NRL pre-season challenge: How your side is shaping up for their first hit out of the year

Penrith Panthers young gun Mavrik Geyer is one step closer to following in the footsteps of his famous dad Mark and making his NRL debut.

Mavrik Geyer is one step closer to following in the footsteps of his dad Mark with the young forward to be named in Penrith’s World Club Challenge squad to face Wigan.

The Panthers will fly out of Sydney on Friday and Geyer will be part of the squad.

He has impressed in the pre-season but is yet to make his NRL debut.

His father Mark was part of Penrith’s 1991 premiership-winning team.

Penrith’s five-eighth Jarome Luai is out of the clash because of a shoulder injury.

Mavrik Geyer will be part of the World Club Challenge squad. Credit: NRL Images

TAAFFE CLOSES IN ON CANTERBURY FULLBACK SPOT

Melbourne and Canterbury will kickstart the pre-season challenge on Thursday with plenty of intrigue surrounding the respective fullback spots.

South Sydney recruit Taaffe will be named at fullback for Canterbury with the 24-year-old in the box-seat to become the Bulldogs’ first choice at the back. He has the jump on fellow new recruit Connor Tracey who is unlikely to play against the Storm having just rejoined full training after a recent ankle injury.

Star signing Stephen Crichton won’t play the Bulldogs, nor will back-rower Viliame Kikau. The Storm are expected to field a second-string side but Ryan Papenhuyzen has put his hand up to play.

Storm teammate Cameron Munster said Papenhuyzen was “absolutely flying”.

Bulldogs recruit Blake Taaffe will start at fullback. Picture: Justin Lloyd

“You can see the contact is sky high,” Munster said. “You can see the training in contact and training around the back of shape. Around the team you can feel a big buzz around him. All the boys are happy for him.

“Having that ankle injury, gave him a boot more time for that knee to heal and give him a bit more confidence. In hindsight it has probably been beneficial for him to have another off season. I think you are going to see a nice little Paps from 2020.”

It will be Papenhuyzen’s first game since he suffered a serious ankle injury last year.

Ryan Papenhuyzen at Storm pre-season camp in Geelong.

In other team news;

– Kade Dykes is expected to play his first game in more than 12 months. The Sharks fullback is close to returning and Cronulla officials hope he will play against the Knights on Saturday. He has not played since rupturing his ACL in the pre-season last year.

– High profile Roosters recruits Dom Young and Spencer Leniu should see action against the Sea Eagles. Former Rooster Michael Jennings’ rugby league return will happen via NSW Cup. Provided he comes through training unscathed, Josh Schuster should line up for Manly against the Roosters. Schuster’s pre-season has been plagued by finger and calf injuries.

– Young Englishman Will Pryce and premiership winner Jack Cogger will get some game time. Fellow new recruit Kai Pearce-Paul should play in week two of the trials as he makes his return from a toe injury.

Sydney Roosters prop Spencer Leniu should see game time this week. Picture: Roosters

– Manly will be resting big guns including Tom and Jake Trbojevic plus Daly Cherry-Evans.

– Jack Wighton won’t play for the Rabbitohs in the annual Charity Shield. The Dragons will field a near full-strength team for a small part of the match. Ben Hunt will play a fraction of game time. New recruit Raymond Faitala-Mariner is still on the comeback from injury.

Manly coach Anthony Seibold confirmed his big guns would be missing.

“We’re not going to specifically prepare for the trials,” Seibold said. “We are going to prepare our round zero team as much as possible.

“There is still some competition for spots so those guys will play potentially two of the trials. But we fly two days after the first official trial and what we don’t want to do is put anyone at risk who has already solidified their spot in the team.

“Against the Roosters we will only play players who are competing for bench spots or spots on the plane to go to Vegas. There will be players like Chez (Cherry-Evans), Jake and Tom who won’t play the trials. We train every specifically for footy …. so they will be ready to go.”

Originally published as NRL pre-season challenge: How your side is shaping up for their first hit out of the year