been good enough to join us on the line. Terry, thanks so much for chatting to us. How are you? Very good. Thank you. I think you haven't. No worries. Thank you for joining us. Look, it is a massive game for Warriors followers and for their fans. But I feel like it's huge for you guys for a number of reasons. Obviously, the playoffs themselves are always big. But how significant for your club to be in this competition, to be in the finals in just your fourth season? No, it is a big occasion, but this occasion is even big because it's

1:01obviously top four and the prize on offer, having a home pre-limb, doesn't get any bigger than that. But in all honesty, we've probably a bit disappointed we haven't played finals the previous two years. We've finished one game short in both 24 and 25. So we expect to be playing finals this year. And we're probably more disappointed last year in the year before. But no, we get in the top four. You put yourself in a really good position in the prize on offer for either the Warriors or Dolphins. It doesn't get any bigger because if you wake off and hosting your grand final qualifying at home, doesn't get much bigger. Terry, I thought the way that you guys enter the NRR was awesome with the dawn of the dolphins and Ryza the Dolphins documentary series. And like I said, this is your fourth year and you've made the playoffs. Do you feel like you're behind scheduling terms of making the playoffs? Or was this part of the five-year plan? No, like what you said before, it's just the way we set the team up and what we did. And if you look at how we set our whole club up and you'd mentioned the dawn of the dolphins

2:01and that docker was really successful for us. And a lot of ways we skew higher to a younger demographic over here of fans. And also to a female fan, we skewed nearly 20% higher in our member base to females. And a lot of that has to do with the dawn. Yeah, he helps. He's a, that certainly helps a lot. But you know, the docker was a wonderful thing to bring people in. And it's sort of what happened is we probably didn't know the power of how powerful was going to be and what stand did and putting that to the air and the promotion behind it. But people felt personally invest in the club. And you know, I know a lot of my mates and they're wise. We weren't really big rugby league watches, but they watched the dawn of the dolphins. And they're massive dolphins fans, because they feel personally invested. They watch the trials, the tribulations. They saw the, and in a lot of cases, people saw the human side of weighing a bit more. And in terms of what he's really like, which is nothing like what you see in the media. And I think people really enjoyed that. And you know, and then we've obviously what's come in.

3:02And remember, we went into winner game. You know, it was terrible, squad terrible, this terrible that, you know, we won the first three games in our existence. And then went into that battle of the Brisbane, which is the biggest club game rugby league in the world. That's 50,000 each time. And we were only undefeated sides. We couldn't have scripted any better in the docker drop for those first four weeks. So we couldn't have scripted any better. And even people say, oh, we could have. We could have beat the Broncos and gone for and a row. And one that first game, but I actually think the way it turned out, probably galvanised our city even more that night. And when you saw when Katani was on its outhouse and all that sort of stuff, it probably created a rivalry and a hatred bigger than we probably expected straightaway. So, you know, it's funny, it sounds it's probably made our fan base a bit more galvanised from that opening battle of Brisbane. Well, you mentioned the youth that you've kind of got following your side. What else have you done to get that side of your fan base involved?

4:04How have you got the youngsters to follow the dolphins? Yeah, well, if you look at our brand and obviously you've based over there in New Zealand, but over here, we're a bit more, if you look at our voice on social media, and our brand, you know, fins up. I look at the, up the wires, how big that was a couple of years ago, but fins up in 23 probably become the biggest catch-crying Australian sport, actually. And we never envisaged that becoming so big. If you look at how we do try ourselves for now, voice on social media, we don't take ourselves so seriously, we have fun, our brands, you know, a bit more youthful, fun, fins up, red, the way we do everything, very different to our, you know, friends down the road as well, the Bronx, who are a lot more of a corporate brand, where, you know, we have a bit more fun and a bit more personal with how we set our brand about, and I think that's certainly played a big part in that. Well, Terry, you say you don't know how the rivalry got so big, you see? The Broncos are a manufactured expansion side. I wanted to get your thoughts on what makes the Stolfen's brand special to the region,

5:10because I always wondered why the red cliff name didn't come through to the NRL level, and I just wanted to, if, sorry, I wondered if you could shed a little light on that. Yeah, I can now, red cliffs is suburb of 8,000 people in the north of Brisbane, more than Bay Area, so, you know, we're a second Brisbane side, and, you know, the two Brisbane sides are the two biggest in the NRL. We've got the biggest, their number one in membership, their number one in crowds, and their number, and we're number two in crowds and membership as well. So, it's a lot more than just a team in red cliff, and very proud that's where we're based, like the Broncos are based in Red Hill, it's a second Brisbane side, and, you know, over 75% of our members come from outside the Morton Bay region, so, the other part of it, which probably people don't know, has said this a lot during the stubble. We weren't allowed to be called Red Cliff, even if we wanted to, because the curl have different rules around affiliations, and what we call a nuclear side, which you can't have in the Queensland Cup.

