The 17 ex-NRL players lining up for Newcastle RL clubs in 2024

At least 17 players who have made National Rugby League appearances are expected to feature across nine of the 11 clubs this season.

Collectively, they have more than 1300 games of NRL experience.

Already regarded as one of the country's strongest competitions outside the NRL and NSW and Queensland Cups, Newcastle Rugby League has been bolstered even further by half-a-dozen new recruits who have played at the highest level.

Blake Ferguson (Kurri Kurri), Blake Austin (The Entrance), Nathan Ross, Will Smith (Wests), Peter Mata'utia (Lakes) and Zane Tetevano (Wyong) have committed for the season.

They add to a host of existing ex-NRL players returning in 2024, including the likes of Luke Walsh (Wests), Brock Lamb (Maitland), David Fifita (The Entrance), Brayden Musgrove (Cessnock) and Tyler Randell (Northern).

Newcastle Rebels coach Garth Brennan, who last week named a 26-player squad for the upcoming Country Championships featuring Ferguson, Mata'utia and Smith, said the breadth of NRL experience was "a credit to the competition".

"It's a reflection of how strong our Newcastle competition is," Brennan said.

"It's as strong as I've seen it in a long time with the calibre of players that are playing.

"You look at The Entrance for example with Blake Austin and Fifita playing down there, and the Wyong side, they've bought up very well."

The spread of talent - Central is the only clubs that don't have players with NRL experience - is expected to make for an even closer competition.

Wests, who finished sixth in 2023, look set to have at least three former NRL players - the most of any club - after netting Walsh, Smith and Ross.

They were also pursuing former Eels forward Brad Takairangi. Ex-Knight Cory Dennis is having the year off.

"Wests have bounced back in a big way. They've certainly gone all out," The Entrance coach Jamy Forbes, whose side will feature former Raiders half and 2019 NRL grand finalist Blake Austin, said.

"It should make for a great competition. It's going to be a tough year for everyone."

Wyong captain-coach Mitch Williams added: I've played on and off in this comp for a long time, and I think this will be one of its strongest seasons."

The Roos, who were eliminated by The Entrance in week-one of last year's finals series, have all but locked in the experienced Tetevano.

"He'll be playing with us," Williams said, adding the club was finalising the required paperwork to register the 33-year-old forward.

Tetevano, who played 121 NRL games for the Knights, Roosters and Panthers, suffered a stroke last year whilst training with Leeds and later underwent heart surgery. He was granted an early release after 47 top-flight appearances for the English club.

But the New Zealand and Cook Islands representative appears poised to bolster Wyong's pack after agreeing to a one-year deal.

"It's huge for us," Williams said. "Zane's spent a bit of time with Wyong in his NSW Cup days, and he is living on the coast at the moment.

"I've known Zane since I played with him at Newcastle in 2012, so we've had a good relationship for a long time.

"But to have him at training and around the other players, what he gives to the other players is nearly going to be just as much as he'll give us on the field."

Meanwhile, Macquarie announced late Tuesday they had signed former Parramatta forward Peni Terepo, adding even further NRL experience to the competition.