‘Plenty of people don’t like the Broncos’: Dolphins boss twists knife on struggling Brisbane

The timing may not have been great given his club was just belted 66-0 by Cronulla at Suncorp Stadium.

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But Dolphins CEO Terry Reader has taken an almighty swipe at the Broncos by suggesting the Dolphins are, in fact, the only true ‘Brisbane’ club in the NRL.

Appearing on Channel 9’s QLDER program this week, Reader lit the fuse for what’s sure to be another highly charged Battle of Brisbane in Round 23.

“I’m happy to be here despite what happened last week (against the Sharks),” Reader declared with his club still in 7th place on the NRL ladder and within reach of its first NRL finals appearance while the Broncos — whom he worked with for well over a decade — currently languish in 14th.

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“Our first goal is to get 13 wins to qualify for the finals for the first time, after that top six and you get a home final,” Reader said before the conversation switched to the Dolphin’s off-field strategy and the way it’s been able to so successfully compete with his former employers at Red Hill.

“Plenty of people (in South East Queensland) don’t like the Broncos,” he smiled.

“They’ve grown up hating them because they’ve seen them win everything… they’ve never been able to bring themselves to be a member of the Broncos, but now (in the Dolphins) they have a team they can support.

“That’s been a really big thing, we’ve never been after Broncos fans or members, Brisbane is a big place, but that’s been a real sweet spot for us.”

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Reader then twisted the knife even further.

“The other thing the Broncos don’t like hearing is we actually represent the BRL (Brisbane Rugby League) and the QRL … we are Brisbane’s team,” he said.

“We’re the first team to ascend to the national competition out of the BRL or QRL competition.

“No other team’s ever done that, we’ve got the Broncos, we’ve got manufactured expansion sides, but we’re the first grassroots side to ascend into the NRL.”

And with that a little more petrol was splashed on what is already one of the NRL’s simmering modern rivalries.

The Dolphins and Broncos clash at Suncorp Stadium in NRL Round 23 on Saturday August 8.

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