The teams are out for the opening week of the pre-season challenge, with the St George Illawarra Dragons, Canterbury Bulldogs, Newcastle Knights and North Queensland Cowboys heading to Kogarah to get things underway.
Plenty of top stars are sitting out, but that creates opportunities for others to impress and potentially push for spots in Round 1, while an eye will also be on the future in multiple positions.
Here are the ten players to watch this weekend.
Pre-season challenge Week 1 team lists
3. Ryan Couchman (St George Illawarra Dragons)
The Dragons' forward - and brother of breakout prop Toby - has been named to make his return from a long-term injury this weekend in the Dragons' first trial, and will be immediately pushing for minutes and game time.
He was set to be on the fringes of the first-grade squad for Shane Flanagan in 2025, but exactly where he stands coming into 2026 is well and truly up for dispute simply because of Dylan Egan's injury.
While positive stories have emerged around the fitness of Luciano Leilua on Thursday, with the second-rower dropping as many as 15 kilograms, the fact Couchman can play in the middle or on the edge could make him a valuable prospect off the bench in the early part of the season for the Red V.
Intriguingly, he plays alongside Jacob Halangahu, and the pair could well be in a straight up shootout for a Round 1 berth in Flanagan's side to tackle the Bulldogs in Las Vegas.
