The Wildfires kick off their 2024 campaign against defending premiers Randwick at No.2 Sportsground on Saturday.

Puli'uvea, 33, is in his third season for the Wildfires.

They just missed the semi-finals in 2022 and went a step further last season, going down 23-17 to eventual grand finalists Norths in a controversial quarter-final.

"We have certainly jumped into that premiership window," Puli'uvea told the Newcastle Herald.

"From 2022 to last season, was a big step. In 2022 we just missed the finals with a format of eight teams. Last year, we scraped into in a six-team finals format after being on top of the competition for a period.

"We have built on last year and there is an expectation that finals is the minimum standard. Guys coming to the club feel that. We want to be the team to beat."

The Wildfires, who had Wallabies coach Joe Schmidt and Rugby Australia boss Phil Waugh as guests at the season launch on Friday, were readmitted to Shute Shield full-time in 2021 after a 21-year absence.

Puli'uvea had spent eight years in Brisbane, where he captained Wests to the semi-finals and played three seasons in the now-defunct National Rugby Championships with Queensland Country and Brisbane City.

"I was always going to come home and play for the Wildfires once I knew they were in the Shute Shield," the 199cm, 124 kilogram lock said.

The Wildfires, despite making the finals for the first time in history last year, were left to ponder what if.

They won six of the opening seven rounds, including a 31-24 triumph over Randwick, to sit on top of the table.

However, fatigue and injuries took a toll. They dropped four of the final five games to limp into the finals.

"We have spoken about peaking at the right time of the season," Puli'uvea said. "Last year we had a little bit of mental burnout.

"More so playing finals footy at that level was new for a lot of guys. Now we have a better understanding of momentum swings and how to counter them."

Former Western Force prop Bo Abro, a late-season addition in 2023, has linked with the Wildfires full-time and has been joined up front by Tau Koalamatangi, who played for Tonga at the World Cup last year.

Puli'uvea, who is part of a three-way leadership group alongside fly-half Nate De Thierry and hooker Andrew Tuala (injured), is in the best shape since returning to Newcastle.

"I have dropped about 12kg," he said "I focused on the gym in the off-season and am feeling good.

"A lot of the guys have been here three and four years now. We have guys who have come through colts. It's an exciting time.

"Ben Wood has come back from Spain and is more experienced. I'm excited for Nate to step back into a leadership role in the backline. Ueta Tufaga is primed for a good season in the midfield. Brendan Palmer is a young excitement machine."

Wildfires coach Scott Coleman has made no secret of his desire for a premiership, but he knows the size of the task ahead.

"We have to build on what we did last year," Coleman said. "The competition will be very strong. It definitely gets harder and harder each year."

And it starts with Randwick. The Galloping Greens have named former Wallaby Kurtley Beale, but he may not play. Beale's brother died two weeks ago and his funeral was on Friday.

"It is going to be a good test for us," Coleman said. "They are the Randwick of old and play at a high pace. They were phenomenal last year. You add Kurtley Beale to that it is dangerous.

"We have to win the collision areas, win our set piece and disturb theirs. At the breakdown, we have to compete hard and slow their ball down."

Randwick coach Stephen Hoiles is wary of the Wildfires, especially at home.

"From what I have seen, they want to play with the footy more from their end. That won't replace having a good set piece, which is their bread and butter.

"We are hungry. We know we are not going to play our best footy in the first month. That doesn't mean we can't win. We want to win and learn along the way.

"We had four losses last year and had three of them in the opening five rounds. We lost to the Wildfires, Norths and Sydney Uni. We ust didn't click in attack."