Former Warrington and Leigh men set for NRL bows as St Helens star dropped to NSW Cup

Former Warrington Wolves ace Matty Nicholson and Leigh Leopards star Kai O’Donnell will both make their debuts for their new clubs Canberra Raiders and North Queensland Cowboys this weekend. 

The duo both left Super League at the end of the 2024 season to pursue careers in the NRL, and will now both feature this weekend for their respective new employers.

Elsewhere, former St Helens star Lewis Dodd misses out on the South Sydney Rabbitohs 17-man squad, but will make his NSW Cup debut this weekend.

There are also plenty of Brits in action in the NRL this weekend, and here is a full rundown of all the teams for round two of the regular season.

Thursday 13th March

Newcastle Knights v Dolphins

McDonald Jones Stadium

Knights: 1 Kalyn Ponga (C), 2 James Schiller, 3 Dane Gagai, 4 Bradman Best, 5 Greg Marzhew, 6 Fletcher Sharpe, 7 Jack Cogger, 8 Jacob Saifiti, 9 Phoenix Crossland, 10 Leo Thompson, 11 Dylan Lucas, 12 Kai Pearce-Paul, 13 Tyson Frizell

Interchanges: 14 Jayden Brailey, 15 Jack Hetherington, 16 Adam Elliott, 17 Mat Croker

Dolphins: 1 Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow, 2 Jamayne Isaako, 3 Jake Averillo, 4 Herbie Farnworth, 5 Junior Tupou, 6 Kodi Nikorima, 7 Isaiya Katoa, 8 Daniel Saifiti, 9 Jeremy Marshall-King, 10 Felise Kaufusi, 11 Oryn Keeley, 12 Max Plath, 13 Tom Gilbert

Interchanges: Kurt Donoghoe, Josh Kerr, Mark Nicholls, Ray Stone

Friday 14th March

New Zealand Warriors v Manly Sea Eagles

Go Media Stadium

Warriors: 1 Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad, 2 Taine Tuaupiki, 3 Ali Leiataua, 4 Adam Pompey, 5 Roger Tuivasa-Sheck, 6 Chanel Harris-Tavita, 7 Luke Metcalf, 8 James Fisher-Harris, 9 Wayde Egan, 10 Mitchell Barnett, 11 Kurt Capewell, 12 Marata Niukore, 13 Erin Clark

Interchanges: 14 Dylan Walker, 15 Jackson Ford, 16 Demitric Vaimauga, 17 Leka Halasima

Sea Eagles: 1 Tom Trbojevic, 2 Jason Saab, 3 Tolutau Koula, 4 Reuben Garrick, 5 Lehi Hopoate, 6 Luke Brooks, 7 Daly Cherry-Evans, 8 Taniela Paseka, 9 Jazz Tevaga, 10 Josh Aloiai, 11 Haumole Olakau’atu, 12 Ben Trbojevic, 13 Jake Trbojevic

Interchanges: 14 Jake Simpkin, 15 Corey Waddell, 16 Ethan Bullemor, 17 Toafofoa Sipley

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Penrith Panthers v Sydney Roosters

CommBank Stadium

Panthers: 1 Dylan Edwards, 2 Casey McLean, 3 Izack Tago, 4 Paul Alamoti, 5 Brian To’o, 6 Jack Cole, 7 Nathan Cleary, 8 Moses Leota, 9 Mitch Kenny, 10 Lindsay Smith, 11 Scott Sorensen, 12 Liam Martin, 13 Isaah Yeo

Interchanges: 14 Daine Laurie, 15 Isaiah Papali’i, 16 Matthew Eisenhuth, 17 Luke Garner

Roosters: 1 James Tedesco, 2 Daniel Tupou, 3 Mark Nawaqanitawase, 4 Robert Toia, 5 Dominic Young, 6 Sandon Smith, 7 Chad Townsend, 8 Lindsay Collins, 9 Connor Watson, 10 Naufahu Whyte, 11 Angus Crichton, 12 Siua Wong, 13 Salesi Foketi

Interchanges: 14 Zach Dockar-Clay, 15 Makahesi Makatoa, 16 Blake Steep, 17 Taylor Losalu

Saturday 15th March

St George Illawarra Dragons v South Sydney Rabbitohs

WIN Stadium

Dragons: 1 Clinton Gutherson, 2 Mathew Feagai, 3 Moses Suli, 4 Valentine Holmes, 5 Christian Tuipulotu, 6 Kyle Flanagan, 7 Lachlan Ilias, 8 Toby Couchman, 9 Damien Cook, 10 Emre Guler, 11 Luciano Leilua, 12 Jaydn Su’A, 13 Jack De Belin

Interchanges: 14 Jacob Liddle, 15 Blake Lawrie, 16 Raymond Faitala-Mariner, 17 Hamish Stewart

