NRL pre-season news: Kaeo Weekes favourite to replace Jack Wighton at Raiders, Ben Hunt makes an early return for Dragons
A new Raiders recruit has impressed in his start at Canberra, as the battle to replace Jack Wighton heats up. PAMELA WHALEY wraps all the news for every club this NRL pre-season.
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BRONCOS
Pre-season challenge fixtures:
Rd 1: Sunday, February 18
v Cowboys at BB Print Stadium, Mackay
Rd 2: Saturday, February 24
v Sea Eagles at 4 Pines Park, Sydney
Round 1:
Sunday, March 3
v Roosters, Allegiant Stadium, Las Vegas
Club news: The salary cap squeeze is on for the grand finalists, who could be forced to release Kurt Capewell to the Warriors should he request an early release ahead of next season. Corey Oates, Jordan Riki and Brendan Piakura have all signed contract extensions. Oates will play his 12th season with the Broncos after agreeing to a one-year deal, while Riki and Piakura are locked in until the end of 2027. Meanwhile, several Broncos players have returned to training in Red Hill, including new recruit Fletcher Baker from the Roosters, while the majority of the grand finals squad and representative stars are still on leave.
RAIDERS
Pre-season challenge fixtures:
Rd 1: Saturday, February 17
v Eels at Netstrata Jubilee Stadium, Sydney
Rd 2: Sunday, February 25
v Cowboys at Seiffert Oval, Queanbeyan
Round 1:
Thursday, March 7
v Knights at McDonald Jones Stadium, Newcastle
Club news: Kaeo Weekes has the hit the ground running in Canberra since joining the Raiders from Manly. He’s the favourite to replace Jack Wighton and the wear the No. 6 jersey for Ricky Stuart’s side. The Raiders have released Harley Smith-Shields to the Titans. He won the club’s rookie of the year award in 2021 and played 15 games across four seasons with the Raiders, but has been let go from the final year of his contract to join Des Hasler on the Gold Coast.
BULLDOGS
Pre-season challenge fixtures:
Rd 1: Thursday, February 15
v Storm at Belmore Sports Ground, Sydney
Rd 2: Friday, February 23
v Sharks at Pointsbet Stadium, Sydney
Round 1:
Saturday, March 9
v Eels at Commbank Stadium, Sydney
Club news: The new faces keep rolling into Belmore with Cronulla utility Connor Tracey joining Cameron Ciraldo’s side. He follows the likes of Stephen Crichton, Kurt Mann, Drew Hutchison, Bronson Xerri, Jaeman Salmon, Jake Turpin and Josh Curran to the club. The trick for Ciraldo is where he will play his new faces, particularly the utilities he’s signed like Tracey, Mann, Hutchison and Salmon. The trials against Melbourne and Cronulla will be crucial for the new-look Dogs.
DOLPHINS
Pre-season challenge fixtures:
Rd 1: Sunday, February 18
v Titans at Sunshine Coast Stadium
Rd 2: Saturday, February 24
v Warriors at Go Media Stadium, Auckland
Round 1:
Sunday, March 10
v Cowboys at Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane
Club news: Captain Jesse Bromwich returned this week for what could be his final NRL pre-season as he weighs up retirement. The majority of the squad has returned to training in Redcliffe, save for new recruits, grand finalists Herbie Farnworth and Tom Flegler. Farnworth was spotted doing a light training session with ex-Broncos teammates last week, but the Dolphins were not concerned. He’s not due to start pre-season training with the club until December 11.
TITANS
Pre-season challenge fixtures:
Rd 1: Sunday, February 18
v Dolphins at Sunshine Coast Stadium
Rd 2: Sunday, February 25
v Eels at North Ipswich Reserve, Ipswich
Round 1:
Saturday, March 9
v Dragons at Cbus Super Stadium, Gold Coast
Club news: Centre Harley Smith-Shields will start training with the Titans this week after signing a two-year deal with the club. The 23-year-old was granted a release from the Raiders from the final year of his contract, and is set to bulk up the backline depth for the Titans in 2024.
