NRL 2025: When every club returns to pre-season training

While some clubs are getting stuck into pre-season training early, a host of players may not join their teammates until just before Christmas or in the new year. See when your team gets back into it.

Wests Tigers will be forced to wait until almost Christmas before their new halves combination comes together on the training paddock as they attempt to fight their way out of a fourth straight wooden spoon.

The majority of second-year coach Benji Marshall’s troops return to pre-season training on Monday, including outstanding 2024 rookie Lachlan Galvin.

The 19-year-old is expected to partner their marquee signing, Penrith’s four-time premiership winner Jarome Luai, in the halves next season.

But the pair won’t get a chance to link up until December 21, when Luai is expected on deck following a hectic back end of the season.

When your club returns to pre-season training.

While the Tigers’ season finished two months ago, Luai made it through to another NRL grand final day, and then assumed the captaincy of Samoa in their two-Test series against England in the United Kingdom.

Elsewhere, four new coaches — Brisbane’s Michael Maguire, Parramatta’s Jason Ryles, South Sydney’s Wayne Bennett and the Dolphins’ Kristian Woolf — begin their 2025 campaigns.

See when every club gets back to work below.

BRONCOS

The Michael Maguire era of the Broncos officially kicks off on Monday November 4, with Brisbane’s younger brigade and train-and-trial players reporting for training.

Maguire has a number of players auditioning for contracts, including journeyman Gehamat Shibasaki and Super Rugby convert Glen Vaihu. The more experienced players start to filter back in from November 11 and most will be back on deck before December, including veteran skipper Adam Reynolds.

The likes of Test players Pat Carrigan and Jordan Riki will try to get some training in before Christmas while a host, like Reece Walsh, have already been in the gym for weeks as they look to hit the ground running under Maguire.

Reece Walsh was the first Broncos player to return to training. Picture: Liam Kidston

BULLDOGS

Mark down November 18 in the diary when the Bulldogs return to training en masse, with most of the squad expected to be part of the initial group that coach Cameron Ciraldo will look to take to another finals appearance. The club’s representative players, among them Matt Burton, Viliame Kikau and new recruit Sitili Tupouniua, will return to training a few weeks later.

COWBOYS

The Cowboys made it to the second week of the NRL finals which means they are entitled to the longest break of Queensland’s four clubs. North Queensland players are due to start reporting from November 18, with Manly’s Karl Lawton the highest-profile recruit. The Cowboys have a number of players on Test duty but expect co-captains Tom Dearden and Reuben Cotter to get some training under their belts before Christmas given how dedicated they are.

The Cowboys have a number of players on Test duty but expect the likes of Tom Dearden to return to training before Christmas. Picture: Getty Images

DOLPHINS

New coach Kristian Woolf will kick off his first pre-season as an NRL head coach from November 11. Woolf has been busy on Tonga duty for the Pacific Championships, but has had assistants Nathan Fien and his brother Ben Woolf working behind the scenes. Tigers recruit Junior Tupou will be ready to go along with Dragons flyer Max Feagai, but it will be a couple of weeks before Kulikefu Finefeuiaki (Cowboys) and Daniel Saifiti (Knights) are due after they played finals.

DRAGONS

A host of youngsters have hit the paddock from Saturday, November 2, that includes the likes of Toby and Ryan Couchman, Sione Finau and Lyhkan King-Togia. Their non-representative players trickle back from November 15 with new signings Damien Cook and Valentine Holmes due to arrive a few weeks later.

New Dragons recruits including Damien Cook aren’t expected to return to training until late November. Picture: Getty Images

EELS

New coach Jason Ryles’ pre-season can’t start early enough. However, boom rookie Charlie Guymer and Richard Penisini, younger brother of centre Will Penisini, will be among the first group of Eels players to return to training next week. The more established Eels players resume training from November 11, including Junior Paulo and Dylan Brown. New boys Jack Williams and Isaiah Iongi will filter back after that. Australian halfback Mitch Moses and winger Zac Lomax, another of the new recruits, are due back around Christmas.

KNIGHTS

Newcastle’s youngsters were back into it on Friday November 1, including rugby recruit Taj Annan and some of the other players a week later. Their big-name players, including Kalyn Ponga, Dane Gagai and Jacob Saifiti, will start their pre-season on November 21.

