NRL draw: The best and worst of the 2017 home and away season
THE NRL draw for season 2017 is out and every club and its fans have had the chance to digest it. Here are the PROS and CONS for every club.
NRL
Don't miss out on the headlines from NRL. Followed categories will be added to My News.
THE NRL draw for season 2017 is out and every club and its fans have had the chance to digest it.
There is plenty there for all NRL fans to savour but a number of clubs are also going to have their concerns, particularly with the dreaded five-day turnarounds which, to be fair, have been reduced this year.
Here are the best and the worst parts of the draw for every NRL club.
BRONCOS
PROS — Hardly a surprise but the Broncos will play the majority of their matches on a Thursday or Friday night, giving them a big advantage over their rivals.
— they can cater their playing style for night football, NO afternoon matches in the first 20 rounds
CONS — a tough start to the season up against the top four teams from 2016 in premiers Cronulla, the Cowboys, Melbourne and Canberra
— Origin is always tough for Brisbane and they take on the Warriors before game one, who will likely be unaffected by the interstate contest
BULLDOGS
PROS — They finish the season with a relatively easy stretch of South Sydney, Manly, Gold Coast and the Dragons.
— They don’t have to travel to Townsville, Melbourne or Canberra
CONS — Won’t play at ANZ Stadium until round 5 although they have a home game at Belmore in round one and are taking another one across the Tasman to Dunedin two weeks later
— Play their season opener at Belmore at 6pm on a Friday. Won’t be easy to get there in peak-hour traffic
SHARKS
PROS — Play anticipated cellar dwellers Newcastle and St George Illawarra twice.
— No trip to bogie ground of Brookvale Oval; playing Manly once at Shark Park in round 16
— Massive recovery bonus of not one five-day turnaround between matches.
CONS — Three of their last four matches are on the road, including trips to Brisbane and Townsville.
— Overlooked for a historical rematch with the Roosters to celebrate club’s 50-year anniversary on April 2.
— Marketing battle to ensure families can afford to attend five consecutive home matches from Rounds 11 to Round 16.
RAIDERS
PROS — They’ll play only one afternoon game in the first month, giving them some respite from the sweltering heat in the opening rounds.
— The Raiders only have one five-day turnaround in the first 20 rounds.
— The Green Machine, who won 10 from 12 matches at home last year, play four consecutive matches at GIO Stadium between June and July.
CONS — They’re facing a tough opening five rounds, especially in the first two weeks where they take on the Cowboys and then their Viking Clap rivals Cronulla.
— They will have their hands full with game’s heavy hitters, facing the other teams that finished in the top five (Storm, Sharks, Cowboys and Broncos) twice.
— They play only six home games in the first 15 rounds.
— Considering Ricky Stuart’s men were the entertainers of 2016, Raiders fans … all fans really, should be disappointed with the lack of free to air time. Believe it or not, the side which dazzled fans all season long will only get two Friday night games and two Sunday afternoon games.
EELS
PROS — Brad Arthur’s team have a dream run into the finals. They only have to travel once (to Brisbane) in the final seven weeks, with the other six games at ANZ Stadium, their home ground as Pirtek Stadium is rebuilt.
— The Eels get two “free” home games against Sydney rivals — with the Tigers switching their round 20 fixture to the bigger stadium and the Rabbitohs also using ANZ as their base.
CONS — The Eels don’t play a home match until round four.
— The big local derby against the Bulldogs doesn’t take place until round 17, when interest will be dramatically reduced due to Origin.
WARRIORS
PROS — Handed a massive six prime-time Friday games, giving the team a great opportunity to boost their presence on both sides of the Tasman.
— A kind start to the year, with four of the first six matches at home. But on closer inspection it’s more like five of the first six, with the Bulldogs taking a home match to Dunedin.
CONS — The Warriors are forced to travel to Perth once again (round 17 against the Sea Eagles) where they have a horror record due to the six hour time difference.
— They start the season with a five-day turnaround.
PANTHERS
PROS — The Panthers will leave Sydney once in the opening two months and will enjoy four of their remaining six games all at the foot of the Blue Mountains.
CONS — They must play North Queensland, Melbourne and Brisbane all away, including the Broncos on the back of a five-day turnaround.
STORM
PROS — Superb run home with three of last four matches at AAMI Park.
— Marketing dream by hosting grand final rematch against premiers Cronulla on a Sunday afternoon on free-to-air TV.
— Favourable Origin period draw with key placement of byes and Origin-affected opposition including Cowboys and Sharks.
— Potential of superstar match-up in round two with return from injury of Billy Slater and Warriors star Rogers Tuivasa-Sheck
CONS — Brutal start to season with first two matches away to the Bulldogs at Belmore and Warriors at Mt Smart Stadium.
