Squad watch: Super League Round 1 squad news, TV coverage & predictions

The Super League season gets underway this Thursday night as Warrington entertain last season’s Grand Finalists Leeds at the Halliwell Jones Stadium live on Sky Sports.

It’s one of three live matches across the weekend, with Leigh’s return to Super League at home to Salford on Friday night followed by Hull KR hosting Wigan in Channel 4’s first live game of the season on Saturday.

Champions St Helens aren’t in Super League action on the first weekend, as they are Down Under to face Penrith Panthers in the World Club Challenge on Saturday morning.

Squad watch is our weekly feature keeping you up to date with all the latest squad news as it comes in throughout the week. Check back here for all the squad releases.

Warrington v Leeds (Thursday, 8pm, live on Sky Sports)

There are six new signings in the Leeds squad who could make their Rhinos debuts, including NRL recruit Sam Lisone, France international Justin Sangare and winger Derrell Olpherts.

The Rhinos are without Nene MacDonald, Harry Newman, James Bentley, Mikolaj Oledzki and Luke Hooley through injury.

Warrington will be without new signing Josh McGuire. The powerful prop has received a seven-match ban for the use of unacceptable language (disability discrimination) towards an opponent during his side’s 22-10 pre-season win over Leigh.

Elsewhere, Tom Whitehead is rewarded for his impressive performance against the Leopards and North Wales with a call-up.

Josh Thewlis is included after his two-try performance against Crusaders, but there’s no place for returning signing Matty Russell who misses the game through illness.

Warrington: Ashton, Bullock, Clark, Currie, Drinkwater, Dufty, Harrison, Hayes, Holroyd, Kasiano, Mata’utia, McGuire, Mikaele, Minikin, Nicholson, Ratchford, Thewlis, Vaughan, Walker, Whitehead, Williams.

Leeds: Myler, Fusitu’a, Handley, Austin, Sezer, Leeming, Tetevano, Martin, Smith, O’Connor, Lisone, Olpherts, Sangare, Holroyd, McDonnell, Gannon, Walters, Tindall, Roberts, Donaldson, Ruan.

Wakefield v Catalans (Friday, 7:30pm)

Wakefield head into their opening game of the season with a pretty clean bill of health. The only frontline first-team players they will be without are Liam Hood, Jordan Crowther and Josh Bowden.

Trinity coach Mark Applegarth could hand Renouf Atoni, Kevin Proctor, Morgan Smith and Samisoni Langi their competitive debuts.

Catalans coach Steve McNamara could give debuts to new recruits Adam Keighran, Romain Navarrete, Siosiua Taukeiaho, Tom Johnstone and Manu Ma’u.

There is no Sam Tomkins for the Dragons though, who continues his recovery from knee surgery.

Langi and Johnstone will both come up against their former clubs at Belle Vue on Friday.

Wakefield: Jowitt, Taufua, Hall, Lyne, Lineham, Gaskell, Lino, Battye, Whitbread, Ashurst, Tanginoa, Pitts, Kay, Atoni, Kershaw, Proctor, Smith, Langi, Butler, Murphy, Eseh.

Catalans: Mourgue, Davies, Keighran, Laguerre, Pearce, McIlorum, Bousquet, Whitley, Seguier, Garcia, Goudemand, Navarrete, Rouge, Chan, Taukeiaho, Dezaria, Johnstone, Scimone, Ma’u, Tison, Zenon.

Leigh v Salford (Friday, 8pm, live on Sky Sports)

Leigh coach Adrian Lam is set to hand out several debuts. Off-season recruits Zak Hardaker, Tom Briscoe, Ricky Leutele, Robbie Mulhern, Jack Hughes, Oliver Holmes, Gareth O’Brien, Matty Davis, Jacob Gannon and Ava Seumanufagai have all been included.

There’s no Joe Burgess for Salford and maybe others missing too, as coach Paul Rowley revealed at his press conference this week that he only had 19 fully-fit players.

It hasn’t stopped him naming a strong 21-man squad though, including reigning Man of Steel Brodie Croft.

Leigh: Hardaker, Briscoe, Chamberlain, Leutele, Charnley, Lam, Amone, Ipape, Mulhern, Wardle, Hughes, Asiata, Nakubuwai, Reynolds, Holmes, O’Brien, Davis, Smith, Gannon, O’Donnell, Seumanufagai.

Salford: Brierley, Sio, Watkins, Lafai, Croft, Sneyd, Ormondroyd, Ackers, Vuniyayawa, Stone, Partington, Atkin, Dupree, Wright, Gerrard, Sidlow, Longstaff, Bourouh, Williams, Costello, Cross.

Hull KR v Wigan (Saturday, 1pm, live on Channel 4)

New Hull KR boss Willie Peters has named his first-ever 21-man Super League squad for their home fixture against Wigan. The side could have as many as six debuts, including NRL imports Tom Opacic, Sauaso Sue and Rhys Kennedy.

Meanwhile, half-back Jordan Abdull could make his first Super League start since suffering a quad injury last April.

Wigan boss Matt Peet has had a fully fit squad to pick from excluding new recruit Ryan Hampshire and centre Iain Thornley. Jake Wardle and Toby King could make their debuts for the trip on Saturday.

You’d expect an entertaining first game of 2023 for Channel 4. And I’d tip Wigan to just finish on top at the end of the 80-minute clash.

Hull KR: Coote, Ryan, Opacic, Kenny-Dowall, Hall, Abdull, Sue, Parcell, King, Halton, Linnett, Minchella, Litten, Kennedy, Batchelor, Storton, Dagger, Lewis, Hadley, Senior, Luckley.

Wigan: Field, French, King, Wardle, Marshall, Cust, Smith, Singleton, Powell, Byrne, Isa, Farrell, Smithies, Cooper, Ellis, Havard, Pearce-Paul, Shorrocks, Mago, O’Neill, Miski.

Hull v Castleford (Sunday, 3pm)

As many as four players are in line to make their Hull debuts this Sunday at home, including NRL imports Tex Hoy and Jake Clifford. Liam Sutcliffe and Brad Dwyer have also been named.

Captain Carlos Tuimavave has not been risked for the opening game. Jake Trueman, Connor Wynne, Mitieli Vulikijapani, Jamie Shaul are also unavailable through injury.

Joe Westerman has been included in Castleford’s 21-man squad by head coach Lee Radford. Gareth Widdop and Jacob Miller are also set to partner in the halves for the first time since both joining the club during the off-season.

New recruits Jack Broadbent and Muizz Mustapha have also been named.

Hull: Hoy, Swift, Sutcliffe, McIntosh, Clifford, Sao, Houghton, Satea, Savelio, Lane, Fash, Lovodua, Cator, Evans, Scott, McNamara, Brown, Griffin, Litten, Taylor, Dwyer. 

Castleford: Evalds, Turner, Fonua, Faraimo, Widdop, Miller, Lawler, McShane, Griffin, Edwards, Mellor, Westerman, Massey, Milner, Broadbent, Vete, Mustapha, Mamo, Matagi, Robb, Watts.

Verdict: Another disappointing Sky Sports rugby league promo

FOLLOW: Keep up with all the latest on the Love Rugby League mobile app and podcast