The final say: Pitama chasing premiership legacy
Sheldon Pitama understands better than most the opportunity that lies ahead this afternoon.
With the 2026 Hostplus Cup premiership on the line, the Redcliffe Dolphins captain knows it is not just about a trophy or personal accolades or the reward for a long season of hard work.
For Pitama and his squad of men today, it’s about being recorded among the best in the Dolphins’ history books. It’s about being remembered.
“There’s an opportunity for our squad specifically to leave a legacy at the club,” Pitama said ahead of today’s grand final showdown against the Sunshine Coast Falcons.
“Every time there is a grand final win, there’s a squad that’s remembered. There’s flags up in the gym from the ‘90s up until 2018. Every time you walk into the gym you see and you know those names.
“If you don’t win – whether you come second or you come 16th in our comp – you’re not really remembered or nothing is left as a legacy for that year.
“We’ve got an opportunity to create that for ourselves because as soon as the next year comes around, it’s a completely new squad and a new feel.”
The 30-year-old said the legacies of those who have come before him are woven into the fabric that is the Dolphins today.
Under CEO Tommy Butterfield – a former player himself – and coach Dave Elliott, the playing group this season have been made very aware of the history that precedes them and of the types of players who have pulled on the red and white.
“I’ve been at the club for 10 seasons now and the coaching staff and Butters, they’ve done a really good job helping our team and our squad understand what we’re actually playing for,” he said.
“What the club stands for, the history of the club, the people who have worn the jersey before us.
“As soon as we got to pre-season, we’ve had (past players) come in and it’s been drilled into us what this team and what the club actually stands for. It’s so important when there’s rich history at the club, as a player, to know and understand what that looks like… every time you put the jersey on, it holds more importance to you.
“It’s more than just going out and playing because you like the game of rugby league. We’re representing a lot more than that.
“We had a camp in the pre-season where we came up with team core values, team goals and there’s been alignment from that camp onwards. Everyone has upheld those standards that we’ve set for ourselves.
“A lot of those were set by looking back at the history of the club and what it stood for.”
Pitama himself has played over 150 games in the Hostplus Cup – all for the Dolphins – but is yet to taste premiership victory.
He was part of the 2018 winning squad but did not get to feature on grand final day. He was then starting lock in the 2024 premiership decider, but heartbreakingly lost 34-20 to the Norths Devils.
Since being crowned skipper at the start of this season, Pitama has been very clear that he wants to win that elusive premiership and now he is just 80 minutes away from that possibility, from creating that history.
“Winning it would mean that I have a year in my career that becomes very memorable,” he said.
“When you’ve played at a club for as long as I have, when you don’t win the comp or you’re not part of the winning team… all the years just mash into one.
“The difference between 2023 and ‘24 for me, it’s all just mashed into one. When you win a comp, you know for the rest of your life that in 2026, this is what the year looked like, this is exactly who we beat in the grand final, we won the comp that year. That year won’t get mashed into the other ones.
“It’s a left legacy for myself that will be at the club forever.”
To achieve all this, the Dolphins know they have a massive task ahead.
The Falcons were this year’s minor premiers and Pitama is expecting them to come to Kayo Stadium today with a “high level of intensity and high level of energy”.
“They have a team that get around each other. I know they work hard,” he said.
But for Redcliffe, they are trying to keep the focus internal as much as possible. They have trained as per normal, kept the conversations light and the goals simple.
Every man is to do their job and the result should then take care of itself.
“Both teams will have to match fire with fire otherwise you’ll get left behind,” Pitama said of today’s contest.
“Anything can happen in a game of rugby league, I understand that. But we have an element of control over the result.
“The expectations have been discussed and as an individual you have to know and do your job and do your role within the squad. We’re all a link in a chain and if we all do that, if we’re all performing at a seven or eight out of 10, we should walk away with the result.”