Bromwich to goodbye NRL after one last Dolphins campaign

2 years ago - Sportingbase

Inaugural Dolphins captain Jesse Bromwich declares he has “pretty much made my decision” on his NRL career, with the 34-year-old expecting to hang up his boots after this next season.

“It’s looking like I’m going to finish (this year) so I’m really enjoying my last pre-season and really enjoying being an NRL player because I know next year is going to be a bit of a wake-up call,” he told Fox Sports this week.

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This would be Bromwich’s second season as the first Dolphins NRL captain, with many around the club expecting him to only stay in the role for a few years at most.

“I’m just waiting on a few things… but I think I’ve made my decision.”

While everything’s to play for in 2024, it’s unlikely the Dolphins can get over dominant premiership threats like the Panthers. Instead, Wayne Bennett’s outfit will continue building as the comp’s latest expansion team, meaning Bromwich will play out his last two dozen games with leadership and teaching as his top billings.

It’s not like the 34-year-old is walking away without any hardware either; the veteran prop won three titles with the Melbourne Storm over a 295-game run with the southern club between 2010 and 2022.

He also earned 33 international Test caps with New Zealand.

“I know that I’ve got everything I could out of my body,” Bromwich admitted.

“This job [playing in the NRL] takes a lot. I’m more than willing to do it for another year and I still love it but there are other things to enjoy on the other side. I’ve been doing a carpentry apprenticeship for a while now so I’ll probably look to finish that off and jump straight into that after footy.

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He continued: “I think initially I’ll have to get a few things fixed [in regards to old injuries], then after I can move onto the next phase of my life.”

The Sporting Base has heard Tom Gilbert is the most likely candidate to take the skipper’s role, but it will ultimately come down to new coach Kristian Woolf once he takes charge.