Joeys couldn't catch a break in 2023, drawing their opening two matches, then falling just short in three tight matches that followed.

But first XV coach Greg Thompson said he was proud of his side's resilience last year which helped them win three of their final five matches.Four players will return from last season when Joeys travel to play Newington in round one on Saturday May 18.

Overview with Greg Thompson:

“We ended up with a week longer than usual to prepare this year because Easter and the Head of the River was early, so that has helped. I think we’re in a good spot,” Thompson told Rugby News. 

“We’ve adjusted the way we’ve played this year compared to previous seasons. In 2018, we looked at how rugby was being played in New Zealand and created the system we played with on the back of what we saw over there. But after watching a lot of rugby during last year’s World Cup, we’ve changed that.