Upsides and downsides

Fans of both clubs have varying degrees of hope and despair but for neutral observers of the Dragons-Panthers clash at Jubilee Oval on Saturday afternoon, most eyes will be on the rising power from the deep west. Penrith managed to get within two games of a grand final last year and their roster only looks better in 2017. With boom halfback Nathan Cleary steering them around like he's a 10-year veteran and new face James Tamou adding some Origin expertise in the middle of the field, there's plenty to like about Anthony Griffin's outfit. The Panthers have the talent to play a fast, expansive style of game and could well start the season with a decent score against the more dour Dragons, who have everything to prove in the coming campaign.

Head in the game

Given the state of play regarding James McManus and his pending lawsuit against the Newcastle Knights, expect every single head knock in the NRL to come under added scrutiny from coaches, doctors, pundits and fans. Already, Brisbane have been forced to defend their handling of Alex Glenn's incident against the Sharks on Thursday night, even if NRL officials at the scene said the correct protocol was followed. But even if that was the case, a viewing public educated about the risks of brain injury has started to apply a common sense test. If a player is groggy after a heavy contact, that should be enough for them to put their health first and sit out the rest of the match. The NRL has taken great strides in its handling of concussion but that must also start to align with community expectations, even if rugby league is a tough sport.

Northern raid

How good are the Raiders? And how good are they going to be until they get Jarrod Croker back in the lime green? At least some of that will be revealed on Saturday night when the Canberrans start their season with a nightmare clash in Townsville against the Cowboys, who have a few injury outs of their own (Antonio Winterstein) although none are as key as the Canberra centre. If the general theory is that the Cowboys are a recent premiership team facing the usual slide and the Raiders are a squad squarely on the rise and entering the first years of their prime then these are exactly the type of games the Raiders need to be winning to prove they are indeed the real deal this season. Johnathan Thurston and company fight for every inch, especially at home, meaning Ricky Stuart must have his team primed from the opening minute of round one.

Ready to rise

An 8pm (local time) start on a Saturday night on the Gold Coast isn't exactly prime-time for the Sydney Roosters, who get the Titans in round one as they try to piece together a season worthy of their roster. The former competition heavyweights managed to find just six wins in a 2016 season harpooned by off-field drama and on-field injury. By the time they even looked like getting going, the horse hadn't just bolted, it was back in the stable tucking into a bag of oats. There's little reason they can't return to the finals in 2017 but Trent Robinson will want to see some strong signs very early as he tries to mastermind the reversal. It won't be easy, though, given the quality recruiting of the Gold Coast, another team that will feel like it has every right to be around in the post-season. Early glimpses of Jarryd Hayne, fresh off a full pre-season, will be highly instructive.

Lucky dip

We are off to the sacred confines of Lottoland on Sunday afternoon as Manly host the Eels to get their season started. Suffice to say, we hope the team managers have got their entries in have worked out their starting players from their supplementaries. Comically renamed Brookvale Oval aside, this might just be the most interesting match of the opening round. The Sea Eagles put in a stinker last year but have had a decent overhaul in the off-season. The Eels, well, they must be counting down the seconds until they can get a few headlines for things other than court appearances and wingers nicking off to French rugby (or both in Semi Radradra's case). Salary cap scandals blew up any hopes they had last season but many feel they have the cattle to give the finals a very decent nudge. Big watch on Manly fullback Tom Trbojevic – this looks to be his year.

It's the vibe

One of the greatest things about the first round of the rugby league season is allowing yourself to sit back and take it all in; the fresh faces, the new game plans, that feeling of optimism that sweeps over you before you see the mid-year ladder, that feeling you get when you have a very expensive halfback that doesn't ever seem to play and ... never mind. Rugby league tends to offer up stories throughout the summer, usually the kind that include the quote "it's not usually his go", but once the old girl rolls into life the plot tends to write itself. Expect at least half-a-dozen genuine talking points by the time the referee blows full-time on the final match of the round. From there, blink and it's October.