NRL Weekly Watch: Everything to keep an eye on in Round 1

Season 2023 is upon us after an interminable offseason and the annual sense of premiership-wide optimism is palpable. Stars are back from an absorbing World Cup in the UK and are preparing to leave their mark on the upcoming season. Fans, strap in and enjoy the ride.

Here is everything to keep an eye on in Round 1.

Turnover aplenty as heavyweights clash at CommBank

The departures lists at Parramatta and Melbourne are sizeable with both coaching staffs facing the challenge of ushering their respective squads into a newer era. Isaiah Papali’i, Reed Mahoney, Marata Niukore and Oregon Kaufusi are all elsewhere after helping drag the Eels to a Grand Final last year whilst Melbourne will be without stalwart brothers Jesse and Kenny Bromwich, as well as Felise Kaufusi and Brandon Smith. The offseason also has not been kind on the injury-slash-suspension front for either club – Ryan Matterson and Shaun Lane are missing for the Eels whilst the Storm are without Ryan Papenhuyzen, Justin Olam, Tui Kamikamica and veteran recruit Tariq Sims. A 19-year Round 1 winning streak is at stake for Melbourne – who enter the clash as favourites – in this one, however, the result is far from a foregone conclusion with the side having lost five of their past six to Parramatta.

New-look Warriors to open account in Wellington

The Warriors’ recruitment staff were on the front foot throughout last year having put together a revamped roster and coaching staff for the upcoming season. A collection of new faces have been named in their 17 to take on the Knights at Wellington’s Sky Stadium – their first game in the Kiwi capital in almost four years – on Friday evening including fullback Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad, centre Brayden Wiliame, five-eighth Te Maire Martin, prop Mitchell Barnett, edge forwards Jackson Ford and Marata Niukore and utility Dylan Walker. It also marks Andrew Webster’s Warriors coaching debut after a successful stint as an assistant in Penrith. The visiting Knights are also trotting out a refurbished roster with Lachie Miller’s addition at fullback paving the way for Kalyn Ponga to shift into the halves alongside Jackson Hastings whilst Adam Elliott and Jack Hetherington bring some needed verve off the pine. The Warriors have won three of their past four in Wellington and enter this one as favourites as they look start their season off on a high in a bid to end their four-year finals drought.

Does a three-peat beckon at the foot of the mountains?

Defending premiers Penrith enter the season down two of their pillars in Apisai Koroisau and Viliame Kikau as well as breakout winger Taylan May. Their core of players is slowly deteriorating – which often happens to dominant teams – but they still enter the season as premiership favourites as they look to become the first team of the NRL era to three-peat. Their title defence kicks off on their home turf on Friday night against Brisbane – who will be desperate to rid their mouths of the bitter taste that was the end of 2022. The Panthers welcome Luke Garner onto the left edge in place of Kikau whilst Sunia Turuva will be given the first crack at the left wing vacancy left by May’s injury. Mitch Kenny and Soni Luke form a new-look hooking rotation for head coach Ivan Cleary. Brisbane fans, meanwhile, will have to wait a week before Reece Walsh makes his club debut after the star recruit suffered a facial fracture in the trials. Selwyn Cobbo has instead been named at fullback in his place with Jesse Arthars on the right wing. Veteran big man Martin Taupa’u makes his Broncos debut off the bench. Penrith enter this one as short-priced favourites despite a disappointing World Cup Challenge loss to St Helen’s less than a fortnight ago.

Revitalised Trbojevic looks to spoil the grand opening of the Ciraldo Era

Manly are set to welcome back star fullback Tom Trbojevic – who is fresh off an offseason visit to the United States for hamstring rehabilitation – for their Round 1 clash against the remodelled Dogs. The 2021 Dally M Medallist, Trbojevic appeared in just seven games last season before succumbing to a dislocated shoulder. The 26-year-old’s string of hamstring issues continued in December prompting the club to fly him stateside for treatment. He will line up at fullback with recruit Cooper Johns wearing the six jumper following the departure of Kieran Foran and injury to Josh Schuster. Former-Wests Tigers edge forward Kelma Tuilagi is the only other new face in the 17. New head coach Anthony Seibold will be eager to start his Sea Eagles tenure with a win after a successful preseason. The Dogs, meanwhile, usher in rookie head coach Cameron Ciraldo as well as recruits Viliame Kikau, Reed Mahoney, Ryan Sutton, Fa’amanu Brown, Franklin Pele and Hayze Perham plus debutants Paul Alamoti, Jayden Tanner, and Jacob Preston. Odds are it will take some time for the Dogs to mesh, particularly with injuries to Luke Thompson and Tevita Pangai Jr. decimating their forward stocks. Manly enter this one as favourites as they look to make a return to the finals after a horror run home in 2022.

