By far the biggest X-factor in Super Rugby AU this year is the Western Force.
Brutally cut from Super Rugby in 2017 by a previous cost-cutting Rugby Australia administration, billionaire mining magnate Andrew 'Twiggy' Forrest stepped in to save the day.
Forrest first set up his own competitions for the Force to play in (as you do), before COVID-19 provided an unexpected rugby lifeline last year.
Scrambling to arrange a domestic alternative to a Super Rugby competition involving four countries, RA welcomed the Force back into the fold.
They didn't win a game in 2020 Super Rugby AU, but were mostly competitive.
Tonight, against the defending champion Brumbies, the Force will host a Super Rugby match in Perth for the first time since 2017.
"He (Forrest) came on the field after the match," Force captain Ian Prior recalled this week.
"It was 1316 days ago, and he said he's going to get into the trenches with us, not only be with us, but leading from the front.
"And he stuck to his word, and we're here today because of that."
Forrest has certainly put his money where his mouth is, signing a raft of big name former or current Test stars.
In the starting lineup tonight are Ireland legend Rob Kearney, Argentina bruisers Tomas Lezana and Santiago Medrano and long-time Wallabies star Tevita Kuridrani.
Even the bench features quality internationals in Greg Holmes, Tomas Cubelli and Richard Kahui.
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"A club that needed to be strengthened and did is the Western Force," said Drew Mitchell, a former Force star who will be covering Super Rugby AU for Nine and Stan Sport.
"It came about pretty quickly (the 2020 season) so they weren't able to get on the recruitment drive too hard.
"They did well all things considered. And this off-season they've done what they needed to in terms of getting some big signings but also retaining some players that they needed.
"You've got your Tevita Kuridranis and Tom Robertsons but also Rob Kearney coming down from Ireland. Just the experience he'll bring and the excitement he'll have wanting to come out and experience Super Rugby is huge.
"Players will feed off that and the career he's had and will continue to have is something that a lot of the younger players can learn off. I think they've done really well."
But Morgan Turinui - another ex-Wallaby now calling the play for Nine and Stan Sport - said there was a "clear margin" between the Brumbies and Queensland Reds and the rest of the competition.
He said the rock solid Brumbies deserved to start favourites but wouldn't be surprised if the Reds take the final step in their upward trajectory.
"The last two weeks of last year's Super Rugby AU may have marked a slight changing of the guard in Australian rugby," Turinui told Wide World of Sports.
"I'm always hesitant to decry anything about the Brumbies because they just churn players out who are well coached and ready to play. Any team that has got (coaches) Laurie Fisher and Dan McKellar is doing a great job. Those guys give you confidence that the Brumbies will be thereabouts.
"But there's just something about the Reds, an upward spiral, another year after playing Test footy for the (Harry) Wilsons and guys like that, will just get better and better, exponentially, playing together a lot. Spending time together a lot will be great for them so they could be just too good for everyone."
Meanwhile, Wallabies great Tim Horan agrees that the Brumbies and Reds are clearly the teams to beat.
The NSW Waratahs are in a rebuilding phase under Rob Penney and don't have Michael Hooper.
And the Melbourne Rebels often flatter to deceive.
"You know exactly what you're going to get with the Brumbies," Horan told Wide World of Sports.
"They still probably have to change things up a bit more but Dan McKellar will know that.
"He's probably the best coach we've got in the Super Rugby comp at the moment.
"But I think the Reds this year, they made a good move last year, went very close to winning that final but I think this year you've really got to put your foot down."
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from WWOS https://wwos.nine.com.au/rugby/super-rugby-au-2021-predictions-force-reds-waratahs-brumbies-rebels/2d6abb84-b29c-4537-9961-967902283a38
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