NEWCASTLE Rugby League has experienced a busier-than-normal off-season with a raft of high-profile recruits and player movements.
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Coalfields club Maitland arrive as back-to-back premiers with plenty of challengers from among the men's 11-team competition.
Action gets underway with Magic Round at No.2 Sportsground on Saturday, but who will eventually hold the trophy aloft at the end of 2024?
MAITLAND
Coach: Matt Lantry
Last premiership: 2023
Last year: First (won GF)
Gains: Ethan Parry (Kootingal-Moonbi), Jayden Wright (Macquarie).
Losses: Taj Ridley (Souths).
Bottom Line: Pickers no doubt in the premiership mix once again.
Prediction: First
SOUTHS
Coach: Andrew Ryan
Last premiership: 2018
Last year: Second (lost GF)
Gains: Sam Clune (Cessnock), Hunter Dever (Redcliffe), Will Lousick (Macquarie), Matt Moon (Macquarie), Travis Petersen (Rabbitohs), Taj Ridley (Maitland), Brad Russell (Cessnock), Mapu Uasi (Central).
Losses: Jacob Afflick (France), Harry Croker (Tweed), Angus Ernst (Cessnock), Jarom Haines (Kurri), Steve Leask (Lakes), Brendon Simpson (retired).
Bottom Line: Lions keen to go one better this year.
Prediction: Second
THE ENTRANCE
Coach: Jamy Forbes
Last premiership: Nil
Last year: Fifth (minor SF)
Gains: Blake Austin (Castleford), Nick Newman (Erina), Brendan O'Hagan (Wynnum-Manly), Tony Pellow (Cessnock).
Losses: Troy Adams (Central Coast), Jacob Kernick, Adam McInnes (Central Coast), Kyle McLean (not playing), Tim Nawaqatabu (Central Coast), Will Pearsall (retired), Haydan Ritchie (Roosters).
Bottom Line: Major signings strengthen spine for the Tigers.
Prediction: Third
WESTS
Coach: Rick Stone
Last premiership: 2019
Last year: Sixth
Gains: Kiah Cooper (Hawks), Freeman Forsythe (Knights), Tute Grant (Wildfires - union), Bailey Hartwig (Knights), Ngaruhe Jones (Wildfires - union), Dyllan Parlane (injury), Nathan Ross (Wingham), Warren Schillings (Hawks), Bailey Scholes (Rabbitohs), Will Smith (Wests Tigers), Khyan Weir (Knights).
Losses: Cory Denniss (not playing), Jyris Glamuzina, Isaiah Olsen (Central), Ryan Stig (Knights).
Bottom Line: Rosellas could be the big improvers.
Prediction: Fourth
WYONG
Coach: Mitch Williams
Last premiership: 2009
Last year: Fourth (elimination SF)
Gains: Mathew Meafua (St Marys), Zac Montgomery (Bulldogs), Jake O'Meley (Lakes), Bayden Searle (Macquarie), Jack Stringer (Roosters), Malie Townsend (Ryde-Eastwood), Kyle Tukapua.
Losses: Isaac Akuoko (Macquarie), Lachlan Hanneghan (UK), Nathan Kegg-King (Brisbane Tigers), Brock Molan (injury), Terence Seu Seu (Kurri), Ryan Walsh.
Bottom Line: The Roos loom large for a top-five spot.
Prediction: Fifth
CESSNOCK
Coach: Harry Siejka
Last premiership: 2020 (COVID)
Last year: Third (preliminary final)
Gains: Jack Beagley (Belconnen), Dylan Dukes (Lithgow), Angus Ernst (Souths), Alvin Maungaati (Forbes), Ben Roose (return), Mitch Shaw (West Belconnen), Harvey Spence (Keighley - UK), Jarome Wilson (Waratah-Mayfield), Joe Woodbury (Macquarie), Lewis Young (Keighley - UK).
Losses: Kori Barber (retired), Shane Beale (Macquarie), Riley Brady (Macquarie), Josh Charles (retired), Sam Clune (Souths), Caleb Garvie (Canberra), Tony Pellow (Wyong), Brad Russell (Souths), Lucas Thomson (Macquarie).
Bottom Line: The Goannas remain in the conversation.
Prediction: Sixth
LAKES
Coach: Ian Bourke
Last premiership: 2015
Last year: Eighth
Gains: Matt Cooper (Macquarie), Jeremy Gibson (Macquarie), Steve Leask (Souths), Noah Lutui (Redcliffe), Aaron McGrady (Hawks), Peter Mata'utia (Warrington), Manu Matoka (Hawks), Tayhler-Jesse Paora (Denman), John Toleafoa (Knights), Campbell Woolnough (Macquarie).
