And yes, there is some hyperbole there, because Kodi Nikorima<\/a> isn’t Cameron Munster<\/a>, Nathan Cleary<\/a> or Jahrome Hughes<\/a>, but he certainly is the five-eighth of one of the NRL’s most exciting attacking teams.<\/p>\n And yet, the writing for his future not being at Redcliffe has been on the wall for months, with the club bafflingly deciding to sign George Williams<\/a>.<\/p>\n Maybe in a sign the club aren’t actually that sold on everything going on, George Williams<\/a> hasn’t actually been officially confirmed by the Dolphins<\/a> yet.<\/p>\n When Zero Tackle last contacted the Redcliffe-based outfit, the response we got was along the lines of nothing official, nothing to see here.<\/p>\n Williams has, for what it’s worth, been released at the end of the year by the Warrington Wolves,<\/a> and it’s a surprise the Dolphins<\/a> are yet to confirm the news that he will be joining Isaiya Katoa<\/a> in the halves next year.<\/p>\n Now that Nikorima has officially made his move to the St George Illawarra Dragons<\/a>, it’s clear he wasn’t content to stay around and play second fiddle either.<\/p>\n And that, despite Kristian Woolf’s recent commentary that the Dolphins<\/a> were still working through a contract extension for Nikorima and that they could fit him into the club, is not a surprise.<\/p>\n The 32-year-old New Zealand<\/a> representative has spent plenty of time throughout his career as a bench utility, but now has 238 games under his belt and, during most of his 78 at Redcliffe, has really found a home in the five-eighth role.<\/p>\n You only need to look at the stats to understand that, while he doesn’t get the same credit as the likes of halves partner Katoa, fullback Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow<\/a> or star centre Herbie Farnworth<\/a>, he is a critical cog in the machine that is the NRL’s most lethal attacking engine.<\/p>\n The former Bronco, Warrior and Rabbitoh has already come up with 12 try assists, 3 tries, 3 forced drop outs, 12 offloads and 52 metres per game this year from just 16 appearances.<\/p>\n This, in a team with enough attacking weapons that he could well have found himself playing a role that didn’t get his hands on the ball that often.<\/p>\n The 2026 season he is piecing together, where the Dolphins<\/a> are making a serious play to wind up in the top four, comes on the back of a career-best year in 2025, which saw 8 tries, 19 try assists, 4 forced drop outs, 12 offloads and 62 running metres per game.<\/p>\n Really, his time at the Dolphins<\/a> has been nothing but successful – in fact, in his overall 78-game tenure at the club, he has 64 try assists and 18 tries, putting him at an average of more than 1 try involvement per game.<\/p>\n That is the tippy top of the mountain for offensive production in the NRL<\/a>.<\/p>\n What the Dolphins<\/a> have instead from next season is George Williams<\/a>.<\/p>\n He was a major part of the Raiders in 2020 and 2021, but lasted less than two full seasons in the NRL<\/a>, playing just 32 games.<\/p>\n He is one of the better halves in the Super League<\/a>, but has spent much of this year out injured.<\/p>\n If he was young, and the Dolphins<\/a> were planning for the future, you could make the argument it’s worth doing.<\/p>\n But the simple fact is Nikorima is less than a year older than Williams, so that blows that argument out of the water.<\/p>\n The other head scratcher is that Williams is not a natural five-eighth. He is a halfback.<\/p>\n So too is Katoa.<\/p>\n Teams playing with two number sevens or two number sixes has been done before, so it’s not an impossibility, but it’s hard to imagine Katoa being happy with a shuffle to five-eighth given his status as one of the game’s best halfbacks.<\/p>\n Instead of the free-flowing, natural combination the Dolphins<\/a> have this year, they are going to go to two similar players who could well create a fairly clunky attacking dynamic.<\/p>\n That’s not to say the Dolphins<\/a> won’t be a success – they have excellent firepower all over the park.<\/p>\n![\"Raiders](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/GettyImages-1309366324-scaled.jpg.webp.webp\"\/)
CANBERRA, AUSTRALIA – MARCH 27: George Williams of the Raiders in action during the round three NRL match between the Canberra Raiders and the Warriors at GIO Stadium on March 27, 2021, in Canberra, Australia. (Photo by Mark Nolan\/Getty Images)<\/p>\n![\"BRISBANE,](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/GettyImages-2222580229-scaled.jpg.webp\"\/)
BRISBANE, AUSTRALIA – JUNE 28: Isaiya Katoa of the Dolphins breaks away from the defence during the round 17 NRL match between South Sydney Rabbitohs and Dolphins at Suncorp Stadium, on June 28, 2025, in Brisbane, Australia. (Photo by Bradley Kanaris\/Getty Images)<\/p>\n