Now they have the added danger of trying to restrict one for the best attacking players in world rugby.

Kurtley Beale, a veteran of 95 games for the Wallabies, has returned to the Galloping Greens and has been named at fly-half for the season opener at No.2 Sportsground on Saturday.

"I have seen how much it means to Kurtley and his family to be back," said Randwick coach Stephen Hoiles, who has played alongside Beale at Randwick, the Waratahs and Wallabies.

"Kurtley is every bit the player, and potentially better, than he was before."

Beale, 35, was stood down by the NSW Waratahs in January 2023 due to legal proceedings against him. A jury in February found Beale not guilty of sexual assault in a Bondi pub.

He returned to Coogee Oval and showed he had lost none of his class in Randwick's 25-18 loss to Brisbane club Brothers in the Australian Club Championship a fortnight ago.

"I reckon he is in better shape than when he was forced out," Hoiles said.

"It was a tough thing he had to go through, but he can use that to his advantage.

"He trained on his own but he hasn't taken the beatings to his body for 12 months. He has worked hard on his speed and has looked dangerous from the second he joined us.

"I think he can have a really couple of good years. He is too good to be playing club rugby all season."

Beale gave a reminder of his class and X-factor against Brothers, opening up the field with a drop of a shoulder and step to set up a try for winger Christian Yasmin.

"Kurtley is the type of player who don't want to put too many restriction on," Hoiles said. "He is also wise enough to play controlled footy when he needs to. He has some good young players around him and has already formed a good relationship our young centre combination of Nick Chan and Jayden Blake."

Beale's younger brother Will died suddenly two days before the game against Brothers. His funeral is on Friday.

"Kurtley has been named to play and will train Thursday night," Hoilles said. "The funeral is on Friday and there is a plan in place if it is too much for him."

Wildfires coach Scott Coleman is preparing for Beale to play

"It adds another danger to them," Coleman said. "He is so smart and so fast. He can do everything.

"It's not just Kurtley Beale. They have Super Rugby players right across the park. We have to limit there time and space. Get up in their face and turn it into an arm wrestle.

"There is no doubts that we are the underdogs. They were the benchmark before getting Kurtley back.

"It will definitely show us where we are at. We have flogged the players during the preseason, so we don't have a true gauge on how we are playing. But training was sharp on Monday. We are quietly confident."

As well as Beale, Randwick, who beat Norths 17-15 in the grand final last year, have Tristan Reilly (winger), Jack Barrett (prop) and James Hendren (fullback) returning from the Waratahs.

"We won't be using lack of players as an excuse," Hoiles said. "We have a good enough team to go up there and win.

"But are playing against a good Newcastle side who are always good at home and have a strong forward pack. They always start the year well."

"You just don't know much about teams at this time of year. Trial form is almost irrelevant in club footy."