Teams are being announced for the second and final round of NRL trials.
All 16 teams will complete their pre-season preparations with eight matches from Friday through until Monday night, kicking off with a double-header at Central Coast Stadium.
Several stars are being rested before round one, which kicks off on March 10, while a lot of players will get their only hit-out leading into the season after sitting out last weekend’s trials.
Jackson Hastings will suit up for the first time as a Wests Tiger in Friday night’s clash with the Roosters in Gosford.
Dragons pair Tariq Sims (calf) and Moses Mbye (thigh) will sit out the Charity Shield on Saturday against Souths in Mudgee.
Brisbane coach Kevin Walters has named Selwyn Cobbo at fullback for their trial with the Cowboys, giving the young gun a chance to replace Tesi Niu (hamstring) in the round-one line-up.
Eels winger Haze Dunster was the unluckiest player from week one of the trials, suffering a season-ending knee injury from a dangerous hip-drop tackle by Dragons forward Tyrell Fuimaono, who has copped a five-game ban.
Sharks duo Braydon Trindall (two games for a high tackle) and Franklin Pele (one game for a shoulder charge) were the only other players rubbed out for the start of the season from the first trial week.
Cameron McInnes (knee) is out for the next month while Matt Moylan is being rested this weekend with Trindall filling in at five-eighth.
Roosters stars James Tedesco and Luke Keary, Cowboys forward Jason Taumalolo and Broncos halfback Adam Reynolds are among the top talent who have already been confirmed as absentees this weekend by their coaches.
North Queensland coach Todd Payten has switched up his backs with Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow to play fullback and Valentine Holmes to line up at centre in their trial against Brisbane in Mackay while Tom Dearden and Scott Drinkwater will get half a game each at five-eighth alongside veteran halfback Chad Townsend.
Latrell Mitchell, who has had his comeback from suspension brought forward to round two after the NRL decided to include the All Stars game as part of his ban, has not been named in South Sydney’s Charity Shield squad.
Lachlan Ilias is slotting into the No.7 jersey left vacant by Reynolds’ switch to the Broncos and is all but certain to start the season alongside Cody Walker.
Raiders fullback Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad will not be in action this weekend after testing positive to COVID-19, with teammates Jordan Rapana, Sam Williams and Matt Frawley also isolating.
Titans coach Justin Holbrook has also contracted COVID-19 and the club said he watch on from home for the Redcliffe clash with the Warriors while assistant Jim Dymock runs the show. David Fifita (ribs), Will Smith (concussion) and new captain Tino Fa’asuamaleaui have been cleared to play.
Shaun Johnson will make his first appearance in a Warriors jersey since 2018 while Chanel Harris-Tavita has been selected at fullback.
Unlike in the regular season when squads must be announced by 4pm on Tuesday, clubs have until the same time on Thursday to do so for the trials.
Sea Eagles
1 Tom Trbojevic
2 Jason Saab
3 Brad Parker
4 Tolu Koula
5 Reuben Garrick
6 Kieran Foran
7 Daly Cherry-Evans (c)
8 Sean Keppie
9 Lachlan Croker
10 Martin Taupau
11 Haumole Olakau’atu
12 Ethan Bullemor
13 Jake Trbojevic
14 Dylan Walker
15 Karl Lawton
16 Taniela Paseka
17 Toff Sipley
18 James Roumanos
19 Kurt De Luis
