‘Everything I asked for’: Siolo at home with Redcliffe
When Patrice Siolo came to Redcliffe HQ at the end of last year for pre-season, he arrived with a wealth of experience – 62 Queensland Cup matches, 77 NSW Cup games and three NRL appearances.
From the Cronulla Sharks to the South Sydney Rabbitohs to the Sunshine Coast Falcons – and a few more teams sprinkled in between – Siolo had travelled the distance for his career and earned his stripes in a few colours along the way.
But even with that resume, there was a moment for the 32-year-old when he joined the Dolphins that meant as much to him as it did the very first time he played rugby league – the moment he earned his player number, 891.
“I’m really lucky that from the start of pre-season we’ve had former players come in and talk about what the jersey means to them and what their player number means to them,” Siolo said.
“It’s really important to hear… it was huge for me when I got mine.
“I came here for an opportunity and hearing the stories of the former players earning their jersey, it really made me want to get mine.
“I was really lucky with the group I could debut with (in Round 1). It was such a strong, hard-working group of players in their own right – Tevita (Naufahu) and Elijiah (Rasmussen)… there was Riley Price and it’s been great to see him kick on with the Warriors since.
“That was awesome in Round 1. It made it real special to do it with those few other players.”
Six months on and Siolo has gone from Redcliffe Dolphins debutant to playing every game this season to a Hostplus Cup grand final on Saturday.
It is the first grand final he has played in and a major opportunity lies ahead for the forward to achieve a lifelong dream – a premiership victory.
He will come up against his old team in the Falcons, with his move south motivated by a desire to find a fresh start after five seasons on the Sunshine Coast.
“I was originally reaching out (to Redcliffe) for a teammate of mine,” Siolo said.
“After getting in touch with (coach) Dave (Elliott) and giving him a call and expressing an interest in Redcliffe for another player, the opportunity arose for myself to be part of the club as well.
“After talking to Dave and getting to know him a bit better, it was a no-brainer.
“It was the fact that I was able to still learn in this game. I wanted a fresh start in a new environment to challenge myself again. I loved the Falcons and the opportunities I got there, but I wanted to start fresh and mix it with a new group of young, talented and hard-working players.
“Dave didn’t promise me anything at all but he wanted some strong leaders around the club. We touched on what he was aiming for this season and what he was looking for in a player.”
The move has been a blessing for the disciplined Siolo, who – as a former Falcons captain – has been able to step back slightly, lead through his actions, and “let his hair down”.
“It’s been everything I asked for in regards to a new club and fresh start,” he said.
“I’ve been really enjoying the history of the club. It’s hard to make a Cup team, particularly at the Redcliffe Dolphins.”
Siolo knows what he can expect from his former club this Saturday at Kayo Stadium – “a hard-working, organised, ready-to-play football team.”
And while it adds even more excitement for him to come up against his old teammates, his eyes will be firmly on the prize.
“Come game day, there’s no friends,” he said.
“I’m excited about being able to go against them. I’m excited to go against it and to see what we can do.
“For us, it’s about playing to our strengths and not changing too much. Us on our best day is really hard to beat.
“It’s exciting to be in my first grand final with a really cool group of boys that have some big motivations.
“To win it, it would be a massive milestone achieved. I’ve been playing this game since I was a kid.
“I don’t want to put it into words because I like to focus on the now and what’s in front of me. But I can only imagine what it would be like.”
The Hostplus Cup grand final will kick off at 4.10pm at Kayo Stadium.
Tickets are available now via Ticketek, with the Dolphins’ supporter bay in Pods 3 and 4.