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NRL 2022

The first signing for the Dolphins shows club has eye on long game

For all the talk about Kalyn Ponga and Cameron Munster joining Wayne Bennett at the Dolphins, little-known Harrison Graham will go down in club history as the first player signed for the NRL's new franchise.

The 20-year-old junior Queensland Origin hooker is regarded as one of the best up-and-coming No.9's in the game, but has the ability to play lock forward like Melbourne's Brandon Smith.

20-year-old Harrison Graham will go down as the first signing in Dolphins history. Credit:Getty

Graham has been signed on a development contract with the Dolphins with the potential to be upgraded if he is ready for the NRL by the 2023 season. He also has a train-and-trial contract with the Broncos for the upcoming pre-season and could be picked up by Brisbane for 2022.

Graham put himself on the map earlier in the year with a barnstorming performance for Queensland Cup team Wynnum-Manly in round two of the Hastings Deering Colts competition, scoring three tries and setting up several others on his way to man of the match honours.

Graham was only 17 when he represented the Maroons in the under 18's State of Origin game played at Suncorp Stadium in 2019, flogging NSW 34-12 on home soil.

Graham came off the bench in a team that included Cowboys winger Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow, Warriors fullback Reece Walsh, Sydney Roosters halfback Sam Walker, Broncos fullback Tesi Niu, Melbourne recruit Xavier Coates and Wests Tigers hooker Jake Simpkin.

Last week Dolphins recruitment guru Peter O'Sullivan declared he wasn't fazed about not signing a marquee player as the team's first recruit, desperate to make some astute value-for-money purchases while they negotiate with a high-profile scalp for the 2023 season.

"A lot of people are going to want to know who is going to play there before they sign, so we need to have a couple of higher end signings, but at the same time every spot from 1-30 is just as important as the other," O'Sullivan told the Herald last week.

"Patience is going to be a big factor here. Everyone wants us to come out swinging, but the CEO, coach and myself are all on side about going slowly to get it right. If we need to be a bit patient to get the right players, we will. I met with a young guy yesterday and said you could be our first signing. When and where they fall into place is irrelevant. It's about the quality.

"A salary cap model that's done well has strong value players in it. The players we're looking at down the bottom end of the payment scale are just as important as the top. If we sign a few boys now, whose value increases over the year, we've already got those value money players."

Graham was born in Lismore in NSW but is eligible to represent Queensland having completed his higher school education at Iona College in Brisbane.

The Dolphins are in the market for a marquee player and are expected to target Ponga.