The NRL is scrambling to sort out its 2024 draw leading into the schedule being officially released next week with Nine fuming over a low-profile Newcastle vs Canberra match being chosen to launch the season on home soil.
History will be made when the premiership kicks off in Las Vegas on March 2 when the Rabbitohs play Manly and the Broncos clash with the Roosters.
The NRL is already facing a backlash with the first match of the season at the Vegas double-header not being broadcast on free-to-air TV.
Now they are considering whether to make a late change to the rest of the schedule for Round 1 after selecting the Knights’ tussle with the Raiders as the free-to-air game for Nine on the following Thursday of the split round.
Complicating matters is that Newcastle’s home ground is due to host a motocross event on the weekend so the Knights are unable to switch their match.
High-profile traditional rivals Canterbury and Parramatta are due to play on Sunday and the Storm are hosting Penrith in what would be a bigger ratings drawcard for Nine than a Knights-Raiders contest.
But there is a Wanderers A-League match at CommBank Stadium on Friday night and they don’t want the NRL on the field 24 hours before their game. Accor Stadium is out of action due to concerts.
As it stands, the Warriors will host Cronulla in the first Friday match, followed by Melbourne and Penrith at AAMI Park.
The Saturday schedule is the Eels-Dogs fixture and a battle of two new coaches when Shane Flanagan takes St George Illawarra to the Gold Coast to face Des Hasler’s Titans.
Sunday’s Round 1 affair is an all-Queensland stoush between the Dolphins and Cowboys, likely to be at Suncorp Stadium, with the Wests Tigers getting the bye first up.
(Photo by Chris Hyde/Getty Images)
The four teams in the Vegas venture will not play until the following week and are due to meet each other in the first three weeks of the draw so they are not disadvantaged by playing teams that have not had a travel burden early in the season.
Souths are away to Brisbane in Round 2 with their blockbuster against the Roosters at Allianz Stadium in Round 3. Manly meet the Roosters in their second match before taking on the Broncos.
Brisbane will travel to Penrith in Round 3 for their Grand Final rematch while the Panthers are expected to take on Wigan in the World Club Challenge in late February.
Penrith could skip the NRL’s pre-season campaign if the match is held in the UK.
According to a leaked document published by the Sydney Morning Herald, the All-Stars game kicks off the pre-season on February 16 with two rounds of trials pencilled in.
Round 1 draw … for now
Souths vs Manly (March 2 in Las Vegas)
Brisbane vs Roosters (March 2 in Las Vegas)
Newcastle vs Canberra
Warriors vs Cronulla
Melbourne vs Penrith
Parramatta vs Canterbury
Gold Coast v St George Illawarra
Dolphins v North Queensland
Wests Tigers – bye
Pre-season schedule
Week 1 (February 15-18)
Dogs v Storm at Belmore
Sharks v Knights at Central Coast Stadium
Manly v Roosters at Central Coast Stadium
Warriors v Tigers at TBC
Broncos v Cowboys at Mackay
Dragons v Rabbitohs at Kogarah
Eels v Raiders at Kogarah
Dolphins v Titans at Sunshine Coast
Week 2 (February 22-25)
Sharks v Bulldogs at Cronulla
Roosters v Rabbitohs at Cronulla
Dragons v Tigers in Mudgee
Manly v Broncos in Manly
Titans v Eels in Ipswich
Storm v Knights in Fiji
Raiders v Cowboys in Queanbeyan
Stormy
Roar Rookie
Sounds like a great idea, but who? Ch7 have the AFL & I doubt they would be open to change. Ch10 stuff up every sport they attempt & I can't see the ABC even being interested. We do need a change, but we are pretty short on choice.
Dionysus
Roar Rookie
If that is what 9 wants then they should put their money where their mouth is and cover all RL games. "True partners work together for the good of each. They take the rough with the smooth. They cross promote and support each other. They jointly advance each other's business" Can anyone see Ch9 in the above statement ?
KenW
Roar Rookie
I don't know what you're talking about....
Maxtruck
Roar Rookie
Season should have started with the Panthers challenge, Penrith Panthers V Canterbury Panthers
Col in Paradise
Roar Rookie
Ch9 are clowns..Raiders V Newcastle will be a great game and both made the finals...Parramatta and Cantebury were rubbish so shouldn't be rewarded with a opening game...I suspect both will ne rubbish again this year
Succhi
Roar Rookie
Come round one I’ll be happy to watch any game!
Tim Carter
Roar Pro
The bye is currently at $1.55.
Tim Carter
Roar Pro
But it's a chicken or the egg argument. Perhaps Newcastle and Canberra would draw higher crowds if 9 would back them, and giving them the season opener (Nevada shenanigans notwithstanding) is a great way to do so.
high horse
Roar Rookie
worlds smallest violin playing for channel 9
Bernie
Roar Rookie
ha ha ha ha, thats funny Ken, went to Vegas for work ha ha ha ha ...... i used to go to Vegas for trade expos & conferences, yeah they're sure was a lot of "work" going on .....
KenW
Roar Rookie
I was in Vegas just a few weeks back for work. In on the Sunday, out on the Friday. I wouldn’t call it fun but it’s not bad, 1 long leg to LA and then a tiny hop to Vegas. At that time of year the time difference isn’t even that bad (5 hours minus a day) . I take the point about rehab being difficult for elite athletes – and no doubt it’s a challenge but this is a fair bit easier than the trip to the UK that teams do for the WCC. Invariably that involves 2 long flights + extra hop to wherever the game is being played with an 11hr time difference.
KenW
Roar Rookie
It’s just analysis of data. They’re not making any comment about how good the game between Newcastle and Canberra will be. It’s just that they’ve televised thousands of games over decades and know that these two teams are relatively low in drawing power. They want to maximise the biggest slots and so will always preference a game between 2 of the top drawing teams. Fairness or performance isn’t a factor unless it draws more eyeballs.
Adam
Roar Guru
Rugby write all their own jokes. Eventually it just becomes sad
Geoff from Bruce Stadium
Roar Rookie
I will continue to have a Foxtel subscription as long as Ch9 keep trotting out Andrew Johns, Brad Fitler, Gus Gould, Jonathan Thurston etc. Johns bias in the final between the Knights and the Raiders was excruciating. Don't know what possessed me to watch it rather than Fox - maybe it was the pre- game build up - but I had to turn the sound off eventually when it was getting close.
Cam
Roar Rookie
Don't underestimate the toll paid by teams travelling to Vegas, it's approx 34hrs flight time (return), but when you roll in the connection flights, check-ins, delays etc, the time travelling can potentially blow right out. The players these days are trained within an inch of their lives and the travel will force changes to their in-season schedule. Any rehab coming out of the match will be tough to implement and prep for R2 will be disrupted. I'm glad my team isn't going, although by all reports, all teams will need to make the trip over the next 5 years.
andrew
Roar Rookie
Well I'll get to see the Dragons 1st game here on the GC. Better be an improvement from the last time I watched them at cbus.
Red Rob
Roar Rookie
Bless
Tony Dargon
Roar Guru
That won't happen....I've got pages of them :happy:
Andrew01
Roar Rookie
Yep. And it isn't like 10 years ago when the vast majority of people only had 9 and not Fox. I imagine a lot of the people who watch games, regardless of who is playing, have Kayo/Fox Sports. So when those games with the clubs that maybe aren't as big a TV draw (like a Parra, Souths, Brisbane etc) are the shared coverage games, Nine probably struggle for viewers. Hence the answer isn't the scheduling, it is for Nine to lift their game and improve their match coverage.
Red Rob
Roar Rookie
Tigers are certainly evenly matched!