Parramatta Eels v Melbourne Storm: NRL 2023 season opener – live

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The Eels are clad predominately in blue tonight, with yellow accents. The Storm are a blizzard of white with a boysenberry ripple.

Parramatta have won the last four against the Storm, most recently 22-14 in round 25 last season.

Oh my, Cameron Smith has just done an anxiety-inducing walk-and-talk to camera and he just, just, just, barely made it to the end. I was on the edge of my seat as he delivered his final unconvincing words with a weak pointed finger. Why do the broadcasters put them through it? It’s not an audition reel for the Lee Strasberg.

Conditions are perfect. Still, dry and mild in western Sydney this evening.

Reagan Campbell-Gillard might have spotted another spy balloon. Photograph: Brendon Thorne/AAP

Your referee tonight is the omnipresent Ashley Klein. I can’t remember the last game of domestic or rep footy that he didn’t officiate.

Ashley Klein will have the chance to reacquaint himself with Eels skipper Clint Gutherson. Photograph: Cameron Spencer/Getty Images

Storm XVII

INTERCHANGE

14 Tyran Wishart
15 Alec MacDonald
17 Jordan Grant
19 Bronson Garlick

Bronson Garlick has the chance to live up to his excellent name. Photograph: Joel Carrett/AAP

Eels XVII

Debuts for Josh Hodgson, Matt Doorey, J’maine Hopgood, Jirah Momoisea, Jack Murchie and Isaac Lumelume in Brad Arthur’s patchwork side.

1 Clinton Gutherson
2 Maika Sivo
3 Will Penisini
4 Waqa Blake
22 Isaac Lumelume
6 Dylan Brown
7 Mitchell Moses
8 Reagan Campbell-Gillard
9 Josh Hodgson
10 Junior Paulo
11 Bryce Cartwright
12 Matt Doorey
13 J’maine Hopgood

INTERCHANGE

14 Jirah Momoisea
15 Jack Murchie
16 Wiremu Greig
17 Makahesi Makatoa

Josh Hodgson could be the NRL recruit of the year. Photograph: Matt King/Getty Images

On-field, there’s plenty of hope in unexpected places, like at the Tigers, Bulldogs, and the nascent Dolphins. But they’ll all have to go through the imposing Panthers if they want to reach the top.

There’s been no shortage of things happening off the field since the Panthers lifted the Provan-Summons Trophy last year, led by the dawn of the Dolphins and heated debate over the latest CBA.

Preamble

Hello everybody and welcome to live coverage of Parramatta v Melbourne on the opening night of the 2023 NRL Premiership season. Kick off at Commbank Stadium in Sydney is 8pm AEDT.

The NRL has survived the off-season and returns juiced and glistening with last year’s beaten grand finalists, the Eels, welcoming perennial contenders, the Storm. Both will start tonight’s contest eager to prove they can deny the all-conquering Penrith Panthers a three-peat.

Of the pair Parra probably have the stronger claim over the 26 round-plus playoffs marathon. Hull-born Josh Hodgson could be an inspired recruit from the Raiders, bringing his steel and nous at dummy-half to complement the efficiency of Dylan Brown and Mitchell Moses in the #6 and #7 jerseys. Fullback Clint Gutherson is a matchwinner. And any pack containing Reagan Campbell-Gillard and Junior Paolo cannot be taken lightly.

But round one has arrived a little too soon for Brad Arthur’s liking with the Eels coach having to dip outside his pool of top 30 talent to cover for injuries - and the suspension to Ryan Matterson following his grand final indiscretion and unwillingness to pay a $4,000 fine. “Maybe it’s because we had a bit of a shortened pre-season for some of the guys, but we’ve got five or six blokes that won’t be available for selection,” Arthur said.

“It is exciting because it gives other blokes an opportunity and someone hopefully steps up that we mightn’t have known about, especially in the back row where we’ve got some new players getting an opportunity. I don’t know what our best combinations are at the moment but we’ll sort that out in the first couple of weeks.”

Parra’s short-term pain opens the door for an unfamiliar-looking Storm to catch them cold. In the off-season Melbourne stalwarts Jesse Bromwich, Kenny Bromwich, and Felise Kaufusi all headed north for the Dolphins, while Brandon Smith departed for the Roosters. On top of that, starters Ryan Papenhuyzen, Justin Olam, Tui Kamikamica and George Jennings are all on the sidelines for a number of weeks. Craig Bellamy’s side will have at least eight changes from the one that finished 2022 in the first week of the finals.