Super League returns Friday night for those who are interested.
It's a (home) World Cup year this year so lots of opportunites for players to break into the side after 2 years without international rugby league.
It feels like the end of an era after last season. Many familiar names who I've associated with Rugby League since I seriously started watching it will no longer be featuring this season. The likes of Sean o'Loughlin, James Graham, Albert Kelly, Danny Brough, Remi Casty, Tony Gigot, Dominique Peyroux and to a lesser extent Gareth Ellis are all either retired or dropped down to the championship/back to Australia.
After the demise of Toronto last season thanks to CoVID, Super League really needs a shot in the arm. Leigh Centurions have been voted into the league and despite some of the concerns, pundits now think they have a reasonable chance of finishing ahead of Wakefield or Hull KR.
From the reviews I've been able to find on websites like loverugbyleague, lots of sides will be giving plenty of chances to young players this year, such as Wigan legend Ellery Hanley's son Umyla.
Of the players coming into the league, John Bateman looks the best signing, returning to Wigan.. The England loose forward has had 2 years in the NRL in Australia and he did a decent job there from all accounts.
There is also lots of publicity for "G.I" Greg Inglis, the Australia legend who has come out of retirement to play for Warrington. He was incredible in his day but hasn't played for 2 years and was from all accounts past his best then. Still fun to see the celebration.
Kyle Eastmond finally "returning home" is probably my favourite signing. Rugby Union fans will probably remember him from his time playing for England around the start of the last decade but he never quite fulfilled his potential in the other code. At 31 he might be too old to make it back into the international set up now after so long out but it would be great if he did show his quality.
One of my personal favourites Ryan Hall returns to end his career in Super League after 2 poor years in NRL while there are a number of exciting Australian signings who always come into the league and give you something new (the pundits keep talking about Josh Reynolds signing for Hull).
Let's hope for more games like last years dramatic Grand Final, or the brilliant end to the Penrith-Melbourne NRL game this morning.