‘Dolphins have always been home’: Boland primed for BRL finals

Will Boland has tasted grand final glory just once before.

A Redcliffe Dolphins junior, Boland was part of an under 11s outfit that went through the season undefeated, riding the wave of success all the way to the premiership.

And now, 11 years later, the 22-year-old playmaker is determined to earn those accolades once again.

Still proudly donning the red and white after all this time, Boland will this weekend make a bid for the big dance, when the BRL A-grade Dolphins take on the Carina Tigers for a shot at one spot in this year’s grand final.

For Boland, it’s been a bittersweet journey to this point.

There’s been highs and lows and some tough lessons along the way, but it would mean the world to him if he could lock away another premiership with the Dolphins.

“Redcliffe’s always been a good club for me and my development,” Boland said.

“I played Mal Meninga and Colts here… My first competitive years were under 11s where we were undefeated the whole year and took out the premiership.

“That was the last premiership I’ve ever won, though. Hopefully we can resolve that this year.

“The Dolphins have always been a very proud club and I believe that once you’re a Dolphin, you give more to the game.

“You play the way of the Dolphins – good, clean footy, and just hard work and grit.”

After starting with Redcliffe in under 8s, Boland came through the pathways, growing each year until he reached the now defunct Colts level.

Halfway through the 2022 season, he suffered a dislocated shoulder and, in his urgency to return to the field, he took performance-enhancing substances.

As a result, Boland was handed a two-and-a-half-year ban and has only returned to rugby league this season.

It was a no-brainer for him to come back to the Dolphins and his dedication since has been admirable.

On a self-imposed alcohol ban, Boland was handed an opportunity from BRL coach Dunamis Lui and then earned a spot in the broader Hostplus Cup squad.

He played in the 2025 XXXX Chairs Challenge, picking up Player of the Carnival, and achieved a lifelong dream when he made his Cup debut in Round 21 against the Sunshine Coast Falcons.

Helping the BRL team to this year’s minor premiership, there is no denying it’s been a whirlwind for Boland.

But he said his time out of the game taught him a valuable lesson.

And the loyalty shown since by Redcliffe has helped him succeed.

“(The time out) taught me that life’s not all about just footy,” he said.

“There’s other things to life than footy. Playing at that Colts level and that Mal Meninga level, you think that footy’s life… I got injured kind of midway through that season, so I kind of wanted to just get back as fast as possible, which ultimately cost me two-and-a-half years.

“When that happened to me, it really let me focus on work, focus on my relationships and I did a bit of travelling, so that really opened my eyes up.

“Dolphins have always been a good home for me so I always wanted to come back. I was just really fortunate that they gave me the opportunity to come back.

“I thought I was going to have to work my way from Brighton (Roosters), but Dunamis gave me a shot in the A-grade and Eric saw some potential and let me train with him in Cup.

“(My Cup debut) was unreal. I’m very grateful for the opportunity. It just makes me very proud of how far I’ve come.

“How far I’ve come from not playing for two-and-a-half years and then making my debut, which was actually my biggest goal of this year.”

Boland said the time training with the Cup squad has also helped him immensely on the field for the BRL team.

A fullback by trade, he made the switch to the halves this season and has gained plenty of experience and understanding under the tutelage of Eric Smith, providing confidence in his ball-playing abilities and defence.

He said he’s noticed it with his teammates too and believes the flow-on effects also helped the Brighton Roosters take out the minor premiership in the BRL Premier Reserve Grade.

Now this Saturday, the A-grade clash against the Tigers will determine one of the grand final spots.

The loser will get another chance but for Boland and his teammates, the eye is on the big dance.

“It’s obviously a big game,” he said.

“We have a lot of boys going up and playing Cup, which is a good thing. But it’s going to make it a bit harder… we’ve got to make sure we get the job done.

“It’s going to be a hard one, but hopefully we can get over.”

Having one foot in the door will bring Boland closer to earning that second premiership title.

With his first goal this year being a Cup debut, the second was a trophy and he said he’s hopeful all his hard work will pay off soon enough.

“It’d mean the world,” he said of a potential grand final victory.

“This year, I haven’t drunk any alcohol. I’ve been really putting in just so that first drink tastes a lot better when we win the grand final.

“It would mean a lot and you know all that hard work and dedication, it’s going to work, it’s going to pay off.”