Canberra Raiders vs New Zealand Warriors – Sunday morning – Allegiant Stadium, Las Vegas

The Raiders aren't especially happy with the draw they've copped this season. They have just two games in Canberra in the first seven rounds, and they've got trips to Vegas, Townsville, Darwin and the Gold Coast to contend with. Notably a lot of those games are going to be played in tropical conditions, so it's going to hurt. Mind you, their round one opponents spend most of the season travelling between nations, so they aren't the only ones facing a tough itinerary. It doesn't take a lot to get the media up in arms these days and this time it was two young men on a night out in Vegas scuffling in a lift and hitting each other with an inflatable baseball bat. It's definitely the most disgraceful thing two young men have done in Vegas...ever...and I can't believe they're free to play on Sunday. In actual football news, James Fisher-Harris makes his debut for the Warriors and he's not likely to let anyone down. He's also the sort of player that will lift his fellow forwards, and this game is likely to be won straight down the middle. Note the narrower dimensions of Allegiant field - the team that adjusts their game to suit best will prevail. Expect the spine players to be key (as they often are), and it wouldn't be silly to back them to score tries in this if you're interested in that sort of chaos. I'm particularly keen on the halves combination of Metcalf and Harris-Tevita for the Warriors. I hope they have blinders.

Verdict – Warriors by 4

Result – Raiders 30 defeated Warriors 8

Penrith Panthers vs Cronulla Sharks – Sunday afternoon – Allegiant Stadium, Las Vegas

Just how deep is the Panthers depth? Fisher-Harris, Luai and Turuva have joined other clubs, and To'o won't be available for the opening round. Despite all that, the Panthers have (if I can count) six players in their starting thirteen that have won four grand finals in a row. They also have the last three Clive Churchill medalists (Cleary x 2, Martin, Edwards). No other club has that level of premiership-winning experience...for obvious reasons. With their best and brightest in Vegas, what was left of the Panthers took on Manly in a pre-season game, and won 38-22. This club is deep. The shiny brightness of Vegas shouldn't throw them off their game, given all that big-match experience. As for the Sharks, much of their big game experience has been disappointing. They've got a hell of a roster this season and plenty of people are talking them up. This will test them. Let's see how far they've come. 

Verdict – Panthers by a Nathan Cleary field goal

Result – Panthers 28 defeated Sharks 22

Sydney Roosters vs Brisbane Broncos – Thursday night – Allianz Stadium

This game is more than a week away, so there's a little bit of guesswork when it comes to team line-ups for this and the games that follow this in round one. The Chooks have had plenty scratching their heads leading into this season. They've lost Waerea-Hargreaves, Keary, Manu and Sua'ali'i from their squad, and the only new additions are Nawaqanitawase and Townsend. For a team often accused of cheating the salary cap it looks like they've underspent in season 2025. To add to their woes, Walker and Brandon Smith are injured and Leniu has been suspended following an indiscretion in their last pre-season hit-out. Speaking of which, their pre-season form has been close to woeful, but I'm always wary of this form and I urge you to feel likewise. As for the Broncos, they'll have the most experienced (oldest) halves pairing in the NRL this year (and possibly ever) with Ben Hunt (almost 35) joining Adam Reynolds (34). The Broncos will be without Kotoni Staggs and Payne Haas may be another week away from his return, but on paper they look too strong. It's also safe to assume that they'll be match-fit after a pre-season with the new coach. 

Verdict – Broncos by 10

Result – Broncos 50 defeated Roosters 14

Wests Tigers vs Newcastle Knights – Friday night – Campbelltown Sports Stadium

This is the game I'm looking forward to more than any other this round (and I don't get to say that about these two teams very often). The new Tigers spine of Koroisau, Galvin, Luai and Bula could, potentially, win a premiership. I'm well aware I'm getting ahead of myself here, but that's how good they could be. I just hope the combination works. 20 years ago the Tigers were one of the most entertaining teams in Australian sport. Let's hope their fans have some good years ahead of them after a very lean decade. The first-up assignment is a fair test, against a team that make the finals more often than not. The Knights are almost a complete football team, with perhaps a really first class playmaker the one missing piece in the puzzle. That would explain the ten-year, $!3 million offer to Dylan Brown. I've ended up tipping the Knights based on their back five (likely to be Ponga, Marzhew, Best, Gagai, Sharpe). That's a backline that can test the best of the best, and with the Tigers short on centres (Olam and Naden both injured) that can be the difference.

