With some players not finishing their 2020 duties until the end of November, this year's pre-season campaign has been restricted with clubs only allowed to use players who featured in 12 or more games last season in one pre-season match.

It means Saturday's game against Gold Coast in Lismore will be Brown's only chance to see his players in action before their NRL round one game against the Titans on March 13.

Brown believes the regulations may be the same for all clubs but will have an impact on those who have made significant changes such as appointing a new coach since the end of the 2020 campaign.

"Every club is starting with the same rules. We're all only allowed to have that one sort of proper trial," he said.

"We're all sort of in the same sort of boat there.

"I suppose all of us coaches that are new to a club, in an ideal world, we'd have a couple (of matches) to make some changes whereas the clubs that have been very stable and very successful and have the same coaches, one is probably fine for them.

"As a whole, with what's happened to the game last year and how hard the game is today, if one trial's what it is, that's not a bad thing for the players' welfare.

"Doesn't mean it's ideal, but it's probably the right thing to do."

Brown won't risk the fitness of halfback Chanel Harris-Tavita who has been struggling with a groin niggle, with Sean O'Sullivan a late inclusion for Saturday's trial.

While Harris-Tevita is expected to be fit for round one, Brown said his omission highlighted the difficulties of having just one pre-season hitout.

"Ideally you'd want all of your squad playing and in particular key positions but as we've noticed in the pre-season there's plenty of clubs picking up a few niggles here and there," he said.

"He's just not quite there so just give it a miss."

Australian Associated Press