Emerald Group Help Redcliffe Develop

IN RECENT times the Redcliffe Dolphins have become quite adept at staking their own territory.

A new logo, a new jersey and a heightened emphasis on the ?Dolphin? are tell-tale signs the club is fiercely marking its own patch of turf.

It could be considered a natural progression then that the club should form an alliance with the leading property developer on the Redcliffe peninsula, Emerald Group.

Announcing a significant three-year sponsorship at Bayswater Apartments today, Redcliffe Chief Executive James Hinchey joined with Emerald Group Executive Chairman Eddy Faress to officially put pen to paper.

The deal links two of the most prominent icons of the peninsula and ensures the Dolphins can remain front-runners from the Queensland Wizard Cup level right down to junior grades.

?This allows us to maintain the standard we are known for,? said Hinchey, a grand finalist in four Queensland Wizard Cup seasons.

?As the State League grows in levels of professionalism, it certainly doesn?t become any cheaper to run the clubs.

?Emerald Group has contributed an amount that would compare very favourably and it allows us to really compete.?

A further two-year option exists on the deal, which would then take the partnership between the Dolphins and Emerald Group through to the end of 2010.

A long-time St George fan, Emerald boss Faress has transferred his passion for the red-and-white to the Dolphins, a club he considers central to the way of life on the peninsula.

?Redcliffe Leagues Club is a true icon out this way and we look forward to a long and healthy relationship,? Faress said.

?We?ve got another seven or eight years worth of development work left in the Redcliffe area - that?s without taking any more on the books.

?It only seems fitting to me that we play our part and get as involved with the local community as we can.?

Describing himself as the ?smallest lock ever? in the old Sydney Police Rugby League, Faress marvels at the talent on disposal at Dolphin Oval.

A new affiliation with the Brisbane Broncos has seen several Dolphins train with the NRL squad ? including Shane Perry, Nick Emmett, Pat Gardner, Danny Green and Kaine Manihera.

Linchpin Perry, 28, has been perilously close to being called up for the Broncos in previous years, given shortages in the club?s halves.

Meanwhile 20-year-old Manihera has joined the Dolphins at the behest of the Broncos, with the young Kiwi viewed as a potential first-grader of the future.