Verdict – Knights by 4

Result – Knights 10 defeated Tigers 8

Redcliffe Dolphins vs South Sydney Rabbitohs – Friday night – CommBank Stadium

It's the first installment of the post-Bennett Dolphins, and of course they have to be playing against the new club of their former coach. Bennett would know his Dolphins well and I'm sure he's come up with a plan to knock them over. That said, the pre-season hasn't been kind to the Bunnies, with long-term injuries to Murray and Mitchell (who looked the fittest he'd been in years up until then). They've also lost Campbell Graham for a few weeks and the English import (Lewis Dodd) has been suspended. He'll be replaced by the up-and-coming Jamie Humphries in the halves, who has impressed thus far. The Dolphins pre-season has been a lot less troublesome, although Bostock picked up a knee injury last weekend and won't be available for a little while. It was great to see Flegler in the team colours on the weekend, with everyone crossing their fingers that he might be able to return to the game later this season. A terrible shame if he can't. If there isn't a cyclone in Brisbane on Friday night there should be a fair crowd in attendance. I don't have a lot of company, but I think the Dolphins can make the top eight this season, and they'll be winning this.

Verdict – Dolphins by 4

Result – Rabbitohs 16 defeated Dolphins 14

St George Illawarra Dragons vs Canterbury Bulldogs – Saturday afternoon – Netstrata Jubilee Stadium

I've been doing this for a while now, and from time to time I will throw out a few crazy statements. I may as well get started early this season - the Dragons will not finish last this season. In fact, I don't think any of the teams most are predicting will come last (Dragons, Knights, Titans, Raiders) will come last this season. There you go. Print that out and put it on your fridge for September, then remind me what an idiot I was back in February. While I'm putting myself out on a limb, the Dragons won't lose on Saturday either. They're big odds to overcome the Bulldogs, but I like the look of this Dragons side. It's loaded up with footballers who will be keen to prove a point to the teams they moved on from - Gutherson, Cook, Holmes, Ilias. Watch all four of them shine this weekend. 

Verdict – Dragons by 7

Result – Bulldogs 28 defeated Dragons 20

Manly Sea Eagles vs North Queensland Cowboys – Saturday night – 4 Pines Park

Thirty years of the North Queensland Cowboys and they've been frustrating more often than not. I'm not sure how often in those thirty years the Cowboys have travelled to Sydney in round one, but they haven't won a round one game in Sydney ever. That said, they have won their last two games at Brookvale, even though their recent overall record against Manly is poor. There's no shortage of match-winners in the likely Manly line-up for round one. Cherry-Evans isn't getting any younger but he's the Benjamin Button of the NRL and he's on the lookout for another contract. He'll be shining brightly on Saturday night, and will probably slot a field goal at some point just to remind everyone of the things he can do.

Verdict – Sea Eagles by 7

Result – Sea Eagles 42 defeated Cowboys 12

Melbourne Storm vs Parramatta Eels – Sunday afternoon – AAMI Park

Remember that list of teams that I said won't win the wooden spoon this year? Well, here's the team that I think will. Apologies to the Eels fans among us. Again, you can let me know how wrong I was in September...if I'm wrong. Given that bold prediction, you'd expect me to tip against them in round one, particularly against a side that are almost impossible to beat at home, and haven't lost a round one game anywhere for 22 years. A shout out to one of my favourite purple people in Christian Welch, who announced his medical retirement from the NRL a few weeks ago. Papenhuyzen is racing the clock to be fit for round one, but the young tyke he's holding back is a thousand kinds of awesome, and I wouldn't mind if he gets a run.

Verdict – Storm by plenty (20)

Result – Storm 56 defeated Eels 18

Wally Lewis - round one selections (in bold)

Note: tips from Wally will be published on Wednesday night or Thursday morning

• Raiders vs WARRIORS
• PANTHERS vs Sharks
• Roosters vs BRONCOS
• Tigers vs KNIGHTS
• DOLPHINS vs Rabbitohs
• Dragons vs BULLDOGS
• SEA EAGLES vs Cowboys
• STORM vs Eels