Tom Gilbert has revealed he’s been training on the edge – rather than in the middle – in the NRL pre-season, sparking a four-horse battle for two starting spots at the Dolphins. With Connelly Lemuelu, Kulikefu Finefeuiaki and Oryn Keeley all capable of starting in the second row, coach Kristian Woolf has a pretty big problem to solve.
It was thought that Gilbert might push into the middle and play front-row or lock, especially with Max Plath not available for the start of the season. Jeremy Marshall-King is sidelined as well, pushing Kurt Donoghue to hooker and opening up the No.13 role.
Tom Gilbert, Oryn Keeley and Connelly Lemuelu are all vying for starting spots at the Dolphins. Image: AAP/Getty
Some had tipped Gilbert to be the starting lock, but he’s been used as an edge forward in the Dolphins’ pre-season. The former State of Origin player has endured an injury-plagued two seasons, but is a certain starter when fully-fit.
Woolf used Finefeuiaki and Keeley as his starting second-rowers for the most part in 2025, but Lemuelu has declared he wants the spot back after playing the majority of his 20 games off the bench last season. “Back row is my position and I am doing all I can to get that starting spot,” he told AAP this week. “I’ll back myself every day of the week. It is up to me to keep working hard.”
Storm recruit in battle to retain Dolphins starting role
Finefeuiaki started on the edge in all of his 20 NRL games last season, while Keeley was a starter in 14 of his 16 matches. Keeley emerged as one of the breakout players of the competition in 2025, but this season will be his last with the Dolphins before he joins the Melbourne Storm in 2027.
Oryn Keeley is leaving the Dolphins for the Melbourne Storm in 2027.
(Getty Images)
His decision to sign with the Storm will reportedly have no bearing on whether he starts or comes off the bench for the Dolphins in 2026. But Woolf could very easily prioritise the players who aren’t leaving the club.
“With Oryn there is a lot of enthusiasm, and he is quite loud as well. He will be pushing for a spot,” Lemuelu said.
Plath and Marshall-King are expected to be out for at least the first three rounds, while prop Daniel Saifiti is no certainty for the season-opener against the Rabbitohs after surgery last year. English import Morgan Knowles is shaping to be the starting lock if Donoghue is used as the No.9.
with AAP