Friends to foes: 12 can't-miss match-ups as stars face former clubs

After playing pivotal roles in helping the Panthers to three straight premierships, Stephen Crichton and Spencer Leniu will be out to ensure they don’t create more history and make it four in 2024.

Likewise Tom Flegler and Herbie Farnworth look to bring down the Broncos next season after helping build them up into premiership contenders in 2023.

Welcome to the world of the modern NRL player, where a change of clubs means friends become foes as you embark on the next phase of your career.

From Knights tryscoring machine Dom Young moving to the Roosters and taking on his former club in Round 6, to workaholic Josh Curran finding a new home at Belmore and looking to take down his old team the Warriors in Round 18, the 2024 season is packed with highly anticipated match-ups with extra spice.

FRIENDS TO FOES

Roosters v Panthers, Round 4 at Allianz Stadium

For a bloke who played a total of 56 minutes across three grand finals, Spencer Leniu certainly left an indelible mark on the Panthers. Now he’ll be looking to leave a different kind of mark on the defending champs as part of a powerhouse Roosters pack that will be out to make an early statement with games against the Broncos, Sea Eagles, Rabbitohs and Panthers to open their 2024 campaign. Roosters fans will be licking their lips at the prospect of Leniu pushing off the back fence at Allianz Stadium and tearing into his old mates James Fisher-Harris and Moses Leota.

Broncos v Dolphins, Round 6 at Suncorp Stadium

You could make a strong case that Wayne Bennett pulled off two of the biggest signing coups of 2024 when he lured English centre Herbie Farnworth and Kangaroos prop Tom Flegler to the Dolphins. Both men were signed and sealed back in February before the NRL new boys had even made their debut and would no doubt have liked what they saw from the Phins in 2023. Farnworth came of age with 15 tries and 136 tackle breaks as the Broncos surged into the grand final while Flegler capped a superb season with a Test debut in the Pacific Championships. If you thought the Round 4 thriller between these sides in front of 51,000 fans at Suncorp was good in 2023, wait for the noise when Flegler takes his first hit-up for Benny’s boys against his old club.

Knights v Roosters, Round 6 at McDonald Jones Stadium

On the back of a scintillating season in which he broke the Knights’ tryscoring record with 25 four-pointers, Dom Young heads back to Newcastle for the first time as a Rooster in the opening game of Round 6. The 22-year-old flyer already boasts 43 tries in 51 games and the best may well be to come as he struts his stuff outside James Tedesco, Luke Keary and Joey Manu. Those same fans who granted him cult hero status will now be roaring their disapproval every time he touches the ball and the freakish finisher will get a true test of his mettle in a hostile environment.

Wests Tigers v Dragons, Round 6 at Campbelltown Sports Stadium

At 22 and with 27 games under his belt, Jayden Sullivan is set to be handed the keys by new coach Benji Marshall as Wests Tigers look to offload the dreaded wooden spoon. After a tough opening month against the Raiders, Sharks, Eels and Dolphins, the Tigers are sure to have this game pegged as one they can certainly win. Sullivan showed flashes of brilliance when given a shot in first grade at the Dragons and he'll relish the opportunity to show them what they're missing out on when he teams up with experienced playmaker Aidan Sezer to plot the Red V's downfall.

Titans v Sea Eagles, Round 7 at Cbus Super Stadium

He's back! After an acrimonious split with the Sea Eagles at the end of 2022, Des Hasler takes the reins at Gold Coast and by the time his old team comes calling on April 20, he could well have the Titans flying high. One of Manly's favourite sons, Hasler tasted premiership glory with the Sea Eagles as a player (1996) and twice as a coach (2008 and 2011) but all that counts for nothing as he masterminds the downfall of Tommy Turbo, DCE and co in a monster Round 7 match-up. 

Sharks v Dragons, Round 9 at PointsBet Stadium

One of the NRL's great rivalries gets a whole lot spicier in 2024 with new Dragons coach Shane Flanagan meeting his old club Cronulla for the first time in a Sunday afternoon cracker in the Shire. The man who led the Sharks to their historic 2016 premiership is now charged with reviving a Dragons outfit that hasn't played finals footy since 2018 and is coming off a tumultuous 2023 season in which skipper Ben Hunt expressed his desire to leave the club before Flanagan convinced him to stay. Another man in the hot seat will be Flanagan's son Kyle, who debuted for the Sharks in 2018 as a 19-year-old before stints at the Roosters and Bulldogs. He now finds himself at the Dragons and playing under his father again as they both look to make a mark in 2024.

