In an off-season that saw yet another significant turnover of players, Wallis and Minihan will be the more experienced players in Mark Champion’s 2018 outfit.

Lance Guild is the only other player that remains, but injury will prevent him from taking to the court this weekend.

They hope to make a good first impression as the Dolphins start their Waratah State League division one campaign in Tamworth on Saturday night.

The Dolphins pushed the Thunderbolts all the way in the corresponding fixture last season, going down 87-77.

Minihan is about to start his second season in the men’s division after progressing through the ranks.

“Last year was my first year and I was expecting a physical step up in basketball and that’s what I found,” he said.

“It’s a whole different vibe going from under 18 to men’s which is a big step, but everyone treated each other as family and pushed each other to be their best.”

The 18-year-old admitted there was disappointment among the young brigade after club veterans such as Ryan Adams and Beau Montgomery retired.

“We do have a few new faces and young bodies which brings a completely new game we’ve got to play now,” he said.

“I’m only just turning 19 and it kind of suits the way we play because we’re going to run.”

He admitted expectations this year were unknown and the Dolphins would remain a work in progress.

“We’re still finding out what works best at the moment,” the teenager said.

20-year-old Wallis could soon fit into the veteran class as he starts his third season with the club.

He admitted he was pleased with the improvements he had made over the last couple of years, but there was still plenty to work on.

“I’ve gotten better every season and now know what’s going to happen every week so you can prepare yourself better,” he said.

“Obviously after playing for three years you’re going to have a better idea than one year which helps, but compared to some of the older boys last year it’s still nothing on what they’ve got.”

Wallis knows the impact such a large turnover of players can have on a team’s continuity after he saw it happen two years ago.

“It’s really similar because we had a lot of youth and a few of the older boys,” he said.

“We’ve always had that age gap where the older boys were 28 to 30 years old and the younger ones were 20.

“There’s a good eight year gap so it’s always going to be challenging.”

He admitted the Dolphins are prepared for a challenging season and would still go into most matches expecting to perform.

“It’s going to be a challenging year, but it’s still the same as it has been in previous years,” he said.

“We’re still going to give it our all and who knows, we might even surprise some people.”

Tip off on Saturday is at 6pm at the Tamworth Sports Dome.