The draw for the 2019 NRL season has been released, and there are loads of highlights and matches that fans can look forward to.

As the defending premiers, the Sydney Roosters will be the team with the biggest target on their heads, as fifteen other sides attempt to prevent them from becoming the first to go back-to-back in a unified competition in a quarter of a century.

Due to the impending demolition of their home ground, Allianz Stadium, the Chooks will be forced to temporarily relocate to the SCG while they await the construction of a new stadium, which is scheduled to open in the 2021 season.

Brisbane’s Suncorp Stadium will become the centre of attention in Round 9, when all eight matches in the one round are played at what has become the premier ground for Australian rugby league in recent years.

State of Origin also promises to be massive in 2019, with Game II to be played at Perth’s Optus Stadium before a potential series decider at ANZ Stadium in July.

Here are some of the highlights that fans can expect to look forward to in 2019.

1. Opening round
Always one of the highest-attended rounds in the season, Round 1 promises not to disappoint.

For the first time since 2009, the season will be opened in Melbourne, with the NRL looking to capitalise on a weekend where there are no AFL matches so as to gain maximum exposure in the Victorian capital.

The Storm, this year’s beaten grand finalists, will start with a match against the Broncos, who could have a new coach with reports (at the time of writing) that Anthony Seibold is set to be headed to Red Hill as early as next month.

It will be the fifth time in six years that the northerners will start the season away from home, and the fifth consecutive year in which they’ve played in the season’s opening match.

The following night, the Sydney Roosters will begin their premiership defence with another huge clash against their bitter rivals, the South Sydney Rabbitohs, in what will be their first meeting at the Sydney Cricket Ground since 1993.

Lighting the fuse for another potentially explosive match will be that Angus Crichton will make his debut for the tri-colours, while it could be Wayne Bennett’s first match in charge of the Bunnies if his deal to coach them is brought forward by twelve months.

With Allianz Stadium set to be demolished in the New Year, the Chooks will call the historic cricket ground home for the next two seasons while they await the construction of a brand new stadium to be built on the site of the old Sydney Football Stadium.

However, a few of their home games, most in the second half of the season, have been earmarked ‘TBA’ as the NRL awaits the release of the AFL draw, so as to avoid a clash with the Sydney Swans. The Swans are the SCG’s main tenants during the winter and who will have full access rights to the ground on weekends when they are scheduled to play at home.

Elsewhere, the Bulldogs will head across the ditch to face one of last year’s most-improved teams, the New Zealand Warriors, while the Sea Eagles will begin their second stint under Des Hasler with a short trip to Leichhardt to face the Wests Tigers. The Tigers could also have a new coach onboard with reports Michael Maguire will be signed in the coming weeks.

That would clear the way for Ivan Cleary to return to Penrith, where he would be reunited with his son, Panthers halfback Nathan. The Sunday schedule is unchanged from round one, with the Panthers hosting the Eels at the foot of the mountains and the Raiders travelling to the Gold Coast to face the Titans.

The other match in round one sees the Cowboys begin life after Johnathan Thurston with a home clash against the Dragons, in which they’ll be expected to unleash former Dally M Medallist Ben Barba and former Dragons winger Nene Macdonald, who has returned home for family reasons.

Adding further intrigue to this match is that, according to Fox Sports, the Cowboys have been hit with the hardest possible draw, while the Dragons have been dealt the easiest, with only ten matches against last year’s top eight and twelve matches against the bottom eight sides, including a second match against the Cowboys, as well as double-ups against the Eels, Sea Eagles, Titans, Bulldogs and Knights.

2. The Queensland Derbies, Rounds 2 and 21
Always a highlight on the rugby league calendar are the Queensland Derbies between the Brisbane Broncos and North Queensland Cowboys.

Recent matches between the two clubs have been close, with eight of nine matches since September 2015 being decided by six points or less, including, of course, the 2015 Grand Final which the Cowboys won in golden point extra time.

