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First details of 2026 NRL draw leaked
Four clubs expected to host Round 1 fixtures have been revealed.
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First details of 2026 NRL draw leaked
Four clubs expected to host Round 1 fixtures have been revealed.
The NRL draw for 2026 is expected to be released late next week, and the first details have now been leaked.
While it has been confirmed for months that the Canterbury Bulldogs will clash with the St George Illawarra Dragons, and the North Queensland Cowboys will face the Newcastle Knights in the season-opening Las Vegas games, the remaining 13 teams are still waiting for their opening round assignments.
News Corp are reporting that, of the six games to be played during Round 1 in Australia (one week later than the Las Vegas fixtures), four will be hosted by the Melbourne Storm, Brisbane Broncos, Dolphins and Cronulla Sharks.
Who they will play in their first matches remains to be seen, but it's believed the Storm will open the Australian games for 2026, while the Brisbane Broncos will have the Friday night fixture, allowing them an extra 24 hours after travelling to England on February 19 for the World Club Challenge against Hull KR.
It's unclear who the other two sides hosting will be, however, it won't be the South Sydney Rabbitohs, Parramatta Eels, Penrith Panthers, or Gold Coast Titans, given Accor Stadium, CommBank Stadium and CBus Super Stadium are all locked up with Women's football Asia Cup commitments.
CommBank Stadium and CBus Super Stadium are also likely to be out for Round 2, while Accor Stadium, which hosts the final, is also likely to be unavailable for Round 3, ensuring the Bulldogs will have back-to-back road trips after Las Vegas unless they are afforded a bye.
It's also unclear at this stage who will have the opening round bye - none of the opening round teams can be considered, and it's unlikely that the Wests Tigers or Gold Coast Titans, who have had byes in Round 1 the last two seasons, will be asked to do so again.
The NRL, who are using AI to develop the draw for the first time, are in the final stages of confirming things with clubs ahead of the release, which comes about four months prior to kick-off.
