The new season begins with a bang and a blanket or bean bag

THE 2016 rugby league season has started with a bang!

The Auckland Nines pre-season competition took place at the start of the month and for the first time in 30 years the Parramatta Eels won a trophy. Well done Parramatta, but we in regional Queensland are claiming the win as being due to the quality of the coach. The Eels coach, Brad Arthur, started as a club coach in Cairns.

And last weekend had the annual All Stars game, extended this year to include the very best of the NRL by declaring it as Indigenous All Stars versus International All Stars. This year's game was the best we have witnessed under the All Stars banner, thanks in part to the fact that some of the players had already played in the Auckland Nines and perhaps because they now view it as a proper contest, as opposed to an exhibition match.

Regionally, the Broncos played the Cowboys in Bundaberg with the Broncos getting the win in the rain. The CQ Capras played a Bundaberg representative team as a curtain raiser and also secured victory. The Capras also defeated Moranbah in Moranbah last weekend while the Mackay Cutters were carving out a win against the Cowboys Under 20s in Proserpine.

The other regional teams, the Northern Pride and Townsville Blackhawks, have also been playing trial games ahead of the Intrust Super Cup opening games on the weekend of March 5.

The Mackay Cutters will host the Capras in the CQ derby on March 5, the Townsville Blackhawks host the Redcliffe Dolphins while the Northern Pride will travel to the Sunshine Coast to play the Melbourne Storm-aligned Sunshine Coast Falcons.

The NRL kicks off the same weekend with the Broncos and Eels opening the season at Parramatta Stadium on Thursday, March 3, the Cowboys hosting the Sharks on Saturday, March 5 and the Titans playing at home against the Newcastle Knights on Sunday, March 6. After being grand finalists last year the Cowboys and Broncos have nothing to prove, but let's hope that the off season has been good to the Titans and they produce a much better 2016 season.

To celebrate the beginning of the 2016 NRL season, the CQNRL Bid are inviting families to Victoria Park to watch the first game of the season, the Eels versus Broncos on the big screen outdoors.

You are invited to bring your chairs, bean bags or blankets and your family and for a gold coin donation join with like-minded people to welcome in the season.

Food and drinks will be available from the CQ Leagues Club.

As we enter a new season we again watch our young up and coming regional Queensland footballers move away to further their careers, we ask you get behind the bid and help us bring a NRL club to Central Queensland.