The Dolphins will honour their historic 1965 premiership victory with a special edition jersey when they play their first home game of the year on Saturday.
The Dolphins will face the Wests Tigers at their spiritual home of Kayo Stadium wearing their 2025 heritage jersey which commemorates 60 years since the Redcliffe Dolphins' inaugural BRL premiership in 1965.
Emerging victorious by a score of 15-2 over the Fortitude Valley Diehards in front of 25,309 fans at Lang Park, the Redcliffe Dolphins not only secured their first Brisbane Rugby League premiership but unknowingly played a part in the genesis of what would become the Dolphins NRL six decades later.
Two members of that triumphant Redcliffe side played a significant role in the victory on the 11th of September 1965, as well as the folklore of the Dolphins as a whole.
Arthur Beetson and Kevin Yow Yeh joined Redcliffe in 1964, with the latter being named the Dolphins’ Player of the Year in his first season. In 1965, both young players continued to contribute greatly to the club and their run to the premiership, with Beetson named Player of the Year while making the switch from the centres to the forwards.
In the Grand Final itself, Yow Yeh scored a double, with his first set up by five-eighth John Treeby.
"He was a brilliant footballer, Yowee (Yow Yeh), you know, he had that acceleration,” said Treeby when interviewed about the match in 2022.
"Artie was dangerous when he got rolling. At that stage of his life, he had a lot of potential, but he wasn't one of the stars.”
Treeby remembers 1965 Premiership
Beetson would become the first Indigenous Australian to captain his country in any sport and ultimately would become a Rugby League Immortal.
After the completion of the 1965 season, the NSWRL came knocking, with Balmain paying for the transfer of both Beetson and Yow Yeh. Despite only two seasons with the Dolphins, the sale of the players enabled Redcliffe to build their first-ever clubhouse, further cementing their legacy on the peninsula.
Beetson and Yow Yeh had an immediate impact for Balmain, helping the club finish second on the ladder, and ultimately reach the Grand Final, going down 23-4 to the Minor Premiers St.George.
Yow Yeh would leave Balmain in 1968, while Beetson would play on to be a member of the 1969 Balmain side that won the NSWRL Grand Final despite missing the game due to suspension.
In a poetic meeting of the two NRL clubs born of the Redcliffe and Balmain teams, this weekend's match will prove the perfect platform to honour the past.
The Dolphins will run out in the iconic red jersey with two white chevrons, a direct tribute to the personalities, stories and legends who helped put the Dolphins on the map.
