HAPPY New Year. This is my first column for 2016 and we are slowly but surely getting back into the routine after the Christmas and New Year holidays.
Tomorrow there are seven weeks until 2016 NRL season kick-off. Thursday, March 3 is when the action starts.
Rugby league tragics like myself have enjoyed a 3½ month break without footy but we are starting to get itchy feet.
There are big expectations for the St George Illawarra Dragons and Cronulla Sharks in 2016. Fans wait eagerly for some the action.
Both teams had most creditable seasons and reached the NRL finals in 2015.
The anticipation among their fans is they will settle for nothing less than reaching the top eight again this season.
Both teams have added to their playing roster.
The Sharks' big two signings are the return of Sharks junior Chad Townsend from the New Zealand Warriors to play halfback and James Maloney from the Sydney Roosters to play at five-eighth.
Both players are goalkickers and good footballers. Maloney won a grand final with the Roosters in 2013.
Sharks coach Shane Flanagan wanted extra class in the halves to launch a premiership assault.
Veteran forward Paul Gallen, 34, who made his debut in 2001, has played 255 games for the Sharks.
He has signed for one more season and whether he gets to go around again in 2017 remains to be seen.
From his perspective time is running out to play and lead Cronulla to what would be an historic first grand final victory.
He would love nothing more to be a part of history and do this.
The Sharks are building and have a good, tough pack of forwards and now strike power and guile in their backs.
Valentine Holmes is a real talent and will only get better. Jack Bird with loads of natural flair is tough and can adapt to a role in the forwards or the backs.
He was a success playing five-eighth and centre in 2015.
Coach Flanagan has even floated the idea he may play fullback.
Time will tell.
Dragons coach Paul McGregor has put more muscle in the pack with Masoe Masoe returning from St Helens in England and Russell Packer now cleared to play NRL with his troubled past behind him.
Put Masoe and Packer in the front row and in a pack with Mike Cooper, Joel Thompson, Tyson Frizell, Ben Creagh, Leeson Ah Mau and Jake Marketo and you have a fire-breathing engine room.
The Auckland Nines are on February 6-7 at Eden Park and the Dragons play their Charity Shield game against Souths on Saturday, February 13, at ANZ Stadium.
The Sharks' first trial game is against Manly on Sunday, February 14 at Remondis Stadium.
