News
22 October, 2021
Name change a slap in the face for Moreton Bay region
Describing the Dolphins NRL team as ‘unfortunately’ coming from Moreton Bay was ‘a slap in the face’ for the community, says Tony Latter, Councillor for Division 12.
Cr Latter said the Dolphins NRL bid team announced on February 9 it would consult the community on the final name, if it was successful in gaining the new franchise.
“Yes, it is a slap in the face for Moreton Bay,” Cr Latter said.
While the Moreton Bay Regional Council did not have any direct investment in the Dolphins NRL bid, Cr Latter said there were funds allocated to infrastructure projects.
“All levels of government put funds into the stadium and other infrastructure,” he said.
Despite this support, Cr Latter said there was ‘a slip of the tongue’ by Tony Murphy, Dolphins Group CEO Tony Murphy, at a press conference.
“He said in a press conference ‘unfortunately’ the Dolphins came from Moreton Bay, this is not something we are going to take lying down.”
Cr Latter said the NRL franchise was the biggest economic opportunity facing the region, rating it as ‘bigger, possibly’ than the 2032 Olympics.
“One reason this is important is the brand recognition that it will give us, the leverage, to potentially miss out on that branding is damaging.”
The home page on the Dolphins NRL website includes describes the Dolphins as ‘a community club’, as part of a thank you to people for their support during the NRL bid process.
“A huge thanks to the thousands of backers whose dream never wavered and who carried us on your shoulders all the way to the NRL. A community club like the Dolphins would be nothing without our family and the NRL had a keen eye on all of you in making its decision for the Dolphins.”
Despite references to ‘community’, it appears the club is uncertain which community it is referring to in the statement.
Another to add his voice to the naming controversy is Terry Young, Federal MP for Longman, who said in a radio interview it was ‘odd’ for the Moreton Bay name to not be part of the NRL team.
“There was a geographical content, Moreton Bay makes sense to me,” Mr Young said.
