NRL: Dom Young starts, Roberts returns & debuts for Hastings & Gildart
Dom Young in action for Newcastle Knights in 2021
Jamaica World Cup hopeful Dom Young will start on the wing for Newcastle Knights in their NRL opener against Sydney Roosters on Saturday.
Penrith Panthers v Many Sea Eagles (Thursday, 9am, Sky Sports Arena or Watch NRL)
The Panthers will be without star half-back Nathan Cleary until at least round four with a shoulder injury.
Panthers: Edwards; Staines, Tago, Crichton, To’o; Luai, O’Sullivan; Leota, Koroisau, Fisher-Harris, Kikau, Martin, Yeo. Subs: Kenny, Sorensen, Leniu, Eisenhuth.
Sea Eagles: T Trbojevic; Saab, Parker, Harper, Garrick; Foran, Cherry-Evans; Sipley, Croker, Taupau, Olakau’atu, Bullemor, J Trbojevic. Subs: Koula, Lawton, Keppie, Paseka.
Canberra Raiders v Cronulla Sharks (Friday, 9am, Watch NRL)
Former Canterbury Bulldogs man Adam Elliott will make his debut for the Raiders.
Tonga international Andrew Fifita will play his first NRL game since a horrific throat injury that ended his 2021 season.
Raiders: Nicoll-Klokstad, Cotric, Schiller, Timoko, Valemei, Wighton, Schneider, Papalii, Hodgson, Tapine, Young, Harawire-Naera, Whitehead. Subs: Starling, Guler, Elliott, Horsburgh.
Sharks: Kennedy; Katoa, Ramien, Mulitalo, Ikuvalu; Moylan, Hynes; Rudolf, Brailey, Hamlin-Uele, Nikora, Wilton, Finucane. Subs: Tolman, Talakai, Hunt, Fifita.
Brisbane Broncos v South Sydney Rabbitohs (Friday, 9am, Sky Sports Arena or Watch NRL)
England World Cup hopeful Herbie Farnworth will start in the centres for Brisbane. Former Hull KR and Hull FC half-back Albert Kelly will start at scrum half for the Broncos.
Former Warrington half-back Tyrone Roberts will make his NRL return by coming off the bench for Brisbane.
Greece World Cup hopeful Lachlan Ilias will start in the halves for South Sydney. England international Tom Burgess will also feature for the Rabbitohs.
Broncos: Isaako; Oates, Staggs, Farnworth, Cobbo; Walters, Kelly; Palasia, Turpin, Haas, Capewell, Riki, Carrigan. Subs: James, Kennedy, Robati, Roberts.
Rabbitohs: Taaffe; Johnston, Paulo, Graham, Milne; Walker, Ilias; Tatola, Cook, Nicholls, Koloamatangi, Arrow, Murray. Subs: Host, Havili, Burgess, Chee Kam.
Sydney Roosters v Newcastle Knights (Saturday, 4am, Watch NRL)
Former Leigh half-back Drew Hutchison will be on the bench for the Roosters.
Roosters: Tedesco; Tupou, Smith, Manu, Momirovski; Walker, Keary; Waerea-Hargreaves, Watson, Collins, Crichton, Tupouniua, Radley. Subs: Hutchison, Baker, Butcher, Taukeiaho.
Knights: Ponga; Young, Gagai, Best, Tuala; Clifford, Clune; Klemmer, Randall, Saifiti, Frizell, Fitzgibbon, Mann. Subs: Crossland, Barnett, Thompson, Momoisea.
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New Zealand Warriors v St George Illawarra Dragons (Saturday, 6:30am, Watch NRL)
Former Warrington forward Ben Murdoch-Masila will feature on the bench for the Warriors.
Warriors: Harris-Tavita; Watene-Zelezniak, Vailea, Berry, Montoya; Nikorima, Johnson; Fonua-Blake, Egan, Afoa, Aitken, Katoa, Curran. Subs: Tevaga, Murdoch-Masila, Pene, Sironen.
Dragons: Sloan; Ramsey, Suli, Lomax, Ravalawa; Amone, Hunt; Lawrie, McCullough, Woods, Bird, Su’A, De Belin. Subs: Mbye, olo, Kerr, Gosiewski.
Wests Tigers v Melbourne Storm (Saturday, 8:30am, Sky Sports Arena or Watch NRL)
Great Britain internationals Oliver Gildart and Jackson Hastings will make their debuts for Wests Tigers following their move from Wigan.
Tigers: Laurie; Nofoaluma, Roberts, Gildart, Maumalo; Hastings, Brooks; Twal, Simpkin, Utoikamanu, Tuilagi, Leilua, Ofahengaue. Subs: Peachey, Garner, Musgrove, Seyfarth.
Storm: Papenhuyzen; Jennings, Smith, Olam, Coates; Meaney, Hughes; J Bromwich, Smith, Welch, Kaufusi, K Bromwich, King. Subs: Wishart, Nikorima, Loiero, Asofa-Solomona.
Parramatta Eels v Gold Coast Titans (Sunday, 5:05am, Watch NRL)
Former Widnes winger Corey Thompson will line-up on the wing for Justin Holbrook’s Titans.
Eels: Gutherson; Russell, Penisini, Blake, Simonsson; Brown, Moses; Campbell-Gillard, Mahoney, Paulo, Lane, Papali’i, Matterson. Subs: Makatoa, Kaufusi, Stone, Arthur.
Titans: Campbell; Sami, Kelly, Herbert, Thompson; Brimson, Sexton; Fotuaika, Clark, Liu, Fifita, Fermor, Fa’asuamaleaui. Subs: Smith, Lisone, Jolliffe, Proctor.
North Queensland Cowboys v Canterbury Bulldogs (Sunday, 7:15am, Watch NRL)
Tonga powerhouse Jason Taumalolo will come up against England international Luke Thompson when the Cowboys host the Bulldogs.
Matt Dufty, Josh Addo-Carr, Brent Naden, Paul Vaughan, Tevita Pangai Junior, Max King and Braidon Burns will all make their debuts for the Bulldogs.
Cowboys: Tabuai-Fidow; Feldt, Holmes, Hiku, Taulagi; Dearden, Townsend; Taunoa-Brown, Robson, Hess, Luki, Nanai, Taumalolo. Subs: Cotter, McLean, Dunn, Gilbert.
Bulldogs: Dufty; Okunbor, Burns, Naden, Addo-Carr; Burton, Averillo; Thompson, Marshall-King, Vaughan, Hetherington, Pangai Junior, Jackson. Subs: Biondi-Odo, Waddell, King, Pastolo.
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