20 Eiden Ackland
21 Christian Tuipulotu
23 Kaeo Weekes
24 Ben Trbojevic
25 Jorge Taufua
Raiders
Roosters
Interchange
Tigers
Warriors
Interchange
14. Jazz Tevaga
15. Otukinekina Kepu
16. Ben Murdoch-Masila
17. Aaron Pene
18. Bayley Sironen
20. Taniela Otukolo
21. Ash Taylor
22. Edward Kosi
23. Jack Murchie
24. Adam Pompey
25. Junior Ratuva
26 Jayden Corrigan
Titans:
1. Jayden Campbell
2. Phillip Sami
3. Brian Kelly
4. Patrick Herbert
5. Corey Thompson
6. AJ Brimson
7. Toby Sexton
8. Moeaki Fotuaika
9. Erin Clark
10. Jaimin Jolliffe
11. David Fifita
12. Beau Fermor
13. Tino Fa’asuamaleaui ©
Interchange
14. Tanah Boyd
15. Sam Lisone
16. Jarrod Wallace
17. Will Smith
18. Herman Ese’ese
19. Kevin Proctor
20. Sam McIntyre
21. Paul Turner
22. Treymain Spry
23. Greg Marzhew
24. Esan Marsters
Panthers
Eels:
1. Clint Gutherson (c)
2. Sean Russell
3. Will Penisini
4. Waqa Blake
5. Bailey Simonsson
6. Dylan Brown
7. Mitch Moses
8. Reagan Campbell-Gillard
9. Reed Mahoney
10. Junior Paulo (c)
11. Shaun Lane
12. Isaiah Papali’i
13. Ryan Matterson
Interchange
14. Makahesi Makatoa
15. Oregon Kaufusi
16. Ray Stone
17. Jake Arthur
18. Mitch Rein
19. Marata Niukore
20. Ofahiki Ogden
21. Jordan Rankin
22. Brendan Hands
23. Ky Rodwell
24. Bryce Cartwright
25. Hayze Perham
26. Solomone Naiduki
27. Tom Opacic
28. Sam Loizou
Rabbitohs
Interchange
Dragons
Interchange:
Cowboys
Interchange
Broncos
Interchange
Storm
1 Nick Meaney
2 George Jennings
3 Reimis Smith
4 Justin Olam
5 Xavier Coates
6 Cooper Johns
7 Jahrome Hughes
8 Jesse Bromwich
9 Tyran Wishart
10 Christian Welch
11 Felise Kaufusi
12 Kenny Bromwich
13 Josh King
Interchange
14 Sua Fa’alogo
15 Will Warbrick
16 Alec MacDonald
17 Chris Lewis
18 Jayden Nikorima
19 Dean Ieremia
20 Bronson Garlick
21 Trent Loiero
22 Brandon Smith
23 Nelson Asofa-Solomona
24 Cameron Munster
25 Jack Howarth
26 Harry Grant
27 Grant Anderson
Knights
Interchange:
Extended Bench:
Sharks
Bulldogs
1 Matthew Dufty
2 Jayden Okunbor
3 Aaron Schoupp
4 Brent Naden
5 Josh Addo-Carr
6 Matt Burton
7 Jake Averillo
8 Luke Thompson
9 Jeremy Marshall-King
10 Paul Vaughan
11 Jack Hetherington
12 Tevita Pangai Junior
13 Josh Jackson
Interchange
14 Brandon Wakeham
15 Chris Patolo
16 Max King
17 Corey Waddell
19 Khaled Rajeb
20 Braidon Burns
21 Lipoi Hipoi
22 Paul Alamoti
23 Ava Seumanufagai
24 Bailey Biondi-Odo
25 Declan Casey
26 Kyle Flanagan
27 Joe Stimson
28 Jackson Topine
29 Josh Cook
Reckon you can pick the winning team? Build your own dream team with Draftstars daily fantasy and compete on any match. For great odds on the NRL head on over to PlayUp. Imagine what you could be buying instead. Set a deposit limit.
Wayne Bennett has backed the Perth bid in what he predicts will be a 20-team NRL competition within a decade, while insisting his looming…
Aaron Woods on NRL 360 has questioned whether players are pulling the wool over the referees' eyes when it comes to hip-drop tackles, with…
Australia looks set to host the 2026 World Cup after France pulled out of staging the event after the French government reneged on a…
Coaching Queensland and coaching New South Wales might look like similar jobs, but are actually vastly different. The Maroons boss tends to work off…
If Michael Cheika is serious about becoming an NRL coach, he needs to pay his dues with a stint as an assistant or his…
In their last three outings, the Warriors have been outscored, completed fewer sets, conceded more penalties and missed more tackles than their opposition.
