Matchday Details
Sunday, 1 March 2026 – 1:15pm (AEDT) – Allegiant Stadium, Las Vegas
📺 Broadcast: Fox League / Kayo
Referee: Ashley Klein | Bunker: Chris Butler
Newcastle Knights
1. Kalyn Ponga, 2. Dominic Young, 3. Dane Gagai, 4. Bradman Best, 5. Greg Marzhew, 6. Fletcher Sharpe, 7. Dylan Brown, 8. Jacob Saifiti, 9. Phoenix Crossland, 10. Trey Mooney, 11. Dylan Lucas, 12. Jermaine McEwen, 13. Tyson Frizell, 14. Sandon Smith, 15. Mat Croker, 16. Thomas Cant, 17. Pasami Saulo, 18. Fletcher Hunt, 19. Francis Manuleleua, 20. Tyson Gamble, 21. Cody Hopwood, 22. James Schiller.
North Queensland Cowboys
1. Scott Drinkwater, 2. Braidon Burns, 3. Jaxon Purdue, 4. Tom Chester, 5. Murray Taulagi, 6. Jake Clifford, 7. Tom Dearden, 8. Coen Hess, 9. Reed Mahoney, 10. Jason Taumalolo, 11. Heilum Luki, 12. Sam McIntyre, 13. Reuben Cotter, 14. Soni Luke, 15. Thomas Mikaele, 16. Harrison Edwards, 17. Kai O’Donnell, 18. Griffin Neame, 19. John Bateman, 20. Liam Sutton, 21. Matthew Lodge, 22. Robert Derby.
Match Preview
The first game of the 2026 NRL season kicks off in Las Vegas, with the Newcastle Knights taking on the North Queensland Cowboys. Both teams will be looking to start their season with a win after disappointing performances in 2025. The Knights finished in 17th with the wooden spoon, and the Cowboys finished 12th. The motivation will be high for both sides, as a long trip home from Las Vegas will be made even worse with a opening round loss.
For the Knights, Kalyn Ponga is named to start at fullback despite taking no part in the pre-season trials. Fletcher Sharpe is named at five-eighth and will partner Dylan Brown in the halves, who himself makes his club debut at halfback. Trey Mooney and Sandon Smith make their club debuts, with Mooney starting at prop and Smith named on the bench. Jermaine McEwen is named at the vacant right edge second row spot, with Thomas Cant named on the bench.
For the Cowboys, Jeremiah Nanai will miss the start of the season after undergoing shoulder surgery in the off-season. Following strong trial form, Heilum Luki and Sam McIntyre start in the second row. Reed Mahoney makes his club debut at hooker. Jake Clifford wins the five-eighth role, with Jaxon Purdue named to start at centre. Kyle Laybutt will miss the first two weeks through suspension, with Tom Chester named to return from an ACL injury at centre.
All eyes will be on the Knights’ spine in this game. Ponga undoubtedly holds the key to the side’s attack, as he did much of last season. Given he was left out of the pre-season trials, it’s hard to get a gauge on how he will return. In addition, the arrival of Brown will be an interesting watch. He is named at halfback and with Sharpe at five-eighth – who is a run-first half – the onus will be on Brown to lead the team with his kicking game. The Cowboys’ defence has proved vulnerable in the past, but with new combinations in the Knights’ spine, it remains to be seen if they can build enough pressure in attack to cause the Cowboys any difficulty.
The Cowboys come into this season with a settled spine and very few disruptions in the pre-season. Traditionally a team that likes to get into an attacking shootout, they showed signs in the trials that’s still their preferred style. A notable standout in those trials was Clifford, whose form has forced Todd Payten to name him at five-eighth. This is despite Purdue spending a large chunk of the pre-season training in the halves. Clifford’s kicking game and combination with Scott Drinkwater has been deadly, a combination the Knights’ edge defence will need to weary of if they want to avoid leaking points. Mahoney is another player to watch as he makes a fresh start at the Cowboys. Boasting impressive trial form of his own, expect Mahoney to be heavily involved from dummy-half, creating plenty of opportunities against tired Knights forwards around the ruck as fatigue enters the game.
The Knights carry a nine-game losing streak into this match-up and have not beaten the Cowboys since 2021. Tom Dearden is on a tryscoring hot streak against the Knights – he’s scored a try in the last five games he’s played against them.
Prediction
RLZ Tip: Cowboys by 10
Bold call: Braidon Burns to score a hat-trick against a Knights left edge that struggled defensively last year.
