NRL pre-season: Latrell Mitchell and David Fifita go toe-to-toe, new faces lob at Panthers, Eels, Broncos
Beach wrestling, whitewater rafting, record-breaking time trials, army camps – this NRL pre-season has a bit of everything. See the latest pictures and videos around the grounds as pre-season ramps up.
South Sydney superstar Latrell Mitchell and new recruit David Fifita have gone toe-to-toe in a 220kg pre-season showdown.
The Rabbitohs swapped their manicured training field at Heffron Park for the sand and surf, which included a beach wrestling session.
Mitchell and Fifita were pitted against each other in one of the wrestling rounds to the delight of teammates, who cheered on the duo as they looked on.
The footage of the 115kg Fifita taking on Mitchell sparked an instant frenzy among Rabbitohs fans on social media.
In an online poll, Mitchell was crowned the winner of the beach tussle receiving 74 per cent of the vote from over 7500 responses in just under three hours of the footage being posted on social media.
“This is what we want to see! Both winners, training like this,” one Rabbitohs fan said.
Some fans joked Mitchell wrestling skills had him looking like UFC star Islam Makhachev, while others tagged UFC boss Dana White in the online post.
After a disappointing season, riddled with injury, spirits are high at Heffron Park. Players have been all smiles in recent weeks and were captured belting out a rendition of Olivia Dean’s ‘Man I Need’ - one of this year’s hottest pop songs.
Youngster Tyrone Munro has also returned to training after he was stood down under the NRL’s no-fault stand down policy following assault and stalking or intimidation charges. Munro, who will be able to train but not play, has pleaded not guilty and intends to fight the charges.
In Sydney’s west, Parramatta recruit Jack de Belin finally reported for his first training session under coach Jason Ryles.
The arrival of de Belin, who cut a fit figure in his first week, means Ryles now has his full complement of NRL players back for pre-season.
The former Dragons forward mostly trained with other later starters, including Josh Addo-Carr and Isaiah Iongi, as he acclimatised to his new surroundings.
Veteran prop Junior Paulo will continue his injury rehab over the summer after ankle surgery following the Pacific Championship, but isn’t expected to miss any game time.
Panthers coach Ivan Cleary also swapped the training paddock for the water.
His troops, including new signing Jack Cogger, tackled the rapids in a whitewater rafting session at Penrith’s Whitewater Stadium - which is home to Aussie Olympic gold medallists and sisters Jess and Noemie Fox
While Cogger appeared to be enjoying the challenge, other teammates were pictured struggling against the current to even remain in their rafts.
Former Warriors turned Panthers, Freddy Lussick, Kalani Going, Tom Ale and youngster Toby Crosby, have all also officially kicked off their Penrith careers in the last week, which also saw the arrival of senior players like Liam Martin. Mitch Kenny and Luke Gurner.
Co-captains Isaah Yeo and Nathan Cleary, and Dylan Edwards are not due back until the new year after playing for the Kangaroos in England.
Wests Tigers players and coach Benji Marshall are staying focused on preseason preparations as boardroom infighting plagues the club and has resulted in the departure of CEO Shane Richardson.
Former Warriors forward Bunty Afoa has hit the ground running in his first hit-out as a Tiger last week. Afoa, who struggled to lock down a spot in New Zealand, will add size and starch to Marshall’s engine room.
Fellow recruit Kai Pearce-Paul is yet to officially lob at Concord with the England international enjoying the last of his off-season with a holiday in Dubai but is expected at training next week.
Co-Captains Jarome Luai and Api Koroisau are yet to return but livewire winger Sunia Turuva is back at training after playing for Fiji in the Pacific Championships.
Centre Taylan May (quad) and Latu Fainu (shoulder) are on modified programs as they continue their injury rehab.
In Wollongong, coach Shane Flanagan’s pre-season preparations are in full swing.
Players spent the first month building their fitness and endurance, but also hitting the gym.
Skipper Clint Gutherson, who is known for his training intensity, was seen enthusiastically helping a teammate push through a bench press exercise, while Valentine Holmes tackled a 45kg dumbbell row.
Last week, Flanagan gathered his NRL squad and players from the club’s pathways squads for a combined training session at the University of Wollongong. The NRL side completed some field work before being joined by SG Ball (under-19s) and Harold Matthews Cup (under-17s) squads for a conditioning session.
North of the border, the Gold Coast Titans hit the pool for a ‘swim club’ session.
Normally, players are put through their paces on the training paddock but the Titans had their fitness and endurance testing in the pool.
Star playmaker Jayden Campbell, Beau Fermor and recruit Kurtis Morrin from Canterbury were just some of the players to replace their footy boots for flippers, goggles and budgie smugglers.
At Red Hill, former Melbourne outside back Grant Anderson clocked on for his first pre-season under Broncos coach Michael Maguire.
The reliable Anderson played 24 games for the Storm in 2025 but will be in a pre-season battle with the likes of Gehamat Shibasaki, Deine Mariner and Josiah Karapani for Round 1 spot in the outside backs.
Senior premiership-winning players, including skipper Adam Reynolds, and representative stars Payne Haas, Reece Walsh and Pat Carrigan won’t report for training until late December.
Further north, Cowboys coach Todd Payten’s representative cohort of Jason Taumalolo, Murray Taulagi, Reuben Cotter and Tom Dearden are all back at training.
The returning troops hit the gym during their first week back but were also put through the routine time trial testing.
Dearden, one of the club’s fittest players, reigned supreme in the 1.2km shuttle run, posting four minutes and 18 seconds - breaking the record set by Tom Chester only last month.
Payten also sent the club’s young guns on a military style army camp in recent days. Cowboys players were seen wearing army fatigues, green camouflage face paint and carrying replica rifles, as they worked their way through a number of obstacle courses.
In Melbourne, Craig Bellamy is yet to welcome back senior and representative stars like Harry Grant, Cameron Munster and Stefano Utoikamanu.
But halfback Jahrome Hughes, who missed the Pacific Championship due to a shoulder injury, has been spotted at training but is yet to hit the paddock for a session.
The Storm’ familiar faces were also recently joined by former Raiders centre Manaia Waitere and ex-Panther Trent Toelau.
Toelau was part of the Storm pathways set up before joining Penrith in 2021.
“It has always been a dream to come back, to be able to do it with my two little boys and partner. It made sense at the time,” Toelau said.
“Back then, I probably didn’t ask as many questions and take as many risks as I would have wanted too... coming back with a few games under my belt, I’m just looking to build on that.”
The halves battle in Canberra has turned up a notch with the arrival of former Broncos and prodigious teen talent Coby Black. Ethan Sanders was in the box seat to start to the season in No.7 jumper, alongside five-eighth Ethan Strange, but he now faces a battle over the summer to earn the halfback spot.
Black, who was earmarked as Adam Reynolds’ long-term replacement at Red Hill, signed a three-year deal with the Raiders after the Broncos landed Storm rookie Jonah Pezet from 2027.
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Originally published as NRL pre-season: Latrell Mitchell and David Fifita go toe-to-toe, new faces lob at Panthers, Eels, Broncos
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