Image source, Rex Features

Headingley, always resplendent under the lights, welcomes the two teams onto the field.

'Marching on Together' rings out around the ground, there's a sizeable contingent of Warrington fans on the Western Terrace.

We're almost ready to go.

Well, if I can't convince you we're on the cusp of greatness... let Leeds' injured back-rower Jamie Jones-Buchanan do the business...

Image source, PA

Brian McDermott (right) and Tony Smith are old pals, with the former working under the latter at Headingley earlier in their respective careers.

However, all friendships will be put to one side for the next 80 minutes. Kick off is in three minutes and counting...

Listen to live radio commentary of tonight's match at Headingley on BBC Radio 5 live sports extra, BBC Radio Leeds, BBC Radio Merseyside and BBC Radio Manchester.

Click on the Live Coverage tab to select your commentary of choice.

"They're going to be a bit different after all those players retired, and a bit of an unknown quantity," Smith told BBC Radio Merseyside.

"We're still finding out about ourselves, but it will tell us where we're at - how much we need to improve.

"We're excited about going to Headingley, there'll be a huge crowd, we've got three buses going across, and it always has a great atmosphere."

Image source, SWPIX.COM

"It's great, I'm pretty excited," McDermott told BBC Radio Leeds.

"We are on no more league points than anybody else, we're at the same start point.

"If you look at two of the trophies from last season, they were only won by a very small margin. I don't think anybody, certainly not the players or staff are rolling their shoulders and thinking 'we're good'.

"Playing Warrington is up there for a starter, they're one of the main challengers, it really sharpens the focus."

Image source, SWPIX.COM

Not far from kick-off now.

Our BBC colleagues at Radio Leeds and Radio Merseyside have been busy speaking to the two gaffers.

Let's start with Brian McDermott... to be followed by Tony Smith.

Not sure who to watch out for in Super League XXI? Well, luckily for you BBC Sport's George Riley has assembled his picks for the six stars to watch throughout 2016.

Watch the video by clicking on the Highlights tab at the top of the page.

Image source, SWPIX.COM

Following your team on the BBC is easy.

• BBC Radio 5 live sports extra will broadcast more than 60 live Super League and Challenge Cup commentaries this season, in addition to the coverage you can hear on your BBC local radio station.
• Each week, BBC One's Super League Show will round up the best of the action.
• And here on the BBC Sport website we'll provide live text commentaries of selected matches - including all three games in the World Club Series later this month.

Click here for details of the BBC radio commentaries available in the next few days.

Warrington's 2015 was a disappointing one. Despite a Challenge Cup semi-final, the Wolves finished outside the top four to end their hopes of an Old Trafford date.

The response from head coach Tony Smith was to overhaul the squad, to go with a new crest and a new slogan.

Big names such as Richie Myler and Joel Monaghan moved on, but in their place Smith has recruited some equally impressive signings.

Experienced Australia international Kurt Gidley arrived from Newcastle Knights, while highly regarded Hull FC duo Joe Westerman and Tom Lineham are also among the newcomers to the Halliwell Jones.

"Kurt has come in with experience and his level head, and he has complemented Chris Sandow in the halves," Smith told BBC Radio Merseyside.

"We're developing combinations. We started training early to give ourselves a chance to get to know each other."

Image source, Getty Images

With all three trophies - Super League, League Leaders' Shield and the Challenge Cup - sitting proudly in the Headingley trophy cabinet, 2015 was a year to be proud of at Leeds Rhinos.

It also marked the departure of three familiar and significant faces: Kevin Sinfield to Yorkshire Carnegie and rugby union, Jamie Peacock to an off-field role at Hull KR and Kylie Leuluai to a well-earned retirement.

So 2016 is uncharted territory for the Rhinos, shorn of three talismanic talents. However, in Zak Hardaker, Ryan Hall and Kallum Watkins there is still plenty of quality to call upon.

"It's huge but last year has gone, and every club wants to do what we've done," Watkins told BBC Sport.

"It's a huge challenge for us but we're focused on getting a good start.

"It's nice to have those kind of games, against Warrington, on a Thursday night at Headingley."

Image source, SWPIX.COM

To paraphrase the late, great David Bowie, we've had more than a few changes between these two teams over the winter.

Let's look at a few of them.

Image source, Getty Images

If there was ever a story to overshadow the start of a hugely exciting new season of Super League, then it is the appointment of Wayne Bennett as England head coach.

Seven times a Premiership winner in Australia, he also laid the foundations for Canberra's Grand Final successes at the end of the 1980s and coached at international and State of Origin level in his native country.

His appointment has been almost universally welcomed.

"He's got the proven credentials," former Great Britain coach Brian Noble has just told BBC Radio 5 live sports extra.

"He's won seven Grand Finals, and the Four Nations and World Cup are like grand finals every week, and that experience is a big plus.

"It's disappointing they've not stuck with Steve McNamara. If they wanted a change of direction, then why not Brian McDermott, Shaun Wane, Denis Betts or Daryl Powell - all English coaches

"But he has a passion for games over here, he's a great bloke, and I understand the winning aspect he'll bring to this finely tuned, polished set-up.

"My questions are just timing, and he's got to pick the form players."

Rugby league journalist Aaron Bower was in position early at Headingley. He's obviously just as excited as me about the start of the new season.

Plenty of debutants tonight, with this being the opening game of a new Super League campaign.

Leeds hand starts to big prop Keith Galloway following his move from NRL side Wests Tigers, while former Huddersfield back-rower Brett Ferres also lines up in the first XIII.

Big boost for Liam Sutcliffe who returns to the side too, after he missed the latter part of last season with a knee injury.

Warrington give Kurt Gidley a run out in the halves alongside Chris Sandow and former Hull winger Tom Lineham forms part of an impressive three-quarter line.

Jack Hughes, brought in from Wigan after a year alongside Ferres at the Giants, andanother ex-Hull player Joe Westerman start in the back-row, with fellow newbies Benjamin Jullien and Jordan Cox on the bench.

Leeds: Hardaker; Briscoe, Watkins, Moon, Hall; Sutcliffe, McGuire (c); Galloway, Burrow, Cuthbertson, Ferres, Ablett, Delaney.

Interchanges: Singleton, Garbutt, Keinhorst, Lilley.

Warrington: Russell; Lineham, Evans, Currie, Penny; Gidley, Sandow; Hill (c), Clark, Sims, Hughes, Westwood, Westerman.

Interchanges: Dwyer, King, Jullien, Cox.

Referee: James Child.

This game is normally a bit of a modern classic... Challenge Cup final 2010, play-offs 2011, Grand Final 2012, all the meetings last season...

Let's give you some team news for this humdinger of an opener.

Hasn't it been a long three and a half months?  

Having been made to sit through endless episodes of Dickensian, Jericho and other such dramatic nonsense over the winter, I can once again wrestle the remote control from my other half for a fix of Thursday night rugby league.

The time is now indeed, Super League.

After the "phoney war" of pre-season, the hill runs, the sprints, the burpees, the trial games and the press launches, finally Super League is back.

And what a way to kick it off, too!

Leeds Rhinos v Warrington Wolves. Two heavyweights of the past decade.

Bring it on.

Image source, SWPIX.COM