— Given up valuable home match to play in a double-header against the Titans at Suncorp Stadium in Round 10.
— Shocking three-week road trip between rounds nine to 11 including; Wollongong, Brisbane and Perth.
— Drawn to play heavyweights Sharks, Cowboys, Broncos and Raiders twice.
KNIGHTS
PROS — Only play premiership heavyweights Melbourne, North Queensland and Brisbane once and won’t have to make the trip to Suncorp to face the Broncos with their only clash in Newcastle in round 19.
— One of their two games against premiers Cronulla is a final-round showdown in Newcastle on Old Boys day when traditionally, the Knights grow an extra leg.
CONS — The wooden spooners face a tough assignment to try and get their campaign off to a good start with a first-up away trip to Auckland to face Stephen Kearney’s Warriors.
— The Knights only meet two of their biggest drawing clubs, Manly and Parramatta, once during the season and both are away from home.
DRAGONS
PROS — Will kick off the season with two home games at Jubilee Oval and WIN Stadium against Penrith and Parramatta so will have every chance to get off to a good start.
— Won’t face a trip to Melbourne and only have one meeting with each of the three Queensland clubs Brisbane, North Queensland and Gold Coast.
CONS — Will meet archrivals Cronulla twice in the opening 10 rounds including a round-three showdown away from home in a big early test.
— Only feature four times in prime time on a Friday night with three of those games away from home against the Warriors, Titans and Raiders.
ROOSTERS
PROS
— Play five of their first seven games in Sydney, which will make it easier to settle into the new season without travelling.
— Four of their opponents in the first five rounds are against teams which didn’t make the finals last season
CONS — Three five-day turnarounds is among the most in the league.
— A clash against traditional rivals South Sydney will be devalued because their representative stars will be out during the Origin period in round 18.
RABBITOHS
PROS — Finish the season with four of six games at home.
— Huge Good Friday clash against the Bulldogs in round seven at the family-friendly time of 4pm should ensure another big crowd at ANZ Stadium.
CONS — They’ve been handed four five-day turnarounds, the most of any club.
— A clash against traditional rivals the Roosters without their representative stars during the Origin period in round 18.
TIGERS
PROS — Will play on free to air TV for the first five weeks and in 11 of the first 20 rounds.
— They’ve also escaped the dreaded five-day turnaround.
— They play five bottom eight teams twice, which will be welcome news for Jason Taylor considering they won nine games against the bottom sides in 2016.
— Grudge matches are part of rugby league’s fabric for good reason. Robbie Farah’s first game against his beloved Tigers could be the most talked about match leading into the season.
CONS — They play four top-eight sides twice (Sharks, Cowboys, Panthers, Titans). From seven clashes with these sides in 2016, they won just twice.
— They face three 2016 finals teams in the first month — Panthers, Raiders and Storm.
COWBOYS
PROS — Have a light draw around State of Origin with byes and matches against Parramatta, Souths and New Zealand, three teams who missed last year’s semi-finals.
— Their first nine home games will be played on Saturday twilight or night, the club’s preferred timeslots.
CONS — Tough start to the season, playing three final sides — Canberra, Brisbane and Gold Coast — in the opening four rounds.
— Tough run home with consecutive home games in rounds 22 and 24 against last year’s grand finalists, Melbourne and Cronulla.
TITANS
PROS — A round-three blockbuster against Jarryd Hayne’s former club, Parramatta. This should pack out Cbus Super Stadium. A week later, Johnathan Thurston’s North Queensland Cowboys travel to Robina for a another massive home game.
— In 13 of their first 20 games they have at least a seven-day turnaround.
CONS — No Sunday games during the opening 20 rounds. Two games scheduled for Friday night, seven for Saturday.
— Play three of the last four games away against St George Illawarra, Parramatta and Sydney Roosters.
SEA EAGLES
PROS — Five out of their opening seven matches will be played at Fortress Brookie, albeit against tough opposition.
— They have just one five-day turnaround after copping the brunt of the short gaps last season.
CONS — Manly have three of their four last matches away, including a round-25 clash against the Warriors. They take a home game to Suncorp Stadium against Brisbane, and a clash against the Wests Tigers at Fortress Leichhardt.
####
Originally published as NRL draw: The best and worst of the 2017 home and away season
Sam Burgess facing NRL Las Vegas lockout
Sam Burgess is racing the clock to get clearance to travel to America to coach his team in the NRL’s season opener next weekend.
‘Absurd, bias’: Explosive letter from banned former Tigers directors
The three banned former Wests Tigers directors at the centre of the ugly boardroom stoush have sent an explosive letter to the club’s majority stakeholder threatening Supreme Court action if they’re not reinstated.