NRL trials: Major talking points heading into weekend’s fixtures
ANALYSIS: The major talking points heading into the opening round of trial matches that could potentially shape your team’s season.
NRL
Don't miss out on the headlines from NRL. Followed categories will be added to My News.
IT’S been four long months since the NRL grand final but finally the footy is back.
With reigning premiers Melbourne taking on English champs Leeds in the World Club Challenge, it kicks off a busy weekend with most clubs fielding their biggest names and star recruits.
Here are the major talking points of the weekend that could potentially shape your team’s season.
WORLD CLUB CHALLENGE
STORM V LEEDS RHINOS
8pm AEDT Friday at AAMI Park
Life after Cooper Cronk officially kicks off.
While the Storm went down in a closed hitout against Newcastle last week, Craig Bellamy has pretty much named a full-strength line-up to take on Leeds. And the future is now for young Brodie Croft.
There’s been a little rumour doing the rounds over summer that some of the Storm’s senior players were concerned that Croft was getting ahead of himself and perhaps that’s why Cam Smith was pushing for the club to sign Mitchell Pearce. The chemistry between Croft and Smith will be crucial to the Storm’s hopes of defending their title this year.
WARRIORS V STORM
1pm AEDT (3pm local) Saturday at Rotorua Stadium
Stephen Kearney is resting his big guns for the clash against the Storm’s back-up squad. The Warriors’ only real trial will be against the Titans on the Sunshine Coast next Saturday. New recruit Peta Hiku has been named here.
DRAGONS V HULL
5.30pm AEDT Saturday at ANZ Stadium
Massive interest with star recruits Ben Hunt and James Graham lining up. The Dragons players have raved about Graham’s influence during pre-season and Hunt’s early combination with Gareth Widdop will be closely scrutinised.
Hunt says Paul McGregor wants to change the role he played in Brisbane, playing more first receiver and running the ball.
Meanwhile, Matt Dufty has put on six kilos over summer and now has to hold off Jai Field and Kurt Mann, who also want a crack at fullback.
And keep an eye out for this 18-year-old sensation Zac Lomax, they reckon the young outside back could be the next big thing.
RABBITOHS V WIGAN
7.45pm AEDT Saturday at ANZ Stadium
Stacks of big names missing for the Rabbitohs with Greg Inglis, Dane Gagai, Adam Reynolds, Cody Walker, Sam Burgess, Cam Murray and Angus Crichton not playing. Still, this is the first proper hitout under new coach Anthony Seibold who has promised to deliver a new style of attack this year. While it will be hard to get a fair gauge on where that is at with so many outs, we’ll still see what direction they are heading in.
Damien Cook and Robbie Farah are in a fight for starting hooker, although Farah will play the first half here at halfback, while Alex Johnston wants to impress after his first full pre-season training exclusively at fullback.
Souths keep saying Inglis could eventually take back the No. 1 jumper. But if Johnston delivers you’d think GI would stay playing left centre simply because of reduced workload.
BULLDOGS V RAIDERS
6pm AEDT (5pm local) Saturday at Sunshine Coast Stadium
BULLDOGS: Fans were sick to death of the Des Hasler style of attack and the word is Dean Pay has cut off the shackles and told the boys to have fun and play what they see.
Pay has named a near full-strength team with Aaron Woods the major out.
Kieran Foran will play and from what we’ve been told his training and attitude has been outstanding.
Everyone keeps saying the pressure from outside is on Foran this year.
But from within, there’s just as much on his halves partner Matt Frawley to aim up on that left edge.
The other big change Pay had made was shifting Moses Mbye to fullback and Will Hopoate to right centre, outside Foran.
RAIDERS: With no Josh Hodgson, Ricky Stuart has to decide between Siliva Havili or Craig Garvey as his starting No. 9 and both get a run here. The other option for Stuart this year will be fitting his three halves Aidan Sezer, Blake Austin and Sam Williams in his top 17 with one filling in at dummy-half off the bench.
Whichever way Sticky goes, with Hodgson missing half the season the pressure is really on the halves to own this team.
They lost so many tight games last year and you know who that comes back on.
PANTHERS V ROOSTERS
7.10pm AEDT Saturday at Panthers Stadium
PANTHERS: Phil Gould has assured us that there is no trouble at the foot of the mountains. So if you take Gus on his word Penrith should be challenging for the title this year with the squad they’ve got.
Player harmony aside, there were some pretty serious questions asked towards the end of last season about their style of play from some people pretty close to the club, including Ryan Girdler who savaged Anthony Griffin’s coaching.
No doubt James Maloney’s arrival will be the key to Nathan Cleary’s development. If they shine here you can bet by Monday we will be talking about a potential NSW halves combination.
ROOSTERS: The suspense is killing me. Trent Robinson put his players under lock and key all summer trying to shut out the noise surrounding the shortest priced NRL premiership favourites in a decade.
Even this week Robinson didn’t release his team until Thursday when we found there’s about 10 of their potential starters not due back until next week’s trial in Gosford against the Sea Eagles.
Still, if you love your Roosters there is some exciting talent to watch in this game including young halves Sean O’Sullivan and Lachlan Lam, Ryan Matterson’s younger brother Dean, Mark O’Meley’s son Nick (an outside back), the highly promising under-20s captain Reuben Porter and young forward Ben Thomas who works the house down.
SHARKS V SEA EAGLES
7.30pm AEDT Saturday at Southern Cross Stadium
SHARKS: Matt Moylan was impressive in Wednesday’s hitout against Wigan and the Penrith recruit will get another chance to work on his new partnership with Chad Townsend.
If Moylan aims up this year the Sharks will be genuine contenders. They have the experience and the strike.
SEA EAGLES: Trent Barrett has also decided to rest the majority of his top squad for next week’s trial against the Roosters. Fans will get a chance to see young Cade Cuss and Manase Fainu who are the halfback and hooker that led the under-20s to last year’s premiership. Fainu is just about ready for first grade and could get his crack if Api Koroisau gets a Blues call-up this year.
BRONCOS V TITANS
8pm AEDT (7pm local) at Clive Berghofer Stadium, Toowoomba
BRONCOS: For NSW fans, Matt Lodge is the one to watch in this game with the big prop ending a three-year NRL exile. Already there’s talk Lodge could be a bolter for the Blues this year, and the people saying this have a pretty fair knowledge of the game.
TITANS: New coach Garth Brennan has named Bryce Cartwright at lock while fellow Penrith recruit Leilani Latu is at prop and Brenko Lee from the Bulldogs in the centres. Cartwright will be the main focus. With the ball in his hands we know that he’s a weapon but the question will be how he handles the defensive workload in the middle.
COWBOYS V WESTS TIGERS
8.30pm AEDT (7.30pm local) Saturday at Barlow Park Cairns
COWBOYS: Johnathan Thurston and Matt Scott’s return can’t come soon enough for Cowboys fans. Paul Green has named just about a full strength forward pack while he’s given young outside backs Gideon Gela-Mosby, Javid Bowen, Shaun Hudson and Enari Tuala the chance to push their claims. The other significant storyline here is to see how Thurston combines with Te Maire Martin, given Green has told us he hasn’t ruled out switching Michael Morgan to fullback this year.
TIGERS: All the new recruits bar Benji Marshall have been named. The Tigers have a formidable forward pack this year but the halves partnership of Luke Brooks and Josh Reynolds will be the key. Brooks needs to come of age this year and taking on Thurston in his comeback is a fair first-up challenge.