Woolf hits Redcliffe 50 in must-win match
When Brent Woolf looks back over his 49 games in the Redcliffe Dolphins jersey, there are a number of standout moments.
There was the 2024 preliminary final, where Joshua James kicked a field goal to sink that year’s minor premiers – the Northern Pride – to earn Redcliffe a ticket to the big dance.
There was then, subsequently, the 2024 grand final appearance. While it didn’t result in a premiership, it was one of the biggest highlights of Woolf’s career – a moment the team worked hard for and deserved.
And then there was Sheldon Pitama’s 150th Hostplus Cup game. Played just a fortnight ago, the Dolphins banded together to overcome a slow start and a determined Central Queensland Capras outfit to not only win the qualifying final, but claim victory in their captain’s milestone match.
It’s been an eventful ride for Woolf as he’s worked his way towards his 50th Cup game with the Dolphins, with this season also including an Indigenous All Stars berth and an NRL debut.
But there’s one highlight he is still missing – a Hostplus Cup premiership.
“A grand final win would be awesome,” Woolf says ahead of this Sunday’s preliminary final milestone match against the Burleigh Bears.
“I haven’t ticked that off yet. I’ve been close – prelims for Tweed, a grand final for Redcliffe, but it’s something I haven’t ticked off.
“I’m coming closer to the end of my career. The squad we have this year, there’s not many Hostplus Cup squads with our depth, our ability, our connection.
“It’s my best opportunity to win a grand final with any team I’ve had around me.”
With his eyes set firmly on the prize, Woolf admits he hasn’t thought too much about the milestone that lies ahead for him.
After joining the Dolphins in 2024, the 28-year-old is proud to have been with the club for the past three seasons but says this weekend’s clash at Kayo Stadium is not about him.
“It would be good to win for the 50th but I forgot about it, to be honest,” he says.
“I’ve been solely focused on each game that we have to win and who our next opponent is. I was down (on the Gold Coast) watching Burleigh on Saturday… I was just down there by myself, doing my study. I’m focused on the result.
“They’re going to come up to play. It’s a prelim and versing Redcliffe is always a big game for any team in the competition.
“They know we’re a tough team. They’re going to be fired right up, especially early on. It’ll be a grind for the first 20 or so. We’ll just see who breaks first.
“I had high expectations for us at the start of the year with the squad we had and people in the team. I know Dave (Elliott) is a great coach. But we haven’t fulfilled those expectations as of yet.
“We’ve been good, we’re second (on the ladder), we’re through to the prelim, we have the best attack and defence in the comp.
“We’re everything I thought we could be. We just need to get a grand final win.”
Despite his razor-sharp focus, Woolf admits it is nice to mark a milestone with a club like Redcliffe.
He says it’s a club that is built around good people – something that chairman Bob Jones has always enforced.
And it’s the good people that keep him coming back, year after year.
“It’s a good milestone to hit and it’s good to do it for a club like Redcliffe,” he says.
“It’s showed they’ve had faith in me to be there and do a decent job for a while now. It shows I’ve been loyal to them and they’ve been appreciative of that.
“The resources and quality of player and staff we always have, it just helps being around decent players and people all the time. You really feel that as a player.
“For me, it’s people like (Michael) Walshy – he rehabs me every time I get injured. He got me back from a couple of injuries and he has done his job well.
“I love playing for Dave as well. I’ve known him for a while and he has faith in my ability and he trusts me to do what I need to do for the team.
“Sheldon has been there the whole time as well and having him in your squad, his demeanour and the way he goes about things – his toughness – being around people like that, they make you want to play hard and play for your teammates.”
Woolf and the Dolphins will kick off against the Bears at 2.10pm on Sunday at Kayo Stadium.
The match will also be shown live on Qplus.tv.