Last year, the two clubs traded four-point victories, with Tevita Pangai Jr saving the Broncos from defeat when he sent Scott Bolton crashing into the southern right-side goalpost at Suncorp Stadium in Round 2, before the Cowboys returned serve with a 34-30 victory in Johnathan Thurston’s final Queensland Derby in Townsville.

As was the case last year and in 2017, the Broncos will host the first Derby in 2019 in what will also double as their first home game of the season, before the Cowboys host what is likely to be the final Queensland Derby at Willows Sports Complex before they move to the new North Queensland Stadium in 2020.

For the first time since 2002, neither Sam Thaiday or Johnathan Thurston will be a part of the fixture, with both players having retired at the end of last season. Nonetheless, expect both Queensland Derbies in 2019 to excite.

3. Broncos vs Dragons Round 3
With Dragons recruit Korbin Sims to sit out the first two matches of the 2019 season due to suspension, his first match in the Red V guernsey will come against his former club, the Broncos, as the next chapter in the rivalry between the two clubs unfolds.

The Dragons cleaned up in both matches against the Broncos last season, thrashing the northerners at Kogarah Oval in the season opener with halfback Ben Hunt, who was making his club debut, scoring an intercept try in the second half. They did so again at Suncorp Stadium in the second elimination final with Tariq Sims scoring a first half hat-trick.

It ensured the Broncos’ 2018 season started and ended in humiliation against a club they’d beaten in 14 of 16 clashes between August 2009 and August 2017. The first result literally put the club on the back foot for the majority of the season, as they struggled to get anything going in what could have been Wayne Bennett’s final year at Red Hill.

The latter loss also saw the Broncos’ premiership drought extended to a twelfth consecutive season, and is proof that the club has a lot of work to do if they are to contend for the 2019 premiership.

Despite this, they were able to beat top-four sides the Roosters, Rabbitohs and Sharks twice each during the season, but other inconsistent results and several heavy defeats highlight the magnitude of the work they will have to do if they are to lift a seventh premiership trophy on October 6.

This will be the clubs’ only meeting in 2019, so expect both clubs to show no mercy towards the other in what shapes as a genuine Thursday night blockbuster in Brisbane.

4. Easter round
Next year’s Easter Round promises to be the biggest yet, for a variety of reasons.

It kicks off with the traditional Good Friday clash between the Bulldogs and Rabbitohs, which is then followed by the Grand Final rematch between the Storm and Roosters, in which Cooper Cronk will step foot onto AAMI Park as an opposition player for the first time.

Cronk’s courage to play the Grand Final with a shoulder injury was one of the biggest stories of last season, and it vindicated the Roosters’ chase for the former Maroons halfback, which forced long-term pivot Mitchell Pearce out of the club.

The 34-year-old had signed with the Chooks after the 2018 draw, which revealed the Roosters wouldn’t be playing in Melbourne in the season just passed, was made public, denying Storm fans the chance to bid farewell to their long-serving halfback.

Quite literally, only the Roosters turned up for the big dance, as they led 18-0 at half-time and despite a try-less second half, went on with the job after half-time, restricting the Storm to only a single try as they claimed their 14th premiership by the scoreline of 21-6.

It denied now-retired Storm fullback a premiership in his final game, as he suffered the same fate that befell the likes of Justin Hodges (2015) and Brad Fittler (2004), among others.

Also this round, the Parramatta Eels will christen their newly-built Western Sydney Stadium with a blockbuster Easter Monday clash against the Wests Tigers, having finalised a 15-year deal at the eleventh-hour to play their home games at the new ground, which has been constructed on the site of the old Parramatta Stadium, which saw its final game played in 2016.

The move back to their spiritual home should be a major boost for the Eels as they attempt to put behind them the disappointment of last season, which saw them crash from a fourth-place finish in 2017 to wooden spooners this year.

5. Anzac Round
For the next two years, the traditional ANZAC Day clash between the Sydney Roosters and St George Illawarra Dragons will be played at the SCG.

