The NRL season is less than a month away and coaches are settling on their all-important spines for the year ahead.
No team can be successful without a potent combination between fullback, the halves and hooker.
There have been a few changes among the 16 teams in the off-season and some clubs will use the trials to finalise their spine before kicking off their 2022 campaign.
Tell us in the comments who’s got the best four-man combination and who’s going to struggle to put their path on a road to the finals.
Here’s a rundown of how each team is looking for the long season ahead in last year’s finishing order.
Penrith
The premiership-winning quartet of fullback Dylan Edwards, five-eighth Jarome Luai, halfback Nathan Cleary and hooker Api Koroisau are back to help the Panthers defend their crown. Cleary has given their early-season prospects a shot in the arm by saying he is confident of being able to make his return from shoulder surgery for round one when they open the season against the Sea Eagles on Thursday, March 10.
South Sydney
The big question for new coach Jason Demetriou is how will he replace Adam Reynolds after the skipper joined Brisbane? Young gun Lachlan Ilias is set to kick off round one in the No.7 jersey while Blake Taaffe, who will again deputise at fullback until Latrell Mitchell returns from suspension in round three, and Dean Hawkins are other options to replace Reynolds. Rep duo Cody Walker and Damien Cook will again bring star power to the spine at five-eighth and hooker.
Melbourne
There are a lot of moving parts in Melbourne but fullback Ryan Papenhuyzen, five-eighth Cameron Munster, halfback Jahrome Hughes and hooker Harry Grant are stable. Munster will miss the first round due to a disciplinary suspension while Grant is also absent because of a crusher tackle ban meaning Craig Bellamy will have to get creative to start the season. Brandon Smith is also out for the same reason as Munster so Cooper Johns, Jayden Nikorima and Tyran Wishart are set to feature in the hooker, five-eighth and bench utility positions.
Manly
When you have the Dally M winner in your spine, it makes a big difference. Tom Trbojevic will give Manly potency from the backfield, Daly Cherry-Evans and Kieran Foran form the most experienced halves duo in the NRL and Lachlan Croker made great strides after switching to hooker in 2021.
Sydney Roosters
Luke Keary’s return from an ACL tear is almost like signing a new player for the Roosters. He will likely partner Sam Walker in the halves with NSW skipper James Tedesco and hooker Sam Verrills giving Trent Robinson’s team plenty of punch.
Parramatta
Eels fans are fuming this will be the last season Reed Mahoney wears the blue and gold jersey before joining bitter rivals Canterbury. Halves duo Mitch Moses and Dylan Brown, and captain Clint Gutherson complete a very capable spine combination. Mahoney’s availability to start the season after shoulder surgery is still to be confirmed with veteran Titans recruit Mitch Rein drafted in as his back-up.
Newcastle
Mitchell Pearce is finishing his career in the Super League after switching to the Catalans Dragons and Jayden Brailey is nursing a torn Achilles which will keep him out for most of the season. These events mean star fullback Kalyn Ponga will be called upon to be the team’s attacking spearhead. New halves duo Jake Clifford and Adam Clune will also need to step up while Chris Randall shapes as the starting hooker with Kurt Mann an option to share the dummy-half duties.
Gold Coast
The Titans have one of the most exciting spines in the NRL but also the least experienced. Maroons star AJ Brimson will switch to five-eighth to accommodate Jayden Campbell at fullback after his impressive rookie season with Toby Sexton, who also broke into the NRL side last year, taking over from Raiders recruit Jamal Fogarty at halfback. Erin Clark won’t make many breaks from hooker but will do a mountain of tackling after Mitch Rein joined Parramatta.
Cronulla
Will Kennedy will be fullback, Blayke Brailey will be hooker and new coach Craig Fitzgibbon will use the trials to decide who gets the two halves jerseys between Matt Moylan, Braydon Trindall and Storm recruit Nicho Hynes. With Moylan only being re-signed for one year on a vastly reduced rate and given his recent injury history, he appears the likely third wheel.
Canberra
The combined value of halfback Jamal Fogarty’s arrival from the Gold Coast and fullback Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad entering the season after a neck injury ruined his 2021 campaign gives the Raiders renewed optimism. Pair those two with former Dally M Medal winner Jack Wighton and the hooking combo of Josh Hodgson and Tom Starling and the Green Machine could click back into top gear.
St George Illawarra
Youth and experience will be the Dragons’ spine. Veteran hooker Andrew McCullough and captain Ben Hunt will provide the veteran savvy with Jayden Sullivan or Junior Amone partnering Hunt at five-eighth following Corey Norman’s exit and another young gun, Tyrell Sloan, taking over from Canterbury recruit Matt Dufty as first-choice fullback.
New Zealand Warriors
Reece Walsh will resume at fullback in round two after serving a one-week drugs ban, Wayde Egan will again line up at hooker while the halves comes down to a three-way battle between returning duo Kodi Nikorima and Chanel Harris-Tavita, and Shaun Johnson, who is back at the club after a three-year stint with the Sharks.
Wests Tigers
Daine Laurie cemented the fullback spot last year and Luke Brooks will again be the on-field general at halfback. With Adam Doueihi rehabbing his ACL tear, off-season signing Jackson Hastings will bring some Josh Reynolds style aggression to the No.6 jersey. Jacob Liddle is likely to start the season at hooker ahead of Jake Simpkin with both playing for their future following the club’s decision to sign Apisai Koroisau for 2023.
"I'm a Bronco" ????
Join Reyno on Round 1 ➡️ https://t.co/L5KINYwUop pic.twitter.com/hL2h5zjHSK
— Brisbane Broncos (@brisbanebroncos) February 1, 2022
Brisbane
The Broncos have lacked a reliable playmaker in recent years and they have solved that problem with the acquisition of Rabbitohs legend Adam Reynolds. He is likely to partner Tyson Gamble in the halves although Albert Kelly is another option at five-eighth. Jake Turpin is a solid hooker while Tesi Niu still needs to prove he can be consistent enough at fullback.
North Queensland
Reece Robson is all but certain to be hooker but the rest of the Cowboys’ spine is up in the air. Valentine Holmes and Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow are battling it out for fullback while new recruit Chad Townsend, Tom Dearden and Scott Drinkwater each have genuine claims to the two halves berths.
Canterbury
Like many of the teams who missed the finals, the Dogs have made big changes and that is represented in their spine. Matt Dufty is on a one-year deal after leaving the Dragons and will get first crack at fullback. Matt Burton will line up at five-eighth after his switch from Penrith with Jake Averillo ahead of Brandon Wakeham and Kyle Flanagan in the race to be his scrum-base comrade. Jeremy Marshall-King and Bailey Biondi-Odo are Trent Barrett’s two main hooking options.
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