While some Knights have already resumed training, their big name players, including Kalyn Ponga, won’t return until late November. Picture: Getty Images

PANTHERS

Blaize Talagi is expected to get his first taste of life at the four-time premiers on November 28 as he joins the likes of Jack Cole and Mavrik Geyer in kicking off pre-season training. Some of the more experienced players like Mitch Kenny and Liam Martin will be back at club headquarters on December 12, before the representative players – Paul Alamoti, Dylan Edwards and Lindsay Smith – return on January 6.

RABBITOHS

Wayne Bennett’s first pre-season back at Souths ramps up early, with their inexperienced players back on Monday, November 4, with more on Wednesday. But, the main block of South Sydney starters will be in full training by November 18, including star fullback Latrell Mitchell, who is already cutting a slim figure in the off-season. English half Lewis Dodd will start his Australian journey in early December.

Latrell Mitchell won’t return to Rabbitohs training until November 18, but is already in good shape after installing a personal gym in his home. Picture: Supplied

RAIDERS

Parramatta recruit Ethan Sanders and St George Illawarra tackle buster Savelio Tamale will be among the first batch of young players to return to training on Monday, November 4. Eight days later, the likes of Chevy Stewart, Albert Hopoate and Sebastain Kris will return before the big guns start trickling in from November 19.

ROOSTERS

The first batch of young players at the Roosters return to training on November 21. Among their ranks will be rugby union convert Mark Nawaqanitawase, who got a taste of first grade at the end of last season. The likes of James Tedesco and Connor Watson will be back on December 5 before the club’s representative players – Angus Crichton, Victor Radley, Spencer Leniu and co – return on January 6.

Mark Nawaqanitawase will be among the first Roosters to return to pre-season training in late November. Picture: Getty Images

SEA EAGLES

Their first intake of players are back into it on November 21 with the rest of the squad, including PM’s XIII players Reuben Garrick and Luke Brooks, not due back until early December. Veterans Jake Trbojevic and Daly Cherry-Evans will also return in December, while Tom Trbojevic’s pre-season will be delayed due to his Pacific Championships commitment with the Kangaroos.

SHARKS

Despite the Warriors failing to make the finals, marquee signing Addin Fonua-Blake won’t be on deck for Cronulla until just before Christmas due to Tonga’s involvement in the Pacific Championships. The first group of players will hit the ground running on November 22, with the next group back two weeks later.

Sharks recruit Addin Fonua-Blake won’t join his new teammates in Cronulla camp until late December. Picture: NRL Imagery

STORM

Prop Stefano Utoikamanu will look to hit the ground running as he makes his first appearance at Storm training on November 27, alongside young fullback Su’A Faalogo and back-rower Joe Chan. The likes of Nelson Asofa-Solomona, Ryan Papenhuyzen and Cameron Munster are due to return to training on December 11. So too is young half Jonah Pezet, although it is understood he has told the club he would like to come back early as he looks to get up to speed after missing much of last year with a knee injury.

TIGERS

The vast majority of the Tigers squad will return to training on Monday, November 4, including the likes of Lachlan Galvin and Tallyn da Silva. The second batch of players will then return on November 18. Galvin won’t be able to start building his halves combination with Jarome Luai until December 21, when the star recruit headlines the final returning group, that also includes out-of-favour English back-rower, John Bateman.

Lachlan Galvin (right) will return to Tigers training in early November but won’t link up with his new halves partner Jarome Luai (left) until late December.

TITANS

Des Hasler will kick off his second pre-season in charge from November 11. The Titans have finished in the bottom four for three consecutive seasons, which means they’ll have plenty of time on the paddock before Christmas. Parramatta recruit Reagan Campbell-Gillard didn’t play finals and will be on deck early, along with David Fifita, after he underwent ankle surgery. Captain Tino Fa’asuamaleaui has spent the past fortnight in America working on his knee rehabilitation and should be in full training after Christmas while Kieran Foran is still recovering from an ankle operation.

WARRIORS

Marquee recruit James Fisher-Harris isn’t due back until the new year following Penrith’s premiership win, and then representing the Kiwis in the Pacific Championships. The juniors started on Friday November 1 with the rest of the squad trickling back from November 4, when Jett Cleary, the younger brother of Panthers star Nathan, begins his NRL journey.