NRL late mail: Every team’s lineup for Round “Zero” in Las Vegas

Rugby league is finally back, for real! The NRL’s first Team List Tuesday of the regular season has just dropped, with the Knights, Cowboys, Bulldogs, and Dragons sharing their full squads for the Vegas opening round this weekend.

There’s plenty to chew on, too, with Justin Holbrook finally showing us what his halves combination is going to be — at least in the opening round — while the Dragons are bringing in Setu Tu on the wing to make his NRL debut at 27 years old, and are still mulling over whether to play Valentine Holmes on the right or left when they face the Bulldogs.

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Knights vs. Cowboys

Sunday, March 1 at 1:15PM

Allegiant Stadium

Knights: 1. Kalyn Ponga 2. Dominic Young 3. Dane Gagai 4. Bradman Best 5. Greg Marzhew 6. Fletcher Sharpe 7. Dylan Brown 8. Jacob Saifiti 9. Phoenix Crossland 10. Trey Mooney 11. Dylan Lucas 12. Jermaine McEwen 13. Tyson Frizell Interchange: 14. Sandon Smith 15. Mathew Croker 16. Thomas Cant 17. Pasami Saulo Reserves: 18. Fletcher Hunt 19. Francis Manuleleua 20. Tyson Gamble 21. Cody Hopwood 22. James Schiller

There it is: Fletcher Sharpe is the five-eighth to partner mega-money signing Dylan Brown in the halves. Holbrook clearly used the preseason that’s just been to make up his mind, but this Sporting Base writer has maintained since late last year that any new Knights coach would have to have rocks for brains not to get Sharpe in somewhere central. Kid looks the goods, and by some way. Elsewhere, Sandon Smith is on the interchange bench if things don’t work out, and Kalyn Ponga is in despite missing the preseason. Jermaine McEwen has won the second row spot vacated by Kai Pearce-Paul leaving to join the Wests Tigers, while Tyson Frizell gets the lock spot. Trey Mooney starts at prop.

Cowboys: 1. Scott Drinkwater 2. Braidon Burns 3. Jaxon Purdue 4. Tomas Chester 5. Murray Taulagi 6. Jake Clifford 7. Tom Dearden 8. Coen Hess 9. Reed Mahoney 10. Jason Taumalolo 11. Heilum Luki 12. Sam McIntyre 13. Reuben Cotter Interchange: 14. Soni Luke 15. Thomas Mikaele 16. Harrison Edwards 17. Kai O’Donnell Reserves: 18. Griffin Neame 19. John Bateman 20. Liam Sutton 21. Matthew Lodge 22. Robert Derby

About what you’d expect from Todd Payten and the Cowboys, with no major signings in the offseason, meaning the team mostly chose itself. There were a few big places Payten had to make some calls, though, including in the halves, where he’s teamed up Jake Clifford and Tom Dearden. That means Jaxson Purdue heads to the centres (alongside Tom Chester, replacing Zac Laybutt), but that is likely his best position for the foreseeable future, so it all makes sense, really. Reed Mahoney is making his club debut at no.9, while Soni Luke may come off the six-man bench to spell him. Heilum Luki has been named to start in the second-row as he returns from an ACL layoff.

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Bulldogs vs. Dragons

Sunday, March 1 at 3:30PM

Allegiant Stadium

Bulldogs: 1. Connor Tracey 2. Jacob Kiraz 3. Bronson Xerri 4. Stephen Crichton 5. Marcelo Montoya 6. Matt Burton 7. Lachlan Galvin 8. Max King 9. Bailey Hayward 10. Samuel Hughes 11. Viliame Kikau 12. Jacob Preston 13. Jaeman Salmon

Interchange: 14. Kurt Mann 15. Sitili Tupouniua 16. Harry Hayes 17. Josh Curran

Reserves: 19. Sean O’Sullivan 20. Jake Turpin 21. Enari Tuala 22. Jonathan Sua 23. Alekolasimi Jones

Cameron Ciraldo has his star-studded squad ready to go, with Leo Thompson (signed in the offseason) to miss two months with injury. There were some question marks around both five-eighth Matt Burton and star winger Jacob Kiraz in the build-up to the Vegas blockbuster, but both are in the starting squad right now. Burton recently explained, It was just sort of precautionary in the trials. I just sort of felt something. They didn’t want to risk it for now. We got the scans back, but it was all clear.” Elsewhere, Jaemon Salmon is set to start at lock as per the end of last season, with Kurt Mann on the bench and likely to come in wherever he’s needed throughout the match.

Dragons: 1. Clinton Gutherson 2. Christian Tuipulotu 3. Moses Suli 4. Valentine Holmes 5. Setu Tu 6. Kyle Flanagan 7. Daniel Atkinson 8. Emre Guler 9. Damien Cook 10. Toby Couchman 11. Luciano Leilua 12. Jaydn Su’A 13. Hamish Stewart

Interchange: 14. Hame Sele 15. Josh Kerr 16. Blake Lawrie 17. Ryan Couchman

Reserves: 18. Lyhkan King-Togia 19. David Fale 20. Jacob Halangahu 21. Mathew Feagai 22. Tyrell Sloan

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As mentioned, Setu Tu is debuting in the NRL in Vegas, while Daniel Atkinson is debuting for the Dragons at halfback. Many Dragons fans will be eager to see how he goes, considering maybe one-and-a-half of the matches he played in the preseason were solid (barring the end of the Charity Shield). Valentine Holmes is good to go after a brief period where it sounded like he may be struggling with a leg injury; the Origin back still hasn’t settled on the left or right, with Shane Flanagan reportedly still deciding what side he wants him on. Moses Suli will play the other. Toby Couchman, who returns from injury, has been named at starting prop, while twin Ryan is on the bench. Emre Guler is the other starting prop, while young gun Hamish Stewart has taken the lock spot from the departed Jack De Belin. Hame Sele could also play the role; he’s at 14.