A new-look Pirates side will be a "work in progress" when they launch their quest for four straight premierships in a season-opener against Quirindi at Ken Chillingworth Oval on Saturday, says their coach Mat Kelly.
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When asked if it was business as usual for his all-conquering outfit, Kelly said: "No, we've got a fairly different side this year.
"It's sort of changed things up ... a lot of new faces, especially in first grade and reserve grade."
Despite the personnel changes, Kelly said the "core" of last season's side remained intact.
However, he admitted that "we are not expecting a great deal to start with".
"That's fine, because we're not going to win too many comps this time of the year," he said.
"It will be a work in progress, put it that way."
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Kelly said he was missing several players due to injury, while this weekend's outfit included two first-grade debutants, No.10 Brandon Parry and blindside flanker Hayden MacTavish.
Kelly is "looking forward to seeing" MacTavish play, saying he "really impressed" during the pre-season. "It will be interesting to see how things pan out," Kelly said. "They've [Parry and MacTavish] been juniors for years now.
"So it's been good to see them progress up through [the ranks]. So see how they go ... sink or swim - one or the other."
Brenton Long, Pirates' reserve-grade hooker in recent years, will also make his run-on debut in first grade on Saturday.
He was rated the club's best reserve-grade forward last season. Kelly said of Long: "He could be the oldest debutant going around, I reckon. I'm not exactly sure of his age, but he's been a great clubman and biding his time in reserve grade; now he gets a shot."
Kelly said that with a number of players still out injured, Pirates were "six, seven weeks away from being full strength".
"So we're looking to get as many combinations as possible happening as soon as possible, but we'll go out there and do our best," he said.
In other matches on Saturday, Narrabri host Walcha and Moree travel to Inverell. Gunnedah have the bye.
When Pirates beat Walcha 24-8 in last season's grand final, they became only the second club to have twice won three consecutive first-grade premierships.
