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Grand final rematch should kick off the 2016 season

Roar Guru
5th October, 2015
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JT delivers the Cowboys a premiership. (AAP Image/Mick Tsikas)
Roar Guru
5th October, 2015
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While the dust continues to settle on the 2015 NRL season, work has now commenced on the structure of next year’s fixture. In this article I have plotted out how Round 1 next year should unfold.

The 2016 season should kick off with the grand final rematch between the North Queensland Cowboys and Brisbane Broncos in Townsville, following their thrilling grand final duel on Sunday night.

The game was the first grand final since 1989 to be decided in extra time, and the first since the golden point rule was introduced in 2003.

It would mark the first time the two Queensland rivals have met in the opening round since 2011, and the first time the two clubs have played a Round 1 match against each other in Townsville since 2001.

It would also be the first time since 2012 that the previous year’s grand finalists have met in the opening round, when the Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles and New Zealand Warriors, the 2011 grand finalists, faced each other at Eden Park.

The season kick-off could also provide a strong lead-in to Nine’s The Footy Show, following the announcement that the first edition of the show for the new season would be telecast from Townsville, the Cowboys’ home city.

The first match in Sydney for the new season will see the Sydney Roosters and South Sydney Rabbitohs renew hostilities at Allianz Stadium on the Friday night, with the two clubs expected to again contend for the premiership in 2016.

The Rabbitohs had hosted the first of the two meetings against the Roosters for the last two seasons, and so it’s the Chooks’ turn to host them for the first time in 2016, before the Rabbitohs host the return meeting, most likely in the final round.

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For Trent Robinson’s men, it will be the second year in a row they will enter a new season after having lost several key players at the end of the preceding season. Next year, they’ll be without James Maloney and Roger Tuivasa-Sheck after they defected to the Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks and New Zealand Warriors respectively.

As for the Rabbitohs, their bid for a second premiership in three years will start without Glenn Stewart, who has left the club after just one season to join Super League side the Catalan Dragons, as well as Issac Luke, who will join the Warriors.

Despite the loss of key players for both clubs, both the Roosters and Rabbitohs will be expected to once again be up there as among the many premiership contenders alongside the Cowboys and Broncos.

After a horror season which culminated in a second wooden spoon, the Newcastle Knights will be hoping for some better times ahead, following the appointment of former Dragons, Huddersfield and St Helens mentor Nathan Brown as head coach.

The Knights will be one of two clubs, the other being the Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles, armed with new coaches for season 2016. Their first game in the Brown era will be at home against perennial finalists the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs.

Expectations will be high for the New Zealand Warriors next year, with Kiwi internationals Roger Tuivasa-Sheck and Issac Luke set to join Test teammates Shaun Johnson, Simon Mannering and Manu Vatuvei in a potentially strong line-up.

After Round 18 this year, the Warriors sat in the top four and were on track to reach the finals for the first time since 2011 until a season-ending leg injury suffered by Johnson resulted in the club finishing 2015 with eight straight losses en route to a disappointing 13th place finish on the ladder.

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After starting their past three seasons in New South Wales (no less), the club will play a Round 1 home game for the first time since 2012 when they welcome the Gold Coast Titans to Mount Smart Stadium.

Rounding out a huge Saturday night, Trent Barrett will launch his coaching career when the Manly Warringah Sea Eagles tackle the Wests Tigers at ANZ Stadium in the only game to be played at the ground in Round 1.

The Sea Eagles, finals casualties for the first time since 2004, should have Lewis Brown and Nate Myles debuting for the club, while for the Tigers it is still unknown whether their captain Robbie Farah will play after coach Jason Taylor said in August he risked being dropped to reserve grade if he remained at Concord Oval.

Sunday will see two matches, with the local derby between the St George Illawarra Dragons and Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks taking place at Kogarah Oval, and the Canberra Raiders welcoming the Melbourne Storm to the nation’s capital at night.

The match between the Dragons and Sharks will boast some interest following both clubs’ improvement, and hence their participation in the finals, in season 2015.

Benji Marshall and Gareth Widdop will once again be behind the Dragons’ brains trust as they look to improve on their heartbreaking first round finals exit at the hands of the Bulldogs, while the addition of Roosters premiership player James Maloney should see the Sharks emerge as one of the teams to watch in 2016.

This match will be given the free-to-air exposure by Channel Nine, and given the expected continual improvement of both clubs next season, Kogarah Oval is likely to be sold out for the clash between the two southern Sydney rivals.

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And to round out a blockbuster opening round, western rivals the Parramatta Eels and Penrith Panthers will clash at Pirtek Stadium on the Monday night, with their previous meeting having taken place in Darwin in August this year.

And so, this is how Round 1, 2016 should unfold (all times local):

Thursday, March 3
Cowboys versus Broncos, 1300SMILES Stadium, 6:45pm*

Friday, March 4
Roosters versus Rabbitohs, Allianz Stadium, 7:45pm*

Saturday, March 5
Knights versus Bulldogs, Hunter Stadium; 3:00pm
Warriors versus Titans, Mount Smart Stadium, 7:30pm
Wests Tigers versus Sea Eagles, ANZ Stadium, 7:30pm

Sunday, March 6
Dragons versus Sharks, Kogarah Oval, 4:00pm*
Raiders versus Storm, GIO Stadium, 6:00pm

Monday, March 7
Eels versus Panthers, Pirtek Stadium, 7:00pm

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* denotes a Channel Nine game.

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