NRL Round 1 Preview: Eels v Storm to kick off 2023 season

Five months has felt like an eternity for rugby league fans, but the 2023 NRL Premiership season kicks off on Thursday night. The new season will see Wayne Bennett’s Dolphins enter the competition, a longer 27-round regular season, and plenty of changes at almost every club to excite fans across the league.

Parramatta Eels v Melbourne Storm

Round one begins with the Parramatta Eels hosting the Melbourne Storm at CommBank Stadium. The Eels have beaten the Storm in five of their last six matches; however, they have been decimated with injuries and suspensions across the park. The Eels will need to put in a huge performance first-up to beat the Storm, who have also struggled with the loss of their stars to the Dolphins and Roosters. Both sides will likely need to play a totally different brand of football, creating great unknowns and a brilliant spectacle to begin the season.

New Zealand Warriors v Newcastle Knights

Friday night football starts with the New Zealand Warriors hosting the Newcastle Knights at Sky Stadium in Wellington. The Warriors have made a number of solid additions to their squad and were impressive during the Pre-Season Challenge. The Knights have also recruited a number of stars, including Jackson Hastings, Adam Elliot and Lachlan Miller, while also moving Kalyn Ponga to the five-eighth role. While there are many unknowns again in these two sides, the Warriors look set to kick their season off in style at home.

Penrith Panthers v Brisbane Broncos

The Friday fixture continues at the foot of the Blue Mountains with the defending-champion Penrith Panthers hosting the Brisbane Broncos at BlueBet Stadium. Fans could be forgiven for forgetting the Broncos went to Penrith in round six of 2022 and started brilliantly before the premiers kicked into top gear. Multiple changes to both squads will make for interesting viewing.

Manly Sea Eagles v Canterbury Bulldogs

Super Saturday football starts in Sydney’s Northern Beaches with the Manly Sea Eagles hosting the Canterbury Bulldogs at 4 Pines Park in Brookvale. The Sea Eagles are likely to have superstar fullback Tom Trbojevic in their line-up, while the Bulldogs will add Reed Mahoney and Viliame Kikau to their starting side with Matt Burton and Josh Addo-Carr. A fast, dry track at 4 Pines Park should be the perfect surface for these sides to play an exciting game of football – a brilliant way to kick off the first Super Saturday of the season.

North Queensland Cowboys v Canberra Raiders

Game two of Super Saturday will take place in Townsville with the North Queensland Cowboys hosting the Canberra Raiders at Queensland Country Bank Stadium. The Cowboys stunned the entire NRL community when they went from being tipped to win a wooden spoon, to being one of the best sides in the NRL behind the Panthers. The Raiders enter this contest in a much more stable position than last season, despite losing fullback Xavier Savage to injury in the Pre-Season Challenge. Will the Cowboys be able to repeat last year’s brilliant performances this season?

Cronulla Sharks v South Sydney Rabbitohs

The penultimate game of Super Saturday heads to The Shire with the Cronulla Sharks hosting the South Sydney Rabbitohs at PointsBet Stadium. The Sharks, like the Cowboys, were surprising and impressive in 2022 and will need to prove last season was not a fluke. The Rabbitohs are tipped by many to challenge for the premiership this year, being led by superstar fullback Latrell Mitchell. With the Sharks expected to lose Dally M Medal winner and halfback Nicho Hynes to a calf injury, the Rabbitohs look poised to strike in game one of their season.

Dolphins v Sydney Roosters

Sunday afternoon football gives the NRL community their first look at the competition’s newest side, the Dolphins, as they host the Sydney Roosters at Suncorp Stadium. Having signed a number of international and State of Origin stars under supercoach Wayne Bennett, the newcomers will be looking to upset the Roosters in round one, just as the Newcastle Knights did in the 2022 season. The Roosters will be looking to stamp their authority on the competition early as a side that is expected to be a premiership contender in 2023. Will coach Trent Robinson be able to hatch a gameplan that extracts the best from James Tedesco, Joseph Manu, Joseph Suaalii, Sam Walker, Brandon Smith and Victor Radley?

Wests Tigers v Gold Coast Titans

The final game of round one for the 2023 NRL Premiership takes place at the spiritual home of the Wests Tigers, Leichhardt Oval, as they host the Gold Coast Titans on Sunday afternoon. These two sides have made a number of changes to their squads, adding names such as Api Koroisau, Isaiah Papali’i, David Klemmer, Aaron Schoupp and Kieran Foran between them. This is another game of unknowns, and a brilliant way to end the round. However, at home, the Tigers will be expected to show their incredible off-season recruitment drive wasn’t for nothing.

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