Can $13 million dollar recruit Dylan Brown live up to his potential on the big stage?
Have the Cowboys and Bulldogs finally locked down halves pairings to kick off the 2026 season?
And can the Dragons bounce back after a crushing loss to a half-baked Rabbitohs squad?
WHAT’S GAMBLING REALLY COSTING YOU? Set a deposit limit. For Free and confidential support call 1800 858 858 or visit gamblinghelponline.org.au.
Watch all three games of Rugby League in Las Vegas live and ad-break free during play is Fox League, available on Kayo | New to Kayo? Join now and get your first month for just $1.
Here are the biggest talking points ahead of the 2026 Las Vegas season opener.
CAN DYLAN BROWN LIVE UP TO HIS POTENTIAL?
The biggest question on the minds of Newcastle fans is whether or not Dylan Brown can live up to his $13 million potential.
The halfback will have a lot to prove this season after signing the richest deal in NRL history when he left Parramatta and signed a 10-year contract with the Knights.
For months, fans has debated if this was a stroke of genius or the worst move for the club, yet Brown will finally have the chance to prove himself when he takes on the Cowboys in Las Vegas this Saturday.
Throughout the pre-season, the Knights were seen training heavily with a halves pairing of Brown alongside fellow new recruit, Sandon Smith.
Meanwhile, during their final trial match against the Bulldogs, Brown spent time on the right side of the field, giving room for Fletcher Sharpe to continue to play on the left.
In the end it was Sharpe, who played in the halves last season and was pulled for hamstring tightness during the last trial game, who got the nod in the five-eighth jumper next to Brown.
It means the former Eel will be leaned on even more heavily as an organising halfback, giving the dynamic Sharpe the chance to play off of him.
But Cooper Cronk is not sold on the idea of Brown as the halfback and chief playmaker of the Knights, explaining that it takes away from what he does best.
“I think he has done all his great work with the No.6 on his back,” Cronk said of Brown on NRL 360.
“He is a dominant left-sided player. Fletcher Sharpe is a talent, a try-scorer and a line breaker.
“Brown is going to have to play out of his skin and we have seen historically when a five-eighth tries to play halfback, like Jarome Luai last year, they lose their dynamic thrust running forward and they start trying to service everyone in the team and doing things that a traditional halfback has done.
“Brown has a great running game, so if he keeps that up maybe he can get the job done. But I’m worried about their kicking game and nailing their last plays with Brown being the main guy.”
Get all the latest news, highlights and analysis delivered straight to your inbox with Fox Sports NRL Sportmail. Sign up now!!!
However, Cronk believes the fact the Knights have a third playmaker in Kalyn Ponga could help Brown’s halfback experiment work.
“I think Kalyn Ponga can be an everywhere man for the Knights,” Cronk explained.
“He can be fullback, first receiver, second receiver, the main kicker.
“If Ponga gets back to Dally M Medal winning form, I think it can massage some of the gaps.”
Michael Ennis, who has worked with Brown and knows how much of a game-changer he can be at his best form, is unconvinced he will find that right away especially if in a role that doesn’t play into his strengths.
“I love him as a No.6 and a left-sided player. I love his form and the freedom that he played with for New Zealand last year,” Ennis said.
“It was evident just how important Kieran Foran and that type of experienced halfback inside him helped Brown play his best footy.
“He has played his best footy with Mitch Moses, who is a genuine No.7.”
Ennis compared it to the situation at the Gold Coast, where the Titans have tried to find a place for Jayden Campbell, Keano Kini and AJ Brimson and constantly shuffled their spine in a bid to fit them all together.
It makes sense because all three are talented, as is the case with Sharpe, but Ennis questioned if having him in the halves is the best move for the team’s make-up as a whole.
“Is Sharpe better off playing on the wing and being able to roam mid-field and play as a second fullback and allow Sandon Smith to run the footy team at No.7?” he asked.
For what it’s worth, The Daily Telegraph’s Brent Read said O’Brien made the “right call”, arguing Sharpe is too good a player to leave on the wing or out of the team and that Ponga can help relieve the pressure on Brown to lead the team.
It is a similar argument to the one Cronk made, and Braith Anasta agreed Ponga is the ace up Justin Holbrook’s sleeve with his Round 1 halves combination.
“Ponga will defend at fullback, but in attack he will play very much like a half and Fletcher Sharpe can then swing back to fullback in attack as well,” Anasta said.
“And they can mix and match, that’s the good thing about the lethal players that they have got is that they can be versatile, but that is hard to come off a pre-season and deliver in Round 1.”
Ultimately, for a team that chopped and changed its halves pairing so much last year, the Knights may benefit from being patient early on and that will be easier this season with a new coach in Holbrook who isn’t under immediate pressure to get results.
But with Brown’s price tag, there is still little doubting he and the Newcastle halves pairing will remain in the headlines until they find the answer.
