2026 NRL Draw

[innsaneink]

First details of 2026 NRL draw leaked

Four clubs expected to host Round 1 fixtures have been revealed.

www.zerotackle.com

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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.

 

[Tucker]

That Vegas quartet is an embarrassing promotion of the code.
It’s a token gesture only now….

 

[innsaneink]

Was always gunna happen...Like eating your 400gm scotch fillet first and being left.with a plate of chips and salad...not quite as good

 

[Tucker]

Have the good clubs had a sook about it?
Surprised we didn’t get a start.

 

[Tigers_Wests]

The predict the draw competition the club sent out runs until the end of next Sunday (16th). Assume the draw will come out over the days following that (the week starting Monday 17th).

 

[jadtiger]

As long as we don't get the first round bye again i can live with it.

 

[innsaneink]

NRL draw sends Rabbitohs, Sharks to Perth in 2026 for double-header as Bears warm-up​

With the Perth Bears set to join the NRL in 2026, the league is wasting no time in trying to attract rugby league fans out west, putting on an impressive double-header.


The Rabbitohs and Sharks are preparing to Perth for a double-header next season, as further details of the NRL’s 2026 season draw emerge.
In a massive opportunity for the NRL to win over Western Australian hearts and minds ahead of the arrival of the Perth Bears in 2027, the Bunnies and Sharks have been pencilled in to host back-to-back games on April 11.
With AI technology formulating the much-anticipated NRL season draw for the first time, the NRL are in the final stages of completing every crucial fixture.
At this stage, the Rabbitohs are preparing to play the Raiders, while the Sharks are expecting to play the Roosters.
Both South Sydney and Cronulla know that with TV broadcasters yet to sign-off on the scheduling, their opponents for the Perth double-header may change ahead of the NRL unveiling the entire season draw late this week.

Details of the pre-season trial matches are slowly coming to light with the Warriors planning to play a trial match in Napier, the Raiders at Seiffert Oval, the Sharks at Kogarah Oval, the Storm on the Sunshine Coast, and Manly on the Central Coast.
The draw development has emerged in the wake of News Corp breaking the news surrounding the NRL’s lack of stadium availability in Sydney across the opening month of the season due to the AFC Women’s Asian Cup.
It is likely to force the Rabbitohs, Eels, Panthers and Bulldogs on the road to commence the season.
A week after the NRL’s epic season-launch in Las Vegas that will feature the Bulldogs, Dragons, Knights and Cowboys, News Corp has learned that grand final bridesmaids the Storm are in the box seat to maintain the momentum from the US by kicking off the regular season in Australia at AAMI Park in Melbourne on Thursday night, March 5.
Defending premiers the Brisbane Broncos are poised to commence their title-defence at Suncorp Stadium on Friday night, March 6.

 

[GNR4LIFE]

It’s a valid point regarding Vegas. If they were really looking at promoting the brand, they’d send the best of the best. I’d personally send the previous years top 4 or the 4 clubs who played the previous years prelims. Good incentive for clubs, especially the weaker ones.

 

[426Tlgerland]

Nor sure how the NRL come up with the Vegas teams but Dragons , knights , Cowboys and Dogs , well I agree with GNR they needed to use the top 4 teams from previous year , I’m not sure if other clubs were ask if they would go and knocked the nrl back but the teams going is poor , should have been
Bronco V Storm
Panthers V Dogs
Incentive to teams to win a top 4 spot and get a chance to head over to Vegas sounds like a challenge all round

 

[innsaneink]

Id guess most coaches wouldnt want a bar of Vegas

 

[GNR4LIFE]

Nor sure how the NRL come up with the Vegas teams but Dragons , knights , Cowboys and Dogs , well I agree with GNR they needed to use the top 4 teams from previous year , I’m not sure if other clubs were ask if they would go and knocked the nrl back but the teams going is poor , should have been
Bronco V Storm
Panthers V Dogs
Incentive to teams to win a top 4 spot and get a chance to head over to Vegas sounds like a challenge all round

3 clubs who are going over next year did not play finals this year. Two of them bottom 4, 1 of them wooden spooners.

 

[Rock Hopper Steve]

3 clubs who are going over next year did not play finals this year. Two of them bottom 4, 1 of them wooden spooners.

Could be the year that the Vegas bubble implodes, who's going over there to watch them except for diehard supporters and gamblers who didn't leave all their cash on the tables the previous years.

 

[Don Kershane]

St George v Bulldogs playing for the Khod Cup

Cowboys v Knights playing for the Sid Fogg memorial Trophy

 

[Charred]

I think the teams they send to Vegas is pretty much decided like a whole year before. In 2024 I’m pretty sure 3 of those teams made finals (just checked and yes 3 did but also the bulldogs logo looks so bad on the ladder 🤣) and Dragons came 11th.

I think their strategy has been to send 4 new teams each year and currently leftover are Storm, Tigers, Eels, Titans and Dolphins so I’d predict that in 2027 they will probably do something like:
Storm vs Dolphins
Tigers vs Eels (with us as hosts which is better than hosting at Commbank stadium).

From 2028 only Titans, Bears and Chiefs won’t have gone so will be interesting what the NRL decides to do there.

Also why does the NRL need to use AI to come up with the draw like seriously it can’t be that hard surely. I know there are obviously a lot of logistics with stadiums and whatever but it’s not like the AI will contact the stadiums either.

 

[innsaneink]

I think the teams they send to Vegas is pretty much decided like a whole year before. In 2024 I’m pretty sure 3 of those teams made finals (just checked and yes 3 did but also the bulldogs logo looks so bad on the ladder 🤣) and Dragons came 11th.

I think their strategy has been to send 4 new teams each year and currently leftover are Storm, Tigers, Eels, Titans and Dolphins so I’d predict that in 2027 they will probably do something like:
Storm vs Dolphins
Tigers vs Eels (with us as hosts which is better than hosting at Commbank stadium).

From 2028 only Titans, Bears and Chiefs won’t have gone so will be interesting what the NRL decides to do there.

Also why does the NRL need to use AI to come up with the draw like seriously it can’t be that hard surely. I know there are obviously a lot of logistics with stadiums and whatever but it’s not like the AI will contact the stadiums either.

We arent going...Richo says he dont want us to