Losses: Nash Birch (not playing), Lachlan Fitzhenry, Charley Muir (overseas), Oskar Muir (not playing), Jake O'Meley (Wyong), Daniel Peck (not playing), Rhys Sciglitano, Mitch Williams (retired).
Bottom Line: The Seagulls hope to move up the ranks.
Prediction: Seventh
CENTRAL
Coach: Adam Bettridge
Last premiership: 1949
Last year: Ninth
Gains: Cody Bryant (Macquarie), Ethan Cook (Dudley), Ty Fletcher (Albury), Brock Greacen (Knights), Daniel Melmouth (West Wallsend), Tyrone Nean (Redcliffe), Isaiah Olsen (Wests), Logan Radzievic (Tweed).
Losses: Randall Briggs (Hawks), Sam Kamu (Cessnock), Tom Madden (not playing), Mapu Uasi (Souths), Justin Worley (injured).
Bottom Line: Young squad at the Butcher Boys.
Prediction: Eighth
KURRI KURRI
Coach: Rip Taylor
Last premiership: 1995
Last year: Eleventh (wooden spoon)
Gains: Tye Alchin (Macquarie), Liam Dalibozek (North Sydney - union), Blake Ferguson (Wellington), Liam Foran (Denman), Jarom Haines (Souths), Connor Kirkwood (Macquarie), Tom McKenzie (injury), Jessie O'Connor (Hawks), Terence Seu Seu (Wyong), Kurt Warden (return).
Losses: Temple Kalepo (Knights), Jye Linnane (injured), John Suli, Unaloto Suli, Tamakaimoana Whareaorere (Knights).
Bottom Line: Clean slate for Bulldogs with a new mentor.
Prediction: Ninth
MACQUARIE
Coach: Jye Bayley
Last premiership: 2017
Last year: Seventh
Gains: Isaac Akuoko (Wyong), Brent Barnes (Helensvale), Shane Beale (Cessnock), Riley Brady (Cessnock), Anthony Bucca (Mounties), Emmanuel Cerei (Marist - NZ), Josh Dimmock (return), Beau Dwyer (Waratah-Mayfield), Jackson Greenwood (Tugun), Tyzac Jordan (union), Noah Lester (Sharks), Mitch New (Thirlmere), Alii-Nui Pakutoa (union), Beau Parnell (Singleton), Hainee Ropati (return), Hayden Sutton (Thirlmere), Peni Terepo (Dora Creek), Lucas Thomson (Cessnock), Vai Toutai (Eagle Vale St Andrews), Harry Wilson.
Losses: Tye Alchin (Kurri), Callan Briggs (Hawks), Cody Bryant (Central), Matt Cooper (Lakes), Beau Gerrard (union), Royce Geoffrey (Dora Creek), Jeremy Gibson (Lakes), Luke Higgins (France), Kerrod Holland (retired), Connor Kirkwood (Kurri), Will Lousick (Souths), Jordy Mitchell (Greta-Branxton), Matt Moon (Souths), Jordan Pope (relocated), Bayden Searle (Wyong), Bobby Treacy (retired), Billy-Jo Towers, Jayden Wright (Maitland), Joe Woodbury (Cessnock), Campbell Woolnough (Lakes).
Bottom Line: Massive roster overhaul for Scorpions.
Prediction: Tenth
NORTHERN HAWKS
Coach: Brad Tighe
Last premiership: Nil
Last year: Tenth
Gains: Callan Briggs (Macquarie), Randall Briggs (Central), Ethan Ferguson (Rabbitohs), Tyson Hodge, Tyler Randell (return), Ryan Weatherall (Dudley).
Losses: Macauley Aoake (Dudley), Scott Briggs (retired), Kiah Cooper (Wests), Kendyll Fahey (Dora Creek), Kurtis Langdon (Raymond Terrace), Aaron McGrady (Lakes), Manu Matoka (Lakes), Jessie O'Connor (Kurri), Warren Schillings (Wests), Josh Toole (injured).
Bottom Line: Another challenge second year in.
Prediction: Eleventh
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Josh Callinan
My name is Josh Callinan and I'm a sports journalist at the Newcastle Herald. I started with the newspaper in 2016 after a decade at the Maitland Mercury.
My name is Josh Callinan and I'm a sports journalist at the Newcastle Herald. I started with the newspaper in 2016 after a decade at the Maitland Mercury.
