Coach’s Corner: Joe Oloapu

As season 2026 draws closer, 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 first edition of Coach’s Corner, Harvey Norman Under 17s coach Joe Oloapu talks about the grit he is trying to instil in his young team and how the new generation of female rugby league players are as skilled as ever.

Coaching history

Joe worked as a strength and conditioning coach with Redcliffe’s Cyril Connell Cup squad for three years – including their championship-winning season in 2024 – and was also head coach of the majority of those players in the under 15s, 16s and 17s at the Dolphins’ community level. He is now in his second year as head coach of the Harvey Norman Under 17s.

How are you feeling ahead of the 2026 season?

Joe: Excited. Really excited. These girls have been playing from when they were seven years old. The next generation coming through are looking more promising as their skill levels are already up to scratch as much as the boys. It’s going to be a lot easier to coach. Now it’s just teaching them how to play at a higher level.

How is your squad shaping up?

J: Really well. There’s a lot of bottom-aged girls. We’ve got 10 top-aged girls that are 17 this year and then the rest out of the 32 are bottom age, turning 16. But there’s a lot of skill. A lot of these girls are playing a lot of rugby league-related sports like touch, OzTag. They’ve got skills and now they just have to learn how to play at the NRL level, NRLW level of rugby league. If we can help them out that way, the more the better.

What are your goals for the team this year?

J: First and foremost, would be development. A lot of them are skilful enough, now they’ve just got to learn how to play at a higher level. Footy is 90 per cent mental and 10 per cent physical. If they can learn how to play that 90 per cent through their heads, they can understand how to look at it from a different point of view, where it’s not always skill level but it’s the grit. If we can teach that, bring in the grit and the fitness as well… then everything else starts to pay off. It’s trying to understand their personalities as well, how they react to certain situations. There’s always ups and downs so it’s trying to make sure that we can keep them on the up and they understand to say calm through bad times – how to fix it on the go instead of worrying about it and letting it get to their minds. That’s pretty much where we’re heading with it.

What is your coaching philosophy?

J: It’s more so just understanding the person before the player. So, understanding how they think to how they react to how they work. We can correct a lot of what they need to then help bring out the best of them.

What do you personally hope to get out of the year ahead?

J: I don’t know about myself, but I’ve always been a people person, just trying to build a community. It’s more trying to help everyone elevate… we all go up together instead of worrying about what I get. Whatever I get out of this is a bonus. It’s mostly trying to help everyone move together at that level. I’ve got a good staff team, everyone’s on board and on the same page, which makes my job a lot easier. Whatever we get out of this is a bonus.

Round 1 of the Harvey Norman Under 17s competition will kick off this weekend, with the Redcliffe Dolphins taking on the Sunshine Coast Falcons on Saturday February 7.

The Dolphins’ first home game will be played on Saturday February 14 against the Norths Devils.

See the full draw here.