Winners and losers from the 2017 NRL draw

The NRL released their fixtures for the 2017 season on Thursday morning. So who got a favourable draw and who got stiffed? Read on to find out.

The 2017 NRL season will kick off on Thursday, March 2, with the reigning premiers the Cronulla Sharks hosting the Broncos at Southern Cross Group Super Stadium. The opening round is an absolute cracker while there are some other great ones strewn throughout the draw.

» Complete and comprehensive 2017 NRL Draw

With the announcement of the draw for the new year, there are inevitably some winners and some losers.

Without further ado, here are those that will be happy with their draws and those can feel hard done by.

Winners

Canberra Raiders
Its not a bad draw for the green machine, they’ll need to be on their game from the very start though.

They travel to Townsville to take on the Cowboys in Round One before hosting the premiers in Round Two. Additional clashes with the Eels and Broncos in the first five rounds will also prove a good early barometer of where ther premiership credentials.

Rounds 16-22 could also prove influential for the Raiders. They take on the Storm, Cowboys, Broncos and Sharks all in a matter of weeks.

They only take to the field once in the major Origin bye weeks, against the Roosters in Round 12.

Canterbury Bulldogs
The Doggies have been blessed with a light travel load in 2017. They don’t play away matches against the Storm or the Cowboys in the new year.

They are also handed an opportunity an opportunity to come up against the premiership-winning Sharks without their Origin stars in Round 12, although the Dogs will almost certainly be without David Klemmer and Josh Jackson and potentially the Morris twins.

They begin the season with a huge home clash with the Storm before a grudge match with the Roosters at Allianz and a journey over to New Zealand to face the Warriors.

This favourable draw could help the boys from Belmore improve on their 7th-placed finish form 2016.

Gold Coast Titans
The Titans have a really favourable run of fixtures to start 2017. With just one game against a top eight side from 2016 (the Cowboys) in the opening five rounds, as well as three home games in the same stretch, they’ll hope to get off to a flyer.

The following six weeks, however, will really test them. Away trips to New Zealand (Round 5), Brisbane (Rd 7), Townsville (Rd 8) and Melbourne (Rd 10) are all on the schedule and they’ll need to be in good form to get much from them.

Jarryd Hayne, Ryan James and Nathan Peats are the Titans’ Origin contenders, but with byes in Rounds 12 and 18, they may only miss a Sydney-based clash with the Rabbitohs in Round 15.

Can a huge start from the Titans put them on the road to finals football in 2017?

Manly Sea Eagles
It’s a great run to start with for the Sea Eagles who play seven of their first nine games in 2017 at home. They’ll need to get back to their Brookvale form of old if they’re to capitalise on a favourable draw.

They’ve drawn an Origin-period clash with the Panthers who will be missing a host of players, while they’ll also meet the Sharks in the week post-Origin II.

North Queensland Cowboys
The boys from North Queensland have emerged favourably from the draw announcement. With six of their first nine at home and only one instance of back to back Sydney games, the Cowboys faithful should feel blessed.

An Origin-period clash with the Storm could be interesting around the time of Game 2. There will be no Johnathan Thurston or Matt Scott, but Cooper Cronk and Cameron Smith will also be missing, a match to keep an eye on.

They’ve got byes for the first two Origin games.

Penrith Panthers
The Origin period is particularly kind to the Panthers, who will no doubt have a number of players missing thanks to representative duties.

They open with away games at the Dragons and Tigers before hosting the Roosters in Round 3, in a fairly kind start to the season.

Both of their byes fall on Origin rounds, while they face Manly in Round 18 in the aftermath of Game 3.

The Dragons only play once in the major bye rounds, where they face the Eels, with Michael Jennings and Josh Dugan expected to be the only major omissions.

Sydney Roosters
It’s a mixed bag for the Eastern Suburbs team in 2017.

They play six of their first nine away from home. Their first three opponents were all finalists in 2016, but their next six all failed to make the post-season, bar the Broncos who they meet in Round 6 at Suncorp.

Rounds 16-18 see them face both grand finalists from last year followed by rivals the Rabbitohs – it could be a telling period in their hunt for the finals.

They travel to face the Raiders in Round 12 ahead of Origin one and could be without as many as six starters. Their Round 18 clash with the Rabbitohs will also be Origin affected.