It will be the first time since 2010 that the two clubs play at the historic ground, and another bumper crowd will be expected for what is one of the biggest matches on the rugby league calendar.

The corresponding game last year saw the Dragons record a dominant 24-8 victory, as Ben Hunt won the battle of the halfback recruits against Cooper Cronk. The crowd of 41,142 was the biggest for the fixture since it was introduced in 2002.

That being said, the Roosters will be out to restore order, and as the defending premiers, they will again prove to be the team to beat as they chase back-to-back premierships, something that hasn’t been achieved in a unified competition for a quarter of a century.

The Dragons, meantime, are also expected to be up there among the contenders for this year’s premiership, and they’ll be hoping to avoid a repeat of the late-season fade-out which saw them drop from the top of the ladder to seventh by the end of round 25.

Later that evening, the Storm and Warriors will again clash under lights at AAMI Park, with that match to also be televised by the Nine Network as part of its Thursday Night Football coverage. The match will kick off two hours after the conclusion of the Essendon vs Collingwood AFL clash just over the bridge at the MCG, allowing fans to switch between the two grounds without being late.

6. The Seibold-Bennett Cup, Rounds 8 and 23
On the same day the NRL draw was released, a major coaching bombshell dropped. We will see Wayne Bennett and Anthony Seibold swap places in 2020, with the master coach heading to South Sydney and the rookie coach moving north to Brisbane.

However, at the time of this article going to print, there is talk that this transfer could be brought 12 months forward, which means both coaches may as well end up at different homes by as early as next month.

If this happens, then Seibold will leave the Bunnies in much better shape than when he found them, turning a basket case into a team expected to be up there among the contenders for the 2019 premiership.

It would then be up to Bennett to put on the finishing touches, after the Rabbitohs just fell short of a Grand Final berth this year, losing 12-4 to the Roosters in the preliminary final.

Seibold, meantime, will have his work cut out at Red Hill, regardless of when he arrives. The Broncos are currently enduring a twelve-year premiership drought – the longest in club history.

If the transfer is brought forward, then the Round 23 clash at Suncorp Stadium will give Broncos fans a proper chance to farewell their super coach, Bennett, who delivered the club six premierships and whose most recent match in charge of the club ended in an embarrassing 48-18 elimination final loss to the Dragons at home last September.

On the field, the Rabbitohs will be attempting to end a seven-match losing streak against the Broncos, having not beaten them since the opening round of the 2015 season, which was Bennett’s first match back in charge of the northerners after three-year stints at the St George Illawarra Dragons (2009-11) and Newcastle Knights (2012-14).

Both matches in 2019 will take place in the exact same rounds as they were the season just passed – Rounds 8 and 23.

7. Magic Round
For the first time in the history of the National Rugby League, all eight matches in a single round will be played at one ground. Brisbane’s Suncorp Stadium has been given the honour of hosting the NRL’s first ‘Magic Round’, which was first revealed several months ago.

The Magic Round takes its inspiration from a similar concept that has existed in the Super League for over a decade, and it’s expected over tens of thousands of fans will pack Suncorp to witness every team in action across the four days.

The bonanza starts on the Thursday night with the Gold Coast Titans hosting the Cronulla Sharks, before two matches light up Friday night – the Wests Tigers up against the Penrith Panthers followed by the Brisbane Broncos taking centre stage against the Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles.

It is expected that Michael Maguire and Ivan Cleary will be in charge of the Tigers and Panthers, respectively, with this coaching change set to be ratified in the coming weeks.

Ironically, despite Suncorp Stadium being a home ground for the Broncos, they will actually be the away side for their clash against the Sea Eagles, who were victorious by 38-24 when they transferred their home game to Brisbane’s backyard.

Saturday sees the Bulldogs hosting the Knights, before the Warriors take on the Dragons in the twilight. That is then followed by the Storm facing the Eels in the evening.

