In 2020, coinciding with the opening of a new
Moreton Daily Stadium (known commercially as Kayo Stadium from 7 December 2022), the
Redcliffe Dolphins launched a bid on 22 September 2020 for the inclusion of a separate new team in the national competition.
Granting of NRL licence (2021) On 13 October 2021, the 17th NRL licence was granted to the Dolphins after they competed for it against two other consortiums (the Brisbane Firehawks and Brisbane Jets) also linked to existing Queensland Cup clubs.
Wayne Bennett was signed as the NRL team's first head coach. On 26 November 2021, the Dolphins made their first major signing for their 2023 entry, recruiting
Felise Kaufusi from the
Melbourne Storm. Not long after, he was joined by Storm team mates,
Jesse Bromwich (who was named as the Dolphins inaugural team captain in February 2023) and his brother
Kenny Bromwich. Although separately licensed, the Dolphins NRL venture is owned by the Redcliffe Dolphins and is its fully professional spin-off club. In December 2021, it was confirmed that
Queensland Rugby League (QRL) team the
Central Queensland Capras had secured a full affiliation deal with the Dolphins. The Capras and Dolphins deal should see up to six Dolphins NRL players compete for the Capras in the Queensland Cup competition each week. In May 2022, the
PNG Hunters announced a strategic pathways partnership with the Dolphins that includes full NRL pre-season participation for four young Papua New Guinean players, beginning in the
PNGNRL Digicel Cup, through to the PNG Hunters in the QRL state competition and then directly into the Australian NRL system.
Team name The official brand name of the new club team competing in the NRL from 2023 onwards is 'Dolphins'. Although the official company name of the parent club remains the "Redcliffe District Rugby League Football Club Inc" and the name 'Redcliffe Dolphins' was dropped, the old squad still competing separately in the Queensland state competition remains branded as the "Redcliffe Dolphins". The
NRL-bid director for the team (Terry Reader) said in 2021 that they "...had to be careful about how we name it because we don't want to alienate anyone and we want to make sure we have the biggest reach." He added that: "We want to make sure we've got broader appeal and whether that's a more contemporary look and feel, it's because we're a national NRL club and the
Redcliffe Dolphins will remain and play in the
Q-Cup."
Wayne Bennett era (2023–24) On 7 November 2022, pre-season training for 2023 began. Pre-season trial matches were played against the Central Queensland Capras at
Marley Brown Oval in
Gladstone on 4 February 2023 (the Dolphins won 24–8), against the
North Queensland Cowboys at
Barlow Park in
Cairns on 12 February (the Dolphins drew 22–22), and the
Gold Coast Titans on 19 February at Kayo Stadium (the Titans won 40–16). The Dolphins' first NRL match was against the
Sydney Roosters on 5 March 2023 at Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane to honour
rugby league Immortal Arthur Beetson, a former player and coach of both the Redcliffe Dolphins and the Roosters. The Dolphins won 28–18 in front of a crowd of 32,177 fans. Jesse Bromwich captained the side.
Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow scored the Dolphins' first points with a try. Subsequent points were added by
Mark Nicholls (one try),
Connelly Lemuelu (one try) and
Jamayne Isaako (two tries and four conversion goals). The Artie Legacy Medal for player of the match was awarded to Felise Kaufusi. Prior to NRL Round 7 2023, the combined leading try-scorers for the Dolphins were Jamayne Isaako and Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow, both on eight tries. In round 3 of the
2023 NRL season,
Tesi Niu became the first player in the Dolphins NRL history to score a
hat-trick when they defeated the
Newcastle Knights 36–20 at
McDonald Jones Stadium. After winning their first three NRL matches, the Dolphins hosted their first
Battle for Brisbane derby in Round 4 at Suncorp Stadium on Friday 24 March 2023 and were defeated 18–12 by the Brisbane Broncos. In round 8 on 23 April 2023, the Dolphins equalled the greatest comeback in premiership history to defeat the
Gold Coast Titans 28–26 at Suncorp Stadium, after trailing the Titans 26–0 after the first twenty-six minutes. The record for a winning comeback in premiership history dating to 1908 was set in 1998, when the
North Queensland Cowboys went from being down 26–0 to defeating the
Penrith Panthers 36–28 at full-time. In Round 9 of the 2023 NRL season, the Dolphins played its first
golden point game but lost 30–31 to the
Canberra Raiders at McDonalds Park,
Wagga Wagga. The NRL later conceded that match officials missed a crucial knock-on call late in Canberra's golden-point victory when the former regained possession after knocking the ball into the arm of a Dolphins' player. "The NRL's head of football
Graham Annesley said referee Peter Gough was obscured in his view of the knock on, but the sideline officials should have pulled the play up." Nevertheless, Annesley advised that no policy changes could be considered until the current season is over. In Round 13 of the 2023 NRL season, an illegal try on the seventh tackle of a set was awarded to the
St. George Illawarra Dragons in their 26–12 loss to the Dolphins at
Kayo Stadium; the decision would not have been overturned even if the Dolphins had lost the game. By the end of the Dolphins' inaugural season, goal-kicking winger
Jamayne Isaako recorded both the highest number of NRL tries and points in the 2023 competition; a feat last achieved by
Canberra Raiders goal-kicking
Mal Meninga in 1990. At the Dolphins' Inaugural Presentation Ball held at
Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre in September 2023, Isaako was awarded the Arthur Beetson Medal Player of the Year as well as the Best Back, the Most Consistent, and the Players' Player awards. In round 15 of the
2024 NRL season, the Dolphins achieved their first-ever win in Sydney when they defeated the
Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks 30–28 at
PointsBet Stadium. After three previous defeats to the Brisbane Broncos, the Dolphins won the
Battle for Brisbane derby 40–6 in round 26 on 31 August 2024 at Suncorp Stadium.
Kristian Woolf era (2025–) (2025–) In
2025, former assistant coach
Kristian Woolf succeeded Wayne Bennett as head coach. Woolf's first win was in round 5 against the
Gold Coast Titans at
Cbus Super Stadium. In round 11 against the
New Zealand Warriors at
Suncorp Stadium, referee Peter Gough called "play on" after New Zealand looked to have spilt the ball forward; the next play resulted in a converted try worth six points., the Dolphins going on to lose the match by four points. The following week at
Accor Stadium, the Dolphins achieved their first ever victory over the
Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs, 44–8. Consequently, the Dolphins had recorded wins against every team since entering the NRL competition in 2023. In round 14, the Dolphins recorded their largest win by defeating the
St George Illawarra Dragons 56–6. This largest winning margin was increased to 58–4 against the
North Queensland Cowboys in round 15. This marked their third consecutive large victory margin win for a combined 158 points in just three rounds. Despite finishing the 2025 season in ninth place and missing the finals, the Dolphins scored the most points (721) of any team in the competition.
2026 ladder File:Dolphin NRL red flares at Suncorp Stadium.jpg|Dolphins flares at Suncorp Stadium File:Dolphins NRl supporters fin headwear.jpg|Dolphins supporters' fin headwear File:Emblematic fins on heads.jpg|Emblematic dolphin fins on supporters' heads File:Dolphins NRL jersey on Suncorp field.jpg|Dolphins NRL jersey on Suncorp Stadium field File:New Zealand Warriors vs Dolphins (2).jpg|Dolphins playing away to the
Warriors on
Anzac Day 2026 ==Name and colours==