MORE NRL NEWS
MCKINNON: Why Knights’ $13m gamble can work; ‘bloody scary’ Broncos reality
WHISPERS: Bears lock up versatile Sharks star as next signing targets revealed
‘BUY OR SELL’: Final verdict on Broncos saga; what’s real in Eels hype
‘Ponga will almost play like a half’ | 03:08
COULD ANOTHER LOSS PUT THE DRAGONS IN SPOON DISCUSSIONS?
Following one of the biggest upsets in Charity Shield history, the Dragons’ Vegas game will be a chance to prove their newly formed halves partnership can go toe-to-toe with the rest of the league.
The make-up of Shane Flanagan’s Dragons side has been the source of a lot of contention across the pre-season with new recruit Daniel Atkinson and Kyle Flanagan set to be their first-choice, new-look combination.
After months of speculation on how the pairing would look, the Dragons failed to silence scepticism during the Charity Shield match against the Rabbitohs with the full strength St George Illawarra side losing 28-24 to an undermanned South Sydney team.
Shane Flanagan will be hoping this game is a wake-up call for the side, as another loss this week could put them into early wooden spoon conversations.
The Dragons’ spine showed some promise against the Rabbitohs, with recruit Atkinson breaking through to set up Clint Gutherson for the first try of the night.
The pair were able to again combine later in the game, however veteran hooker Damien Cook dropped the final pass, robbing the side of a try that showed off just how slick the combinations in the spine could look.
Following a poor display from the Dragons spine, many fans have taken to wanting young halfback Kade Reed to start sooner rather than later following a strong performance in the Dragons’ winning trial against the Knights.
However, Shane Flanagan continues to show confidence in his chosen Flanagan-Atkinson pairing and is hopeful to see a better look from the two in Vegas.
“The boys love him. He is good to have around the joint and he has got some real qualities, but his time will come,” the head coach said on the Dragons Den Podcast about the idea of Reed starting.
This weekend is set to be a defining game for the Dragons. If they are able to overcome some messy gameplay and Flanagan and Atkinson are able to lock in as a halves duo, they could put up a solid fight against the Bulldogs.
Otherwise, questions will continue to be asked — especially if the Dragons are in the early stages of a rebuild and could benefit to see what they have in Reed and give him plenty of time to grow without much pressure.
To that effect, Braith Anasta questioned if Atkinson was a halfback or whether he was being fashioned into one because the Dragons need to strengthen that position.
“The problem is Atkinson is a dangerous player and in terms of talent he has probably got a couple of those other guys covered, but is he even a halfback?” Anasta said on NRL 360.
“This is what gets underestimated sometimes. We put five-eighths to halfback and say, it’s the same job. It’s not the same job and we see that with the elite teams compared to the ones down the bottom.
“If you are a No.6 you are a No.6 and if you are a No.7 you are a No.7. Like Lachlan Galvin, we don’t really know if Atkinson can go and play No.7 for a team that is struggling a lot more than the Bulldogs.”
The Daily Telegraph’s Michael Carayannis believes the Dragons desperately needed to improve their end of sets after losing multiple close games in 2025, warning Atkinson hasn’t proven himself as a full-time starting playmaker in the NRL and could take time to do so.
“Daniel Atkinson hasn’t played a lot of footy, he played 16 NRL games last year and started one,” Carayannis said.
“Now he has been thrust into the No.7 jersey. What I have learnt about him the last couple of days is he is extremely confident and settled in his ability to run the side.
“That combination between Kyle Flanagan and Atkinson is something that is going to be a huge talking point.”
It already is, with The Daily Telegraph’s Brent Read not sold on the idea the Dragons have improved their halves by signing Atkinson.
“The jury is out for me,” Read said.
“We haven’t seen a lot of this halves combination at all. He is 25, Atkinson, and he has played 37 first grade games and the vast majority of those off the interchange bench.
“I don’t know how we can declare that their halves are going to be better.”
Get all the latest news, highlights and analysis delivered straight to your inbox with Fox Sports NRL Sportmail. Sign up now!!!
Vegas 2026: Chasing the dream NRL start | 03:17
CAN THE BULLDOGS HALVES GEL?
Following a rollercoaster 2025 season, the Bulldogs will be hoping to see Lachlan Galvin and Matt Burton click in Vegas with their hopes of a premiership season resting on the chemistry of their halves.
Despite injury fears, Burton has declared he is fit to take the field in Vegas following a hamstring scare during the Bulldogs’ trial game against Newcastle.
Burton and Lachlan Galvin emerged as the side’s primary halves pairing in 2025 after the latter joined the club mid-way through the season, replacing Toby Sexton.
Despite the talent of both players, the Bulldogs were unable to find a rhythm in the back end of the season with the side’s attack falling short.
Canterbury had the lowest points scored in the top four (534) by a staggering margin of 120 to their nearest rival in the minor premiership-winning Raiders.
Fox League commentator Dan Ginnane said Galvin never really found his groove last season, but having an entire pre-season with the squad should make a difference.
“It felt like with Galvin last season at the Dogs, he was still searching how he fit into the team,” Ginnane said on the Kayo Sports NRL podcast.
While last season proved the Bulldogs have the tools to be genuine premiership contenders, they will need to find their flow in the halves if they want another chance at competing for a title.
During the pre-season, Galvin and Burton have spent a lot of time together working on their combination with fullback Connor Tracey noting earlier in the month that Galvin has been “unreal” in the pre-season.
Galvin will start the season at halfback, with Burton at five-eighth.
It is a risky move from coach Ciraldo, who has opted to prioritise Galvin at No.7 despite him generally playing better at five-eighth and playing an arguably too similar game to Burton to exist in the same space.
If the pairing is unable to click within the season’s opening weeks, Fox League’s Braith Anasta expects to see new recruit Sean O’Sullivan take on the halfback role sooner than later.
“I’m just hoping they’ve trained the house down in the pre-season and they’ve worked on that combination and Galvin’s going to ice that No. 7 position and Matty steps it up at No.6,” Anasta said.
“They deserve first crack. They’re both elite players and they should be the six and seven, but I’d say a Sullivan on standby.”
Although there is uncertainly around performance, the side has a clear plan with Mitchell Woods waiting in the wings and Bailey Hayward set to take over hooker from Reed Mahoney who joins the Cowboys this season.
There is a lot of pressure on their spine to perform off the bat, and not everyone is convinced the combination of Galvin and Burton can work, with The Daily Telegraph’s Michael Carayannis of the opinion that they are too similar.
“I think the issue is not so much around Lachie Galvin being in the No.7, its that combination between Matt Burton and Lachie Galvin,” Carayannis said on NRL 360.
“I don’t love it. I don’t think it works. I think we’ve got two guys who their best asset is running the footy, playing off the cuff a little bit.
“The question for mine is can they create enough for their outside men. They have some strike outside the Bulldogs. Can those guys do enough to get service to the big-name players that they have on the outside?”
Carayannis would prefer that Galvin move to No.6 with Sean O’Sullivan at halfback and Burton in the centres, seeing Bronson Xerri miss out.
“If you’ve got Crichton and Burton on either edge and you’ve got Sean just being able to kick, pass and get this team around that just frees up all those players,” he said.
2026 SEASON PREVIEWS
SEA EAGLES: Big unknown in new era… and superstar facing make-or-break year
DOLPHINS: They are the ultimate entertainers… but can’t ignore darker reality
EELS: Ruthless roster calls sent a clear message… now revolution faces its biggest test
Brown embracing pressure of price tag | 05:04
HAVE THE COWBOYS LOCKED DOWN A HALVES COMBO?
After a difficult season that saw the side finish 12th in 2025, the Cowboys will be looking to their halves to lead them to victory in round one in Las Vegas.
Throughout the 2025 season, the Cowboys saw multiple changes to their halves combination and have yet to lock down a solid pairing for the 2026 season.
The pre-season saw a halves battle emerge between Jake Clifford and Jaxon Purdue, which Clifford won after two impressive trial game displays.
This will shift Purdue into the centres, alongside Tom Chester who is set to return following an ACL rupture last year and replace Zac Laybutt, who copped a suspension in the Cowboys’ last trial match.
While Dan Ginnane conceded that Purdue is the “future” for the Cowboys, he said the decision to start Clifford was the right one considering he is exactly what this North Queensland team needs right now.
“Clifford is vanilla and no frills, but they win more with him there,” Ginnane said on ‘NRL 360’.
“I know they want Purdue in the halves and maybe that’s the future, but it seems to be a safer bet because they have still got plenty of creators around him and it seems to work for Dearden better when Clifford is there.”
Coach Todd Payten can’t exactly afford to lean too much into the future anyway given he is under pressure to keep his job, meaning he needs to prioritise winning games in the present.
Matty Johns is also a fan of North Queensland’s decision to start Clifford, but warned a strong start is key for Clifford to shine.
“Clifford is a really important one,” Johns said on ‘NRL 360’.
“I really like Jake as a player. The big thing for him is confidence and getting off to a good start in the season. He is a real sensitive bloke and he doesn’t have natural confidence, so he has to get off to a good start.”
Johns, meanwhile, also singled out star recruit Reed Mahoney as vital to getting the best out of the Cowboys spine and particularly the halves.
Payten: I picked team based on trials | 01:01
“Mahoney is so important,” Johns said.
“They all say that Mahoney gets in people’s faces and he is starting to become a caricature of himself.
“He is up there and they have picked him and he has got to be a leader.”
Payten admitted Clifford beat Purdue to the halves role based on his pre-season form, describing the trials as a “bit of a shootout”.
“Jake’s form was really good. He kept things really simple. Both of those guys have got to know and everyone knows this is Tommy Dearden’s team,” he said.
“Their job is to be a foil for him, get their edge organised, make their tackles, kick well and when it is his opportunity to run, run the ball.
“Those were the messages those boys got and there were a few other injuries and suspensions in the centres, but to be fair the form in the trials decided our Round 1 team.”
“Clifford is the really important one” | 02:38
Discussion about this post