On the Sunday, the Roosters will take on the Raiders before the Magic Round bonanza concludes with the Rabbitohs hosting the Cowboys in what could be Wayne Bennett’s return to Suncorp Stadium, if the aforementioned coaching transfer is brought forward by twelve months.

The Roosters will very likely stay in Brisbane the following week, as they will face the Broncos at Suncorp Stadium on the following Friday night, in round 10, doing so off the back of a five-day break.

8. State of Origin
After New South Wales’ series victory this year, Queensland will get its chance to wrest back the State of Origin shield in 2019.

Game I will be played at Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane on June 5, before the series heads west in the representative weekend with Optus Stadium, home to AFL clubs the West Coast Eagles and Fremantle, to host the second game on June 23 (a Sunday).

Sydney’s ANZ Stadium will then host the third and potentially deciding game on July 10, and should the series be 1-all at this point, a Blues victory would see them lift the shield in front of their fans for just the fourth time since 1992 (after 1997, 2000 and 2004).

Under new coach Brad Fittler, the Blues fielded eleven debutants for the first game in Melbourne and won by 22-12 before, in front of over 80,000 pro-Blues fans, withstood a determined Maroons side to take out the second game by 18-14.

Kevin Walters’ men then salvaged the series with an 18-12 victory in the third game at Suncorp Stadium, which was Brad Fittler’s first game at the ground as a coach in any capacity (NRL or representative).

With several of their veterans having retired, and with Greg Inglis no certainty of being selected in 2019, the Maroons will have their work cut out avoiding a second consecutive series defeat, so victory at home in Game I will be crucial to their chances, especially with the second game to be played on neutral territory.

9. Smith vs Gallen for (possibly) the final time, Round 17
Long-time rugby league warriors Cameron Smith and Paul Gallen could face off for the very final time when modern rivals, the Melbourne Storm and Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks, face off at AAMI Park on Saturday July 13.

Both men have led their clubs and states to premiership and Origin glory, respectively, over the years, and both are among the most respected figures in the game.

With both players to turn 36 and 38 respectively on either side of this clash, it’s possible this will be the last time we see these two go head to head in an NRL match.

While Gallen has signed on for another year, after which he will almost certainly retire from the game, Smith is also expected to put pen-to-paper on a one-year deal, which would see him become the first player in NRL history to break the 400-game barrier.

Like his Sharks counterpart, Smith is also likely to retire at the end of next season, as there is quite literally nothing else he needs to achieve in the game.

The recent history between the two clubs is also well-documented, with the Sharks winning their first premiership at the expense of the Storm in 2016, Smith being sin-binned at Shark Park earlier this year and now-retired Billy Slater being cleared of a contentious shoulder charge incurred in the two teams’ preliminary final showdown last month.

Before their clash at AAMI Park, which will take place three nights after the deciding Origin clash, Smith will return to the scene of the crime in round 8, where it’s likely he will again be public enemy number one in front of what is expected to be a pro-Sharks crowd.

10. The NRL finals
Finally, after 25 rounds of fierce competition, the top eight teams will contest four weeks of finals matches, culminating in the NRL Grand Final which will be played on Sunday October 6.

All eyes will be on the Sydney Roosters to see if they can repeat as premiers, something that has proven to be extremely tough in this day and age, with the salary cap designed to ensure every team has equal chance of winning the premiership at the start of each season.

That being said, no team has been able to successfully defend their premiership since the Brisbane Broncos did so in 1992-93, and it’s also unlikely we will ever see a period in which one team is dominant over a prolonged period of time, such as the eleven consecutive premierships the Dragons won between 1956-66.

For the first time since 2014, the AFL and NRL Grand Finals will not be on the same weekend; in fact, the league decider will take place one week after the AFL’s, meaning the sport will have the lead-up week all to itself.

Those are just some of the highlights of the 2019 NRL fixture, which is always filled with excitement and intrigue. The countdown is now on to Thursday, March 14, with the season kicking off between the Melbourne Storm and Brisbane Broncos at AAMI Park.

Which matches are you looking forward to in 2019? Please leave your thoughts below.