2022 Pre-season trials: Week one squad announcements

Raiders: Star fullback Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad will start at halfback after Sam Williams tested positive to COVID. Matt Frawley was also ruled out as a close contact, giving rookie Adrian Trevilyan an opportunity at dummy half.

Emerging speedster Xavier Savage given a chance to stake his claim for the lime green No.1 jersey in his team's opening trial against the Roosters. Nicoll-Klokstad was initially named on the bench. 

Canberra captain Jarrod Croker plays his first game back from a knee injury that threatened to derail his 2022 season before it had begun.

In a side with relatively few NRL regulars, former Bulldog Adam Elliott plays his first game for his new club, Albert Hopoate gets a chance on the wing and Corey Horsburgh starts at prop.

Roosters: Trent Robinson's squad is headlined by Lachlan Lam, Adam Keighran, Drew Hutchison, Tuku Hau Tapuha, Ben Marschke, Naufahu Whyte and new signing Kevin Naiqama.

Hau Tapuha was initially named on the bench but the Maori All Stars representative will start the match in the frontrow, while Lam will captain the team from fullback.

Sandon Smith, Siua Wong, Vuate Karawalevu and Ronald Volkman have come through the club's pathways system and will get their first taste of NRL-standard football. 

Wests Tigers v Sea Eagles, Friday 8.00pm at Leichhardt Oval

Wests Tigers: Michael Maguire will give most of his likely starting side a run against the Sea Eagles with Luke Brooks, David Nofoaluma, James Tamou and new recruit Tyrone Peachey all named.

English centre Oliver Gildart will also get his first taste on Australian soil but Maguire has kept Jackson Hastings in cotton wool for at least another week.

Sea Eagles: Des Hasler has named two squads for Friday’s trip to Leichhardt with the team to play the first half featuring Dally M Medal winner Tom Trbojevic, pointscoring machine Reuben Garrick and key playmakers Kieran Foran and Daly Cherry-Evans.

Martin Taupau and Taniela Paseka will lead the way up front while former Bronco Ethan Bullemor makes his club debut in the back row.

Exciting youngster Tolu Koulao has been named on the bench in the first half team and at fullback for the second half.

Fellow young guns Ben Trbojevic and Kaeo Weekes are also touted for bright futures after recently signing contract extensions, while Zac Fulton - the grandson of Immortal and Manly great Bob Fulton – also gets a run in Team B.

Storm v Warriors, Saturday 4.00pm at Casey Fields, Melbourne

Storm: Star five-eighth Cameron Munster will start the match in jersey No.24 with Cooper Johns (calf) dropping out. The rest of the squad is unchanged.

Bandon Smith, Harry Grant and Munster headline a squad that includes Maroons flyer Xavier Coates, former Bulldog Nick Meaney, ex-Knight Josh King and comeback kid Jayden Nikorima all making their club debut.

Coates is out to fill the void left by Josh Addo-Carr's move to Canterbury while Nikorima is hoping to play his fist NRL game since 2016 at the Roosters.

Former Rabbitoh and Rooster Sean Garlick's son Bronson plays his first game for the Storm as does Cole Geyer, the son of club legend and 1999 premiership hero Matt Geyer. 

George Jennings has been handed the honour of captaining the side.

Warriors: Nathan Brown has made some positional changes with Chanel Harris-Tavita to play fullback in jersey No.17 and Reece Walsh going to the bench. Dallin Watene-Zelezniak will play wing and Jesse Arthars lines up at centre.

Jazz Tevaga starts at hooker in jersey No.14 on the back-up from the All Stars, sending Taniela Otukolo to the interchange. Bayley Sironen gets a start at lock in No.18, Bunty Afoa goes to prop and Matt Lodge to the bench.

Ash Taylor gets his chance to stake a claim in the halves alongside Kodi Nikorima.

Rabbitohs v Cowboys, Saturday 5.00pm (AEST), 6.00pm (AEDT) at Barlow Park, Cairns

Rabbitohs: New coach Jason Demetriou has made a number of late changes to his line-up for Saturday's pre-season trial against North Queensland in Cairns, with Blake Taaffe, Lachlan Ilias and Raiders recruit Siliva Havili ruled out.

Dean Hawkins will start the match at halfback, with Jacob Gagai to play fullback and Shaquai Mitchell moving from the interchange to the frontrow after an impressive performance for the Indigenous All Stars last weekend.

Mitchell will be out to make an impression on Demetriou with some quality minutes in Cairns.

Richie Kennar returns to Redfern after three seasons in Brisbane and will line up one one wing with NSW Cup graduate Zane Bijorac on the other.

Cowboys: Fijian Rugby 7s sensation Iosefo Baleiwairiki is set to make his first appearance for the Cowboys in Saturday night’s trial against the Rabbitohs in Cairns.

