The 2018 NRL season will be the 111th season and one 2017 premiers Melbourne Storms look to make it work in the favour once more.
But for now, it’s the pre-season matches that are keeping all sixteen teams busy.
For the Brisbane Broncos, they are expected to battle with Intrust Super Cup 2017 premier and PNG’s very own, the SP Hunters here in Port Moresby on 24th February.
With the match date nearing, there are no clear indications at the moment, whether the SP PNG Hunters will be ready for the much needed warm match against the Broncos, now that they are still mourning the untimely passing of teammate and Former Canberra Raider Kato Ottio.
Though it is already up on the NRL pre-season draw, that the Hunters will face the Broncos here on home soil come the 24th of February.
Initially, the NRL pre-season has always included Auckland Nines and the NRL All-Stars, but the 2017 Rugby League World Cup has reduced the duration of the pre-season, giving Hunters another chance to test themselves against some big names in NRL.
Meanwhile, the pre-season trial which will go on for the whole of next month will see the rest of the sixteen NRL teams go through a round of warm-up matches before proper season kicks off in March.
For now, the SP PNG Hunters will lay their teammate, late Kato Ottio to rest in Tatana village tomorrow.
And it is yet to be confirmed if they will resume training in the lead up to the warm-up match against the Broncos.
