Coach’s Corner: David Stagg
As season 2026 continues to get underway, the coaches of the Redcliffe Dolphins’ Hostplus Cup, BRL and junior representative teams will share insight into their squads and expectations for the year ahead.
In this edition of Coach’s Corner, Mal Meninga Cup coach David Stagg gives insight into the expectations he has of his squad, as they aim to go one better than their 2025 campaign.
Coaching history
Stagg – who played for the Redcliffe Dolphins in the Queensland Cup in the 2000s, including in the 2002 premiership-winning side – retired from playing 10 years ago but has remained heavily involved in rugby league since.
From working in game development, including within the Dolphins Academy, to coaching junior rugby league teams, Stagg has taken the leap into junior representatives this year to guide the Mal Meninga Cup squad through the 2026 season.
How are you feeling ahead of the 2026 season?
David: Excited. I guess if you’re not excited at the start of any season, whether you’re a player or a coach, you’re probably in the wrong game. But from my point-of-view, I’m excited just to see where the players are at. Obviously, they’ve worked really hard over the pre-season. Yes, it’s been a little disrupted, just with the nature of the level of footy we’re playing, with people bouncing in and bouncing out. But they’ve worked really hard, they’ve been keen to listen and learn, and I’m just excited to see what they can produce come Round 1.
How is the squad shaping up?
D: Numbers have always been good. All I have asked for is they’ve wanted to better themselves and have a really good attitude when they come to training every day. It does become a bit of a drag a different stages… there are times there where you get into a bit of a monotonous routine but they’ve been really good with it. They’ve attacked everything we’ve asked them to do and that’s all we can ask as a coaching staff.
What are your goals for the team this year?
D: As a group, we haven’t really spoken about that just yet, just because of the dynamics of where the team is at. But there’s been a real emphasis on competing on every play. And I know that sounds a bit boring and I guess a stereotypical response, but it really is. It’s something that everyone talks about, but the real challenge is being able to do it consistently for 70 minutes every week. We’ll know in probably about three or four weeks into the season whether that’s something as coaching staff we’ve given the right resources and environment for them to be able to do that. The challenge for them is obviously to be able to do that. It’s really hard, it’s not easy.
What is your coaching philosophy?
D: A really big part of it is enjoying what you do. I think sometimes, especially when we get to this level of football, we can lose track of why we started playing in the first place. That was something I was very clear about from the get-go. Of course you’re going to work hard, but sometimes the definition of what someone thinks is working hard to someone else’s can be different. That’s a challenge that we want to put to them. But, yes, enjoy what you do. Enjoy the challenge every single day of wanting to be better, enjoy wanting to be challenged, of being put into places that you’re not comfortable with. So, I guess if you’re talking about philosophy, it’s enjoy what you do. Effort is also really, really important and being accountable for your own actions.
What do you personally hope to get out of the year ahead?
D: I hope that at the end of the season, the players are satisfied with what they’ve done. That’s really what it comes down to. Results will take care of itself. It really is about making sure that we take every single day as an opportunity to get better. If we get to the end of the year and they’ve enjoyed what they’ve done and they feel like, individually, that they’ve succeeded, that they’ve improved, that’s a win in my eyes.