BY STAFF WRITERS

What is trial form anyway? That is the old argument when it comes to pre-season rugby league compared to when the real stuff starts.

It doesn’t usually mean much but perhaps recent history says otherwise.

Just last season, in 2020, not one single side that won in round one of the premiership lost in their last trial.

In the premiership proper to start the season, both Parramatta and Penrith got up – they drew in their final pre-season clash.

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The other six round one winners won their last trial.

In 2019, of the eight round winners, just two of them went down in their last hit-out before the season proper.

2021’s pre-season winners have some form and some not as much.

Wests Tigers smashed Manly last week. In 2020, they won their last trial and went on to win in round 1.

The Rabbitohs are true muscle in pre-season with some big results but then again – they do play the Dragons in the Charity Shield in their last hit out.

King of the Jerseys II is here but will the defending champion ‘Victa Magpies’ jersey lose its crown?

Melbourne, with no surprise, seem to always win their last pre-season match and go on to win their round 1 clash.

Which makes their clash at AAMI Park next week against Wayne Bennett’s Bunnies so tantalising.

ROUND 1 NRL WINNERS 2020 vs LAST TRIAL RESULT
EELS: Draw
RAIDERS: Win
BRONCOS: Win
KNIGHTS: Win
RABBITOHS: Win
PANTHERS: Draw
STORM: Win
WESTS TIGERS: Win

ROUND 1 NRL WINNERS 2019 vs LAST TRIAL RESULT
STORM: Win
KNIGHTS: Loss
RABBITOHS: Win
WARRIORS: Win
WESTS TIGERS: Loss
COWBOYS: Win
EELS: Win
RAIDERS: Win