EXCLUSIVE: Dolphins Secure One of Australia’s Most Promising Juniors Against Competitors

A promising young talent from the Dolphins academy, hailed as one of Australia’s finest junior back-rowers, has opted to reject substantial interest from rival clubs and is poised to extend his commitment to the Redcliffe franchise.

Sources from Wide World of Sports have disclosed that Brian Pouniu, a 17-year-old back-rower and member of the Queensland Maroons’ under-19 emerging squad, has agreed to a new contract with the Dolphins. He is expected to formalise this agreement over the coming weeks for a two to three-year term.

Pouniu’s current contract with the Dolphins concludes at the end of this season; however, he will re-sign in a capacity that starts as a development player, transitioning into the club’s top 30 by the end of the term, as revealed by an anonymous source to Wide World of Sports.

In 2023, News Corp featured Pouniu in a list of 30 of Queensland’s most gifted junior players, underscoring his considerable talent.

In 2024, this emerging star captained the Dolphins to a grand final victory over the Townsville Blackhawks, securing a 24-10 win in the under-16 Cyril Connell Cup, an event managed by the Queensland Rugby League (QRL).

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In the recent Mal Meninga Cup grand final, an under-18 QRL competition, he represented the Dolphins in a narrow 18-14 defeat against the Burleigh Bears.

Pouniu, who will celebrate his 18th birthday in October, is recognised for his unwavering dedication and impressive rugby league intelligence. He has shown his versatility by excelling as a second-rower, lock, and centre throughout his teenage years.

He also serves as a school captain and is a high-achieving Year 12 student at St Eugene College in Burpengary.

A three-year contract would secure Pouniu’s future with the Dolphins until the conclusion of 2028, by which time the NRL is set to expand to a 19-team competition with the introduction of the Perth Bears and a Papua New Guinean team.