It means that come this Sunday when Panthers run out for their season opener there will be plenty of firsts. Their first taste of the Peter McDonald Premiership, their first campaign under new captain-coach Jake Betts and the first challenge for a revamped spine.

"She's a pretty different side, that's for sure," Betts said.

"But the boys have all trialled good and we're pretty happy with where we are at at the moment.

"We've got a good core group there that the boys can roll off, so we're pretty comfortable with where we are at."

Though Betts is still hopeful of luring back two-time Group 10 premier league winning halfback Hewitt, come Sunday's round one clash with Wellington Panthers will unveil a new halves pairing.

It will be Jeremy Gordon in jumper number seven, with Joey Bugg alongside him at five-eighth.

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While Gordon has in the main played in the centres since returning to Panthers in 2020, he does have experience at halfback.

As for Bugg, Betts sees him as one of the keys this season.

"He's unbelievable, he's fully committed now and he's a completely different player," he said.

"He's pretty handy and moving forward he's going to be a long term man.

"So he and Jez will be in the halves for round one and we've lost Nick Loader as well, so I had to shuffle a few things around there. He had a pretty bad knock in the knockout and had a bit of a scare and he'll sit out for this year."

The skipper will start at hooker - the same role he filled for the Group 10 representative side last season - while the returning Blake Lawson has been shuffled from the centres to lock.

While Panthers have signed a new front rower in Bailey Lanham from Goulburn, Betts said he will start the season in reserve grade.

It means Daniel Bain and McCoy White get the job of leading the pack against Wellington.

Betts also plans to deploy a weapon off the bench against the Cowboys in the form of Noah Griffiths.

"At this stage he's going to come on at 14 and fill that roaming role. We'll give Lawso a bit of a break and I'll push to lock and he'll do a bit at hooker," Betts said.

"I think he'll be our 'Mr Fix It' at this stage - he's a pretty talented footballer and he can fill so many positions as well."

Interestingly, Sunday's match in Wellington will also pit the last side in Group 10 to be crowned premiers against the last side in Group 11 to hoist the premiership trophy.

"It feels like a lifetime ago that we won," Betts said of Panthers' 9-8 triumph over Mudgee in the 2019 grand final.

"We're the two last reigning premiers I think so it will be good, there's a fair bit of interest there.

"There's always that bit of talk, who's better? Group 10 or Group 11? So we'll sort that out pretty early I suppose.

"The boys mentioned it training the other day and we had a think about, but we're both sort of fresh teams so we're just looking to start our season off well."

The match will kick off at 2.30pm in Wellington.

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