Rabbitohs: 1 Jye Gray, 2 Isaiah Tass, 3 Fletcher Myers, 4 Campbell Graham, 5 Bayleigh Bentley-Hape, 6 Cody Walker, 7 Jamie Humphreys, 8 Sean Keppie, 9 Peter Mamouzelos, 10 Davvy Moale, 11 Keaon Koloamatangi, 12 Jai Arrow, 13 Lachlan Hubner

Interchanges: 14 Jayden Sullivan, 15 Siliva Havili, 16 Tallis Duncan, 17 Tevita Tatola

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North Queensland Cowboys v Cronulla Sharks

Queensland Country Bank Stadium

Cowboys: 1 Scott Drinkwater, 2 Braidon Burns, 3 Jaxon Purdue, 4 Viliami Vailea, 5 Murray Taulagi, 6 Tom Dearden, 7 Thomas Duffy, 8 Jordan McLean, 9 Reece Robson, 10 Sam McIntyre, 11 John Bateman, 12 Kai O’Donnell, 13 Reuben Cotter

Interchanges: 14 Karl Lawton, 15 Harrison Edwards, 16 Griffin Neame, 17 Coen Hess

Sharks: 1 William Kennedy, 2 Samuel Stonestreet, 3 Jesse Ramien, 4 Kayal Iro, 5 Ronaldo Mulitalo, 6 Braydon Trindall, 7 Nicholas Hynes, 8 Addin Fonua-Blake, 9 Blayke Brailey, 10 Oregon Kaufusi, 11 Briton Nikora, 12 Teig Wilton, 13 Cameron McInnes

Interchanges: 14 Daniel Atkinson, 15 Siosifa Talakai, 16 Braden Hamlin-Uele, 17 Thomas Hazelton

Canberra Raiders v Brisbane Broncos

GIO Stadium

Raiders: 1 Kaeo Weekes, 2 Savelio Tamale, 3 Matthew Timoko, 4 Sebastian Kris, 5 Albert Hopoate, 6 Ethan Strange, 7 Jamal Fogarty, 8 Josh Papalii, 9 Tom Starling, 10 Corey Horsburgh, 11 Hudson Young, 12 Zac Hosking, 13 Morgan Smithies

Interchanges: 14 Owen Pattie, 15 Simi Sasagi, 16 Matty Nicholson, 17 Ata Mariota

Broncos: 1 Reece Walsh, 2 Selwyn Cobbo, 3 Deine Mariner, 4 Gehamat Shibasaki, 5 Jesse Arthars, 6 Ben Hunt, 7 Adam Reynolds, 8 Patrick Carrigan,9 Cory Paix, 10 Payne Haas,11 Jack Gosiewski, 12 Jordan Riki, 13 Kobe Hetherington

Interchanges: 14 Billy Walters, 15 Corey Jensen, 16 Xavier Willison, 17 Brendan Piakura

Sunday 16th March

Paramatta Eels v Wests Tigers: 

CommBank Stadium

Eels: 1 Isaiah Iongi, 2 Sean Russell, 3 Will Penisini, 4 Zac Lomax, 5 Jordan Samrani, 6 Dylan Brown, 7 Ronald Volkman, 8 Joe Ofahengaue, 9 Brendan Hands, 10 Junior Paulo, 11 Shaun Lane, 12 Jack Williams, 13 J’maine Hopgood

Interchanges: 14 Ryley Smith, 15 Matt Doorey, 16 Kitione Kautoga, 17 Sam Tuivaiti

Tigers: 1 Jahream Bula, 2 Sunia Turuva, 3 Adam Doueihi, 4 Starford To’a, 5 Jeral Skelton, 6 Lachlan Galvin, 7 Jarome Luai, 8 Terrell May, 9 Apisai Koroisau, 10 Fonua Pole, 11 Samuela Fainu, 12 Alex Seyfarth, 13 Alex Twal

Interchanges: 14 Tallyn Da Silva, 15 Royce Hunt, 16 Jack Bird, 17 Sione Fainu

Canterbury Bulldogs v Gold Coast Titans

Belmore Sports Ground

Bulldogs: 1 Connor Tracey, 2 Blake Wilson, 3 Bronson Xerri, 4 Stephen Crichton, 5 Marcelo Montoya, 6 Matt Burton, 7 Toby Sexton, 8 Max King, 9 Reed Mahoney, 10 Daniel Suluka-Fifita, 11 Viliame Kikau, 12 Jacob Preston, 13 Kurt Mann

Interchanges: 14 Bailey Hayward, 15 Sitili Tupouniua, 16 Josh Curran, 17 Jaeman Salmon

Titans: 1 Keano Kini, 2 Alofiana Khan-Pereira, 3 Brian Kelly, 4 Phillip Sami, 5 Jojo Fifita, 6 AJ Brimson, 7 Jayden Campbell, 8 Moeaki Fotuaika, 9 Sam Verrills, 10 Reagan Campbell-Gillard, 11 Klese Haas, 12 Beau Fermor, 13 Tino Fa’asuamaleaui

Interchanges: 14 Chris Randall, 15 David Fifita, 16 Jaimin Jolliffe, 17 Brock Gray

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