Eastern Suburbs have been in the mix in recent years but haven't quite been able to convert at the back end of the season.

New coach Simon Kneebone has added some talented Kiwis and a former Super Rugby centre to a squad that at full strength is arguably the best in the competition on paper.

Overview with Simon Kneebone:

“We’re excited to get the opportunity to get out there and finally play some rugby again. The group is excited and has been training really hard. We start with a really good challenge against Norths, which we’re really looking forward to,” Kneebone told Rugby News.

“The trial we played against Norths was a bit of an eye opener for me. It was my first experience of Shute Shield rugby and there were a lot of big men, playing at speed, which was really impressive to see.

“We probably let ourselves down a little in that game. We used a few different combinations and trialed some players from second grade.