Trai Fuller poised to play fullback

With Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow sidelined with a hamstring injury, local fan favourite Trai Fuller looks poised to play fullback for the Dolphins NRL side against the Eels on the weekend.

Captain Jesse Bromwich is looking forward to seeing Fuller in action when they play round seven in Darwin on Friday (8pm kick-off).

“He managed to get a game last year and did a really good job but he’s been around the QCup for a while now. He’s been one of their best players in the Dolphins’ QCup team for a couple of years now,” Bromwich says.

“What I like about him is he’s only a small guy but he’s really tough. He runs hard, he hits the gaps really hard, he’s got a knack of finding the try line and breaking the line.

“He’s a really good player. I’m excited for him. It’s gutting to have Hammer out. He’s one of our best players and one of the best players in the comp. On the other side of that, I’m happy for Trai.”

Bromwich says the team has been hit hard by injury just six rounds into the season.

“For us, we’ve got to roll on, keep moving forward. The thing about this year, I think, we’ve got better depth than last year. It will be a big challenge to us moving forward but one that we’re looking forward to,” he says.

The leadership group is keeping spirits up in the squad by staying positive and encouraging younger players stepping up to play NRL.

“They come into the team, they’re excited, they bring energy with them. For us older guys, that’s exciting. I get excited about young guys coming in and fulfilling their dreams and doing their best,” he says.

As he prepares to play his 300^th game on the weekend – the first prop to achieve the milestone – he remembers how that feels.

“I’m really proud to be able to do that (play 300 games) but it’s probably something that I’ll look back on when I’m a bit older … probably cherish that a bit more,” he says.

“It’s really nice to get these personal accolades, records or whatever they are but I could never do it without having a good team around me … all the coaches I’ve had in the past and all the players and certainly when you get to this age, all the medical staff. They keep me on the field.”

The 34-year-old is enjoying his footy, being with the squad and being coached by Wayne.

He’s keen to make the most of his last year in the competition, including his first trip to Darwin.

The Bureau of Meteorology is forecasting fine weather with a maximum of 34 degrees and a minimum of26 degrees.

Bromwich believes his side will be able to deal with the heat after sweltering through preseason at Redcliffe.

“It will be good to get up there and see how big rugby league is up there,” he says.