6:12So, we've got three teams, we've got our Red Cliff dolphins, we've got the North Devils, and we've got the CQ Capras. So, that actually decision was taken away from us, and the Interol actually wanted us just to be the dolphins, that's what we have no name. But we're, you know, proudly based in Red Cliff, but very much the second Brisbane team, and Stunkwoolp's our home ground, we're average nearly 30,000 for every game, so, certainly, a Brisbane side, and certainly very proud of it. Yeah, outstanding. Just around that Red Cliff side of thing and tying it into the Worry, is there obviously spent time over in Red Cliff, just before you guys came into the comp around that COVID time? Is there a feeling around the Red Cliff fraternity that there's a bit of love for the Warriors considering how long they spent there in that season that they did spend over there? What's this game going to be like in that regard? Well, that's a very good point, actually, and I think what you'll find is, and I've heard this a lot, I think the two, if you're not a fan of the other six clubs fighting out, the two clubs I

7:14hear most, that people want to see when are the dolphins all the way. So, we had to play each other and separate on the other side of the drawing, who knows? We could have a grand final, that means we'll be separated and have a chance to plan each other and go and final as well. So, but no, you're right, and I'm talking about when you're based here in 22, you're in COVID, and it has, we've got an obviously a strong relationship with the guys of the Warriors, got a good relationship with Cam and Rob Owen. The time here actually was really good for us, we're in the transition year, building things in 2022 ready for our first season in 23, and the Warriors being here, made us have a look at a few things we need to get right and get ready to welcome our full-time squad the year after. So, now we've certainly got an affiliation with the Warriors and look forward to the weekend. And I think the other part is, if you look at our dolphin squad and even from day one, and still a little look at where we're now, we've got many Kiwis in our side and they've got a close association with New Zealand. So,

8:15I know it'll be a sea of blue, but I'm hoping there's a sprinkling of red still there to support our boys there on at Mount Smite on Saturday night. It's funny, you mentioned the relationship with Cam George, we just had him on the show and he said, quote, you have too much money, can you lean some to them if you like? Do you want to lean some to the Warriors? I wish I had a heard, I could have had a good few rebuttals or if you think Cam, Cam, come out with, but no, no, they're a great group of people of the Warriors both on and off the field. So, now we've got a good relationship with them and looking forward to getting over there. And I've got no doubting it'll be heaving and I'm still hoping the fins are up, but it'll be a wonderful occasion and a big game and as we said before, the prize doesn't get any bigger if you get through week one and get the win, you know, get the week off and you're hosting Grand Final Qualifier at your home grand and that's what the Warriors will be trying to do and certainly will the dolphins will be trying to do when we get there on Saturday. Yeah, I wanted to ask you

9:18Terry about, well, what is the feeling like in the camp? Obviously, you can't substitute experience in finals football and I know some of the squad have played finals footy at other clubs, but what's the feeling on ground with the dolphins? Was it a bit of a chore to come over to New Zealand or as the belief just rock solid? No, not at all and you know, I've heard, you know, a lot of people and different punnets talking about experience in finals and where teams and how much they've got, but you know, we've obviously went over and won in New Zealand last year and we had a wonderful game in our Anzac Day in Wellington where we fought out and lost by two points and obviously we beat the Warriors here in Brisbane by two points at Suncorp as well. So they've been tight tussles, but we have been able to go over and win in New Zealand. So we certainly hold no fear, but we also know that it's going to be a tough task in their obviously very good side, especially at especially at home and they'll have the whole country behind them. So but in terms of experience, what your member is, we might have a lot, we might be the first time we've played finals,

10:21we're guys in our team that have won premierships, guys that have played in Grand Finals and we've also got the biggest representation and origin this year. Us and the Roosters were seven. So we've got plenty of our team that have played, it played a big game. So, you know, they're excited and go over New Zealand being part of that atmosphere. That's what finals are about. I know our boys are excited, but. And just lastly, Terry, you're head across here in some really good form, as I say, that winning streak. What do you think has been working so well for the side? What's Christian Wolf been doing well and what are the players brought to the last few weeks that you think will help you win this weekend? Yeah, that's another thing people obviously got going to say. You know, we've been on the seven seven, we've won seven row after we have the slip up against the sharks seven weeks ago and but you know, the winning momentum and form is important. And as I said, you and I think the Warriors are in the same boat. I think they're not

11:22in terms of a bit of a winning streak. I think they're six or something. I think someone's telling me coming in this as well. So we're both in good form and both have a wonderful rivalry where, you know, we've played out some thrillers. We've had you, you've already played Golden Points and separate most games has been separated by two or four points. So over the years, so that I've got I've got no doubt. We'll see a similar, a similar thing on the weekend and you know, we're just hoping at the end of it, the fins are up. So right, well, very good best of luck to you, mate. Thank you so much for joining us. It's great to be able to have you on the show. Thank you. Pleasure, Terry. Thanks, mate. No, no, thank you very much guys and last but not least, fins up. Thank you. We missed it the first time. Up the last, mate. Good on you, Terry. Thank you, Terry. Ray to the Chief Executive of the Dolphins.