St George Illawarra Dragons
It’s not a bad draw for the Red V in 2017, with only really a bad patch between Rounds 7 and 11. In this period they face the Cowboys, Roosters (away), Storm, Sharks and are away in New Zealand.

They’ll begin with home matches against the Panthers and the Eels before playing away at the Sharks.

New Zealand Warriors
Their start to the year is really heavy on home games and it will give them a solid platform to build off in the new year.

They meet the Knights and the Storm at Mt Smart Stadium before what is technically an away game against the Broncos in Dunedin. They will also play the Eels and Dragons at home in the opening six rounds.

Following this, they’ll play a lot of footy down under, with away clashes against Canberra, Melbourne, an away game against the Roosters followed by a match against the Panthers at Pepper Stadium all on the agenda.

Their only game against a team missing Origin stars will be against the Broncos in Round 12.

Wests Tigers
There’s no really taxing period for the Tigers in 2017. No grouping of tough away games or back to back games with big teams.

They’ll open with the Rabbitohs at ANZ before hosting the Panthers in Campbelltown.

The Origin period shouldn’t prove too tough either, with byes in Rounds 12 and 18. They’ll face an under-strength Sharks side in Round 15 where they should only be missing the likes of skipper Aaron Woods and fullback James Tedesco.

Probably the biggest winners from this draw.

Losers

Brisbane Broncos
The Broncos begin their season with an absolutely treacherous four weeks in which they face the entirety of 2016’s top four.

Some will say it could be a blessing for the Brisbane boys, who will get their hardest challenges out of the way and galvanise themselves for an easier run up the table. However, games like these first up could shake the confidence of Wayne Bennett’s men and undo their mental fortitude for the rest of the season.

In terms of Origin, they’ll be without their stars for a Round 12 clash with the full-strength Warriors, while they’ve been blessed with byes for the last two Origin matches.

How do you think the Broncs will deal with one of the toughest starts to the season in history?

Cronulla Sharks
The reigning premiers will have a target on their backs from the word go but opening clashes with the Broncos and away at the Raiders will certainly test them early.

Additionally, their run home is nightmarish, with away trips at the Warriors, Cowboys, Broncos and Knights all on the schedule for after their Round 18 bye.

They host the Bulldogs and the Tigers in the lead ups to Origins I and II respectively while a bye is their reward prior to Game 3.

Melbourne Storm
There’s a lot of travel for the Melburnians in the coming year, especially with three of their opening four matches taking place away from home. Add to that a Round 6 clash with the Sharks at home, and it’s not pretty reading for Storm fans.

There’ll be a tricky month around the Origin period for the Storm, who face the Roosters in Adelaide, as well as Brisbane and a home game with the Cowboys. Their management of stars like Cooper Cronk and Cameron Smith will be telling.

Newcastle Knights
It’s a tough proposition grading the Knights draw considering the fact that, in 2016, every game was a difficult one for the wooden spooners.

They open with the Warriors in New Zealand before back to back home clashes against the Titans and the Rabbitohs. It’s a tough end to the season as well with clashes against the Bulldogs, Broncos, Roosters, Dragons, Warriors, Eels, Storm, Raiders and Sharks between Rounds 18 and 26.

They’ve got Origin period games with the Bulldogs and the Storm. Poor Dane Gagai.

Parramatta Eels
It’s a tough stretch up front for the Eels. They’ve got Manly at Brookie to start with, followed by away games against the Dragons and Titans. It only gets worse from there with a home game against the premiers proceeded by trips to Canberra and Auckland.

They are the only team to play in all three pre-origin rounds, where they meet the Dragons, Rabbits and Storm. It’s looking like a pretty kind period for the boys in blue and gold.

South Sydney Rabbitohs
The Rabbits have an up-and-down draw in 2017.

They begin with five away matches in their first six, but only one is outside New South Wales (against the Cowboys in Round 5). However, they don’t play a top eight team in the first month, before being confronted with four in a row directly after.

Rounds 14-21 bring them six games out of seven against finalists from 2016 with their only reprieve a traditionally tough clash with old foes the Roosters at Allianz.

The Origin period isn’t so kind to them with pre-Origin clashes with the Eels, Titans and Roosters.