Panthers v Bulldogs, Round 10 at BlueBet Stadium

Superstar Stephen Crichton goes back to Penrith for the first time as a Bulldog, joining fellow premiership winners Jaeman Salmon, Viliame Kikau and Matt Burton in the blue and white. Having watched Crichton blossom from a raw 18-year-old debutant in 2019 to one of the game's premier centres under Ivan Cleary, this could be a tough watch for the Panthers faithful, but it has become a familiar tale in recent years as a number of their premiership heroes have moved on. Lining up opposite Crichton could well be classy youngster Paul Alamoti, who has flipped the script and switched from the Bulldogs to the Panthers. With so many plot twists on offer this promises to be a ripping start to Friday night footy in Round 10.

Broncos v Titans, Round 12 at Suncorp Stadium

Never any shortage of storylines in the Queensland derby and the clash between Keenan Palasia and his former Broncos teammates adds plenty of spice to the forward battle. Palasia was one of many Broncos to enjoy a breakout season in 2023, averaging 105 metres per game and making a big impact off the bench for Kevin Walters. The 26-year-old capped his season with two appearances for Samoa at the Pacific Championships and now embarks on a new journey alongside another former Bronco in David Fifita at Gold Coast. A massive crowd and electric atmosphere is guaranteed on a Sunday afternoon at Suncorp as two  monster packs tear into each other.

Bulldogs v Warriors, Round 18 at Accor Stadium

A career that began with a lone game off the bench for the Roosters in 2019 before flourishing at the Warriors, now brings Josh Curran to Belmore where he will no doubt become a fan favourite. Curran's willingness to get down and dirty and never take a backward step makes him the ideal man for the Bulldogs as they continue their rebuild under Cameron Ciraldo. If all goes to plan for the new-look Dogs in 2024 they will still be in top-eight contention come Round 18 when Curran's former team enters enemy territory at Homebush. The Warriors have won the past six clashes between the two sides but if Curran has his way the streak will end on July 6 in Sydney.

Raiders v Rabbitohs, Round 21 at GIO Stadium

After 242 games with the Green Machine, Jack Wighton pulls on the famous red and green in 2024 as he joins great mate Latrell Mitchell at Redfern. A powerful ball runner and solid defender, Wighton could make a home in the centres or even in the back row for the Rabbitohs, who are desperate to put a disastrous finish to 2023 behind them. Plenty of water to go under the bridge before Jack makes his way back to Canberra in Round 21 to lock horns with the players and coach he built such strong bonds with over the past 13 years, but it's a game well worth circling on the calendar. 

Bulldogs v Dolphins, Round 24 at Bundaberg

Among a posse of quality Dolphins signings, Jake Averillo brings a touch of unpredictability to the table for Wayne Bennett. Just 19 when he debuted for the Dogs in 2020, Averillo went on to score 31 tries in 78 games, showing glimpses of brilliance that the wily Bennett will be keen to turn into consistent match-turning performances. Herbie Farnworth's move to the Dolphins means Bennett will be spoiled for choice in the outside backs and Averillo knows he'll need to shine in the pre-season to earn a start. If he can nail down a spot in the Dolphins' best 17 he'll be looking forward to a showdown with the likes of Stephen Crichton, Matt Burton and Josh Addo-Carr come August.

Wests Tigers v Sea Eagles, Round 25 at Leichhardt Oval

Perhaps one of the most anticipated 'friends to foes" showdowns comes on a Thursday night in Round 25 when Luke Brooks returns to Leichhardt Oval as a Manly man. Way back in Round 5, 2014 a young Brooks played his first ever match at the iconic as part of a Tigers side that included James Tedesco, Braith Anasta, Aaron Woods and Robbie Farah. The Tigers' opponents were none other than the Sea Eagles, and now a decade later it's the same sides clashing again as Brooks nears the end of his first season on the northern beaches. The Manly side could also include other former Tigers in Tommy Talau, Aaron Woods and Josh Aloiai but all eyes will be on Brooks as he attempts to silence the fans who sometimes loved him and other times loathed him across his 205 games in Tigertown.