SEA EAGLES
Pre-season challenge fixtures:
Rd 1: Saturday, February 17
v Roosters at Industree Group Stadium, Gosford
Rd 2: Saturday, February 24
v Broncos at 4 Pines Park, Sydney
Round 1
Sunday, March 3
v Rabbitohs at Allegiant Stadium, Las Vegas
Club news: Ex-NSW Origin forward Nathan Brown has joined the club on a train and trial basis. The 30-year-old has played for South Sydney, Parramatta, Wests Tigers and Sydney Roosters but found himself without an NRL club at the end of the season. He played just 10 games for the Roosters last season, but Anthony Seibold has offered the 148-game forward an opportunity to prove himself over the pre-season with a chance of gaining a top-30 spot before 2024.
SHARKS
Pre-season challenge fixtures:
Rd 1: Saturday, February 17
v Knights at Industree Group Stadium, Gosford
Rd 2: Friday, February 23
v Bulldogs at Pointsbet Stadium, Sydney
Round 1:
Friday, March 8
v Warriors, at Go Media Stadium, Auckland
Club news: Rising rookie centre Michael Gabrael has joined the Sharks as part of a swap deal for Connor Tracey next season. The 18-year-old Gabrael is considered a rising star of the game and a player of the future. It follows the release of Matt Moylan to the Super League earlier this month. Moylan’s departure has opened the door for young halves options like Niwhai Puru, Kade Dykes and Daniel Atkinson. Meanwhile, front row star Toby Rudolf has re-signed until the end of 2026.
STORM
Pre-season challenge fixtures:
Rd 1: Thursday, February 15
v Bulldogs at Belmore Sports Ground, Sydney
Rd 2: Saturday, February 24
v Knights at TBA
Round 1:
Friday, March 8
v Panthers at AAMI Park, Melbourne
Club news: Melbourne’s semi-final try-scoring hero Will Warbrick returned to pre-season training on Monday as the club’s stars hit the paddock for another gruelling summer under Craig Bellamy in what could be his last pre-season as an NRL head coach. In a sign of their hunger for 2024, international stars Cam Munster and Jahrome Hughes have also begun training early ahead of their official comeback in late December.
KNIGHTS
Pre-season challenge fixtures:
Rd 1: Saturday, February 17
v Sharks at Industree Group Stadium, Gosford
Rd 2: Saturday, February 24
v Storm at TBA
Round 1:
Thursday, March 7
v Raiders at McDonald Jones Stadium, Newcastle
Club news: The semi-finalists have started their pre-season with new recruit Jack Cogger to join the squad in a few weeks after playing the grand final with Penrith. They have been hit with injury trouble already, with Englishman Kai Pearce-Paul set to have surgery on his toe for an issue he had been carrying for the past year. It’s hoped he will be fit to make his club debut early in the season.
COWBOYS
Pre-season challenge fixtures:
Rd 1: Sunday, February 18
v Broncos at BB Print Stadium, Mackay
Rd 2: Sunday, February 25
v Raiders at Seiffert Oval, Queanbeyan
Round 1:
Sunday, March 10
v Dolphins at Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane
Club news: The Cowboys have shown faith in young gun Tom Chester by re-signing the 22-year-old utility until at least the end of 2025. He has overcome ankle, shoulder and an ACL injury in the past few years but has shown enough promise for the club to bank on his future. He is due to start a full training load after Christmas and be available in the early rounds.
PANTHERS
Pre-season fixtures:
World Club Challenge v Wigan, TBA
Round 1:
Friday, March 8
v Storm at AAMI Park, Melbourne
Club news: The three-time premiers are expecting to finalise the World Club Challenge against Wigan for February 24 (February 25 AEDT) by next week. Discussions are still underway for the annual clash between the NRL and Super League champions but an announcement is expected this week or next. In terms of pre-season training, Taylan May has returned to the paddock in his bid to win the right centre position left vacant by Stephen Crichton, while the bulk of representative stars and internationals are still on holidays, not to return until just before Christmas or early January.
EELS
Pre-season challenge fixtures:
Rd 1: Saturday, February 17
v Raiders at Netstrata Jubilee Stadium, Sydney
Rd 2: Sunday, February 25
v Titans at North Ipswich Reserve, Ipswich
Round 1:
Saturday, March 9
v Bulldogs, Commbank Stadium, Sydney
Club news: The Eels are buzzing after star winger Maika Sivo and his partner Korina celebrated the birth of their second son Samisoni Milan Sivo this week. Mitch Moses returned to pre-season training in mid-November from a fractured eye socket, while Junior Paulo, Clint Gutherson, Daejarn Asi and Makahesi Makatoa are all in rehabilitation until after Christmas following off-season surgeries. Elsewhere, elite pathways coaching director Nathan Brown left the club to relocate his family to Queensland, and has been replaced in the role by Steve Georgallis.