Riley Price, the son of former Bulldogs and Warriors captain Steve Price, will also make his first-grade debut for the Cowboys at lock, along with another rising star, Jake Bourke. The rookie playmaker spent the pre-season with the NRL squad and impressed in a trial last weekend with the Cowboys Young Guns side.

Fullback Tom Chester is another rookie given his chance against Souths after being labelled by Payten as “the best on the field by a mile” against the Northern Pride.

Titans v Broncos, Saturday 7.00pm (AEST), 8.00pm (AEDT) at Cbus Super Stadium

Titans: Kevin Proctor, David Fifita, Erin Clark, Will Smith and Patrick Herbert are all being rested after taking part in the All Stars game but Esan Marsters has been named.

New skipper Tino Fa’asuamaleaui is being held back another week but his younger brother Iszac, who is on a train and trial deal, will make his club debut off the bench.

Former Warrior Paul Turner also gets his first run in Titans colours and is expected to partner Toby Sexton in the halves.

Broncos: Indigenous All Stars representatives Selwyn Cobbo and Albert Kelly plus Maori All Star TC Robati, will back up for Brisbane's second trial of 2022 while Kotoni Staggs and Pat Carrigan are also included in the squad.

Saturday night's clash against the Titans on the Gold Coast will be the first back in Brisbane for Billy Walters, son of coach Kevin, after his move from Wests Tigers.

Payne Haas and Ryan James have both reported soreness during the week and won't play, despite originally being named at the start of the week.

Sharks v Panthers, Sunday 4.00pm at CommBank Stadium

Sharks: New coach Craig Fitzgibbon is keeping his powder dry this week with Braydon Trindall, Braden Hamlin-Uele, Teig Wilton and Siosifa Talakai the only regular NRL players getting a run.

Plenty of fresh faces in the backline, including Kade Dykes, son of Adam Dykes who played 183 games for the Sharks across two stints and helped them to the 1997 Super League grand final.

Panthers: With Nathan Cleary recovering from shoulder surgery and Jarome Luai resting, Panhers fans will get their first look at Sean O'Sullivan as he partners up in the halves with fellow local junior Kurt Falls.

No members of the 2021 grand final side will play this week although there is plenty of NRL experience with Charlie Staines, Robert Jennings, Mitch Kenny, Matt Eisenhuth and Chris Smith.

The bench features a famous Penrith name with Mark Geyer's son Mavrik getting his chance to impress.

Eels v Dragons, Sunday 6.00pm at CommBank Stadium

Eels: Outgoing Eels hooker Reed Mahoney will play his first footy since a season-ending shoulder injury last year, while experienced edge forward Shaun Lane will captain the club for the first time in this weekend's trial against the Dragons.

The Sunday evening clash at CommBank Stadium will feature club debuts for former Raiders winger Bailey Simsonsson, veteran hooker Mitch Rein and former Bulldogs prop Ofahiki Ogden.

Emerging NRL stars Haze Dunster, Will Penisini, Hayze Perham, Sean Russell and Makahesi Makatoa will get their chances to stake claims for bigger roles in 2022 while coach Brad Arthur has named son Jake at halfback alongside journeyman Jordan Rankin in the absence of senior halves Mitch Moses and Dylan Brown.

Dragons: Andrew McCullough is back from an ankle injury to skipper a Dragons side boasting a good mix of youth and experience with young guns Tyrell Sloan, Talatau Amone and Max Feagai featuring in the backline and old heads Josh McGuire and George Burgess in the pack.

Moses Mbye is keeping the No.7 jersey warm for Ben Hunt but will be hoping to make the most of his opportunity to press claims for a spot in the 17 when the season proper kicks off against the Warriors.

New recruits Francis Molo, Moses Suli, Jack Gosiewski and Tautau Moga all step out for their first game in the Red V.

Knights v Bulldogs, Monday 7.00pm at McDonald Jones Stadium

Knights: Adam O’Brien will unleash superstar fullback Kalyn Ponga, blockbusting centre Bradman Best and former Rabbitoh Dane Gagai in a classy backline for Monday’s clash with the Bulldogs.

Gagai is back in Newcastle after a successful four-year stint at Redfern and his experience will be invaluable as the Knights look to go further into the finals in 2022.

Former Dragon Adam Clune has been handed the reins at halfback and he should get plenty of time and space to operate with David Klemmer, Tyson Frizell and the Saifiti brothers clearing a path for him.

Bulldogs: Star recruit Matt Dufty dons the Bulldogs jersey for the first time in Newcastle and he'll be joined by his former Dragons team-mate Paul Vaughan and former Bronco-turned-Panther Tevita Pangai junior. The other new faces are Reece Hoffman (Wests Tigers), Max King (Storm) and Josh Cook (Rabbitohs) while superstars Josh Addo-Carr, Brent Naden and Matt Burton will be saved for another week.

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