Cowboys aim to prove 2022 was no fluke

Few teams in recent memory have shattered expectations the way that the 2022 Cowboys did under Todd Payten. Tipped by many to finish bottom four last year, the Cowboys won 17 games to finish third and came within inches of qualifying for a Grand Final. The losses of Tom Gilbert and Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow coupled with Luciano Leilua’s indefinite suspension may prove a challenge for their depth, however, given the players their system continues to produce, they appeared well-equipped to deal with it. They host Canberra on Saturday evening in hopes of building on the platform they crafted last season. Coen Hess will start for the Cowboys on the left in place of Leilua after spending the majority of last year in the middle whilst James Tamou – who is back at the club he won a premiership with in 2015 – has been named on the interchange. The Raiders will be without star prop Josh Papali’i as he deals with a calf complaint as well as young fullback Xavier Savage who broke his jaw in the trials. Sebastian Kris has been named in fullback for the first time in his NRL career with Harley Smith-Shields into the side for his first NRL game in 548 days. Former-Knight Pasami Saulo starts in the front-row with Sāmoan international Danny Levi starting at hooker. North Queensland enter the clash as favourites as they aim for their first back-to-back top four finish since 2016.

The Shire plays host to an arousing postseason rematch

The Sharks and Rabbitohs will do battle at PointsBet Stadium less than six months on from their semi-final clash at Allianz Stadium which saw the Rabbitohs pull out a convincing win to end the Sharks’ season. Two of the sides returning with a higher level of roster continuity, the Sharks and Rabbitohs enter the season with top four aspirations and have the opportunity to test themselves this Saturday night. In big news, the Sharks will be missing reigning Dally M Medallist Nicho Hynes who works his way through a calf issue whilst prop Royce Hunt is out with an elbow complaint. Braydon Trindall will wear the seven jumper whilst new recruit Oregon Kaufusi has been named on the bench. South Sydney, meanwhile, will be without interchange middles Hame Sele and Siliva Havili whilst veteran prop Mark Nicholls is now a Dolphin. The Sharks have won seven of their last eight against the Rabbits at PointsBet Stadium but enter this one as outsiders without Hynes.

The dawn of the Dolphins

The Dolphins highly-anticipated inaugural season begins at Suncorp Stadium on Sunday afternoon against premiership heavyweights the Roosters. The sides will compete for the Arthur Beetson Cup in front of what is expected to be a bumper crowd in the Queensland capital. Melbourne legend Jesse Bromwich is the Dolphins’ inaugural skipper with whilst highly-touted playmaker Isaiya Katoa has been named to debut at six. Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow is the fullback, Sean O’Sullivan the halfback, and Maroons hard man Tom Gilbert the lock. The Roosters will be without influential duo Joseph Manu and Jared Waerea-Hargreaves whilst Angus Crichton, Sitili Tupouniua, and Connor Watson are all unavailable indefinitely. Joseph Sua’ali’i has been named in the centres whilst brothers Nat and Egan Butcher will line up on either edge with star addition Brandon Smith the hooker. The Roosters are short-priced favourites with the bookmakers confident they will kick-off their campaign with a convincing win over Wayne Bennett’s ragtag mob.

Back to the future for the desperate Wests Tigers

Tim Sheens is back on deck in the coaches’ box with Benji Marshall and Robbie Farah flanking him as the Wests Tigers – who have been active on the free agent market over the past 12 months – look to end an 11-year finals drought in 2023. Apisai Koroisau, Isaiah Papali’i, David Klemmer, John Bateman and Charlie Staines are the new faces under Sheens with four of the five named for their Sunday night clash against the Titans at Leichhardt Oval. Staines has been named on a wing in place of the injured Ken Maumalo whilst Tommy Talau has been named in the centres after missing the entirety of 2022 through injury. Koroisau is the nine with Papali’i named on an edge and Klemmer in the middle. Adam Doueihi and Luke Brooks make up the halves. The Titans, meanwhile, launched a signing spree of their own with four new recruits named in their 17 along with an overhauled spine. AJ Brimson is the fullback with Kieran Foran and Tanah Boyd in the halves and Sam Verrills the rake. Aaron Schoupp lines up at right centre with debutant Alofi’ana Khan-Pereira on the left wing. Joe Stimson has been named on the interchange after spending the past three seasons with Canterbury. The Wests Tigers enter this one as favourites despite notching the club’s first ever wooden spoon last season.

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