NRL draw 2020: Brisbane Broncos set to face Souths, Eels, Roosters, Titans, Cowboys twice
Brisbane could be on top of the ladder halfway through the season with a dream run against bottom eight teams from last year heading into August.
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The Broncos could be on top of the NRL ladder at the halfway mark of the season after being gifted a dream draw to kickstart the new 2020 premiership.
Brisbane has been given a golden opportunity to continue its hot start to 2020 following the release of the new-look 20-round draw.
The Broncos will restart the competition with tough back-to-back home games against the Eels next Thursday night and defending premiers the Roosters at Suncorp Stadium.
But the Broncos will then embark on a run of games they will be favoured to win based on recent form.
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A Round 5 away clash against Manly will be the only time Brisbane have to face
a top-eight team from last year over six rounds.
The Broncos will then confront the Knights (11th last year, away), Titans (last, home), Warriors (13th, away), Bulldogs (12th, home) and Tigers (9th, away) during a golden run which could set up a title tilt.
Brisbane burst out of the blocks with a 2-0 start before the COVID-19 shutdown, but coach Anthony Seibold refused to read too much into the draw.
"I’m not sure in regards to a hard draw, an easy draw, in-between draw," he said.
"That sort of stuff doesn’t add any impact on how we prepare each and every week.
"I’m a big believer in narrowing the focus for the next day’s training session and next game.
"It’s great that we’ve got a draw and it’s great that we’re resuming the season again."
The Broncos will square off with South Sydney again in another grudge match between Wayne Bennett and Seibold.
The Round 13 tussle will be the second meeting between the clubs this season after the Broncos upset the Rabbitohs 22-18 in Round 2. It was Seibold’s first ever victory over Bennett, the coach he replaced at Red Hill.
The Broncos will face the Eels, Cowboys, Rabbitohs, Roosters and Titans twice in the new draw, and continue to be the darlings of free-to-air television, with 13 of their remaining 18 games to be broadcast on Channel 9.
They will play six Thursday night, seven Friday night and five Saturday matches in the new draw.
The second bout against the Eels in September will mark the 12-month anniversary of Brisbane's 58-0 finals humiliation at Bankwest Stadium.
"We’re focused on next week’s game against Parramatta," Seibold said.
"It’s too far away to even consider that (September), as are all the other games.
"We know that Parramatta started the year exceptionally well. (Eels coach) Brad Arthur has done a tremendous job.
"Some of the football they played last year, particularly at Bankwest, was outstanding footy. They have a great mix of talent throughout their team.
"Regardless of whether they play away from home or at Bankwest, they’re certainly a team that looks really capable of doing something in the competition."
The NRL has delivered the Broncos a potential $1 million Queensland bonanza by scheduling a final round blockbuster against the Cowboys at Suncorp Stadium which crowds might be allowed to attend.
FULL BRONCOS DRAW 2020
Round 3: v Eels at Suncorp, Thursday, May 28, 7.50pm
Round 4: v Roosters at Suncorp, Thursday, June 4, 7.50pm
Round 5: v Manly at Central Coast, Thursday, June 11, 7.50pm
Round 6: v Knights at Central Coast, Thursday, June 18, 7.50pm
Round 7: v Titans at Suncorp, Saturday, June 27, 5.30pm
Round 8: v Warriors at Central Coast, Saturday, July 4, 5.30pm
Round 9: v Bulldogs at Suncorp, Saturday, July 11, 5.30pm
Round 10: v Tigers at away venue TBC, Friday, July 17, 7.55pm
Round 11: v Storm at Suncorp, Friday, July 24, 7.55pm
Round 12: v Sharks at Suncorp, Friday, July 31, 7.55pm
Round 13: v Souths at away venue TBC, Friday, August 7, 7.55pm
Round 14: v Canberra at away venue TBC, Saturday, August 15, 7.35pm
Round 15: v Dragons at Suncorp, Friday, August 21, 7.55pm
Round 16: v Roosters at away venue TBC, Friday, August 28, 7.55pm
Round 17: v Panthers at Suncorp, Thursday, September 3, 7.50pm
Round 18: v Titans at Cbus/Suncorp, Saturday, September 12, 7.35pm
Round 19: v Eels at Bankwest, Friday, September 18, 7.55pm
Round 20: v Cowboys at Suncorp, Thursday, September 24, 7.50pm
Broncos’ $1m win in new NRL draw
The NRL has delivered the Broncos a potential $1 million Queensland derby bonanza by scheduling a final round blockbuster against the Cowboys at Suncorp Stadium.
The NRL will release the full draw for the revamped 2020 season on Thursday ahead of next week's premiership relaunch.
NewsCorp can reveal Queensland league fans are in for a treat, with the NRL delivering the Broncos a huge win by scheduling the biggest game of the season in Round 20.
The Broncos and Cowboys will clash at Suncorp Stadium on Thursday, September 24, the final weekend of the condensed 20-round season.
That gives every chance of mass gathering restrictions being eased and crowds being allowed into Suncorp to watch Queensland's highest-rating game of the year.
Crowds will be banned from attending games when the season resumes on Thursday week, costing clubs millions in lost revenue.
The annual blockbuster between Brisbane and North Queensland at Suncorp is worth about $1 million to the Broncos if fans are allowed to attend the 52,500-seat venue.
After playing each other in Round 1 in Townsville, the Broncos and Cowboys were originally scheduled to meet again in Round 5 at Suncorp.
If that remained the same, fans would not have been allowed in and the new schedule gives a sliver of hope that crowds will be back at the footy by the last round of the season.
Broncos legend Darren Lockyer said it would be a boon for Queensland league fans if crowds were back for the Suncorp derby.
“It would be awesome," he said.
“You’ve only got to look at the amount of people getting out and about now the restrictions have eased somewhat.
“When things are taken away from you, you start to appreciate them so much more.
“If people feel safe and the footy reopens to crowds coming back, there will be a lot of people going.
“The avid league fans will be there and a lot of people are looking for some form of entertainment and will be there as well.
“There’s a rich history there between the two clubs and there’s been some epic encounters over the last decade.
“While the players on the field have changed over time the rivalry is still there."
The Broncos will kick-off the season resumption when they host Parramatta at Suncorp Stadium next Thursday night.
It will be the first time the Broncos and Eels have clashed since Parramatta's record 58-0 win in last year's finals.
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‘I’D BE A HAPPY MAN’: BRONCOS CARRIGAN READY FOR ORIGIN
Pat Carrigan was groomed to succeed Josh McGuire at the Broncos and now the ironman lock is ready to turn up heat on the Cowboys hardman in the battle for the Queensland No. 13 jumper.
Buoyed by his shock captaincy debut in the opening round against McGuire’s Cowboys, the 22-year-old Carrigan is keen to test himself in rugby league’s ultimate proving ground — State of Origin.