RABBITOHS
Pre-season challenge fixtures:
Rd 1: Saturday, February 17
v Dragons at Netstrata Jubilee Stadium, Sydney
Rd 2: Friday, February 23
v Roosters at Pointsbet Stadium, Sydney
Round 1:
Sunday, March 3
v Sea Eagles at Allegiant Stadium, Las Vegas
Club news: The bulk of the Rabbitohs squad has returned to pre-season training, including superstar recruit Jack Wighton, who had his first session with the team last week. Star fullback Latrell Mitchell has also returned to training, and is set for the longest pre-season he’s had since he arrived at the club from the Sydney Roosters.
ROOSTERS
Pre-season challenge fixtures:
Rd 1: Saturday, February 17
v Sea Eagles at Industree Group Stadium, Gosford
Rd 2: Friday, February 23
v Rabbitohs at Pointsbet Stadium, Sydney
Round 1:
Sunday, March 3
v Broncos, Allegiant Stadium, Las Vegas
Club news: The re-signings are coming thick and fast at the Roosters with Sitili Tupouniua and Nat Butcher the latest to extend their deals at the club. Tupouniua’s three-year extension was announced on Thursday, two days after Butcher also signed on for three more years. There’s still no word on off-contract Joey Manu’s new deal but it shouldn’t be too far away. Manu spent some of the off-season busting rhymes in a recording studio with a couple of Roosters teammates and they will be hoping the next thing his lays down is his signature on a fresh contract. Meanwhile, the majority of the squad has returned to pre-season training including Brandon Smith who is in his second week back after he missed the Pacific Championships for New Zealand due to hand surgery.
DRAGONS
Pre-season challenge fixtures:
Rd 1: Saturday, February 17
v Rabbitohs at Netstrata Jubilee Stadium, Sydney
Rd 2: Saturday, February 24
v Tigers at Glen Willow Oval, Mudgee
Round 1:
Saturday, March 9
v Titans at Cbus Super Stadium, Gold Coast
Club news: Ben Hunt returned to pre-season training three weeks early on Tuesday and took part in an on-field session with the team under new coach Shane Flanagan. It’s a huge sign of commitment for the club after the star halfback requested a release from the last year of his contract. Desperate to turn the fortunes of the club around, ex-Sharks mentor Flanagan is eager to show he’s actively improving the team, and has been linked to several new signings over recent weeks including Warriors star Addin Fonua-Blake. On Tuesday they announced Tom Eisenhuth had joined the club from Melbourne on a one-year deal for 2024, a deal reported by this masthead last week.
WARRIORS
Pre-season challenge fixtures:
Rd 1: Sunday, February 18
v Tigers at Apollo Projects Stadium, Christchurch
Rd 2: Saturday, February 24
v Dolphins at Go Media Stadium, Auckland
Round 1:
Friday, March 8
v Sharks, at Go Media Stadium, Auckland
Club news: The club is resigned to losing star prop Addin Fonua-Blake at the end of 2024 and have made Broncos forward Kurt Capewell their next target. Capewell is off contract with the Broncos at the end of next season and recently took a tour of the Warriors’ facilities with coach Andrew Webster. He would add to a leadership group that already includes Shaun Johnson, Roger Tuivasa-Sheck and Tohu Harris.
WESTS TIGERS
Pre-season challenge fixtures:
Rd 1: Sunday, 18th February
v Warriors at Apollo Projects Stadium, Christchurch
Rd 2: Saturday, February 24
v Dragons at Glen Willow Oval, Mudgee
Round 1: BYE
Club news: A player who won’t be at the club in 2024 is dominating Tigers news as the joint venture ramps up its bid to bring Penrith’s Jarome Luai to Concord from 2025. Linked to this are reports prop David Klemmer is being shopped around to open some cap space. Throw in the pending findings of a review into the governance of the club and there are plenty of juicy lines surrounding the Tigers. In the meantime, Benji Marshall has the job of lifting the squad he has in front of him into a finals series in what would be the club’s first appearance in the playoffs since 2011. Charlie Staines has re-signed for another two seasons, keeping him at the Tigers until the end of 2025. He started pre-season training last week, joining Api Koroisau, Klemmer and Adam Doueihi in their return for the first pre-season under Marshall.
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