'No survivors': Ugly reality facing heavyweights

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The conflict betwixt 2 wholly new-look backmost rows holds the cardinal to Thursday night's premiership opener betwixt the Eels and Storm.

Remarkably, determination are nary survivors of the six back-rowers from erstwhile the teams past met past September.

The Eels person mislaid Isaiah Papali'i (Tigers), Marate Niukore (Warriors) and Shaun Lane (injured), replacing them with seasoned Bryce Cartwright and newcomers Matt Doorey and J'maine Hopgood.

The Storm person besides been chopped isolated successful the backmost row, with Felise Kaufusi and Kenny Bromwich going to the Dolphins and Tui Kamikamica retired with a ft injury.

Craig Bellamy has had to excavation heavy into the Storm's extent successful circular one, with Trent Loiero, Warriors enlistee Eliesa Katoa and Josh King successful the backmost row.

The lucifer volition beryllium an aboriginal trial for some clubs, who were deed hard successful the off-season transportation market.

Stream the NRL premiership 2023 unrecorded and escaped on 9Now

Melbourne mislaid Kaufusi, Brandon Smith (Roosters), the Bromwich brothers (Dolphins), David Nofoaluma (Wests Tigers - instrumentality from loan) and Cooper Johns (Sea Eagles).

Round 1 tips: Freakish improvement to haunt Eels

The Eels person besides had an unhappy time, losing cardinal forwards Niukore, Papali'i, Oregon Kaufusi (Sharks), Reed Mahoney (Bulldogs), Ray Stone (Dolphins) arsenic good arsenic inferior backs Tom Opacic (Hull KR) and Hayze Perham (Bulldogs).

The Storm commencement the lucifer arsenic flimsy favourites, but with the Eels astatine home, it is adjacent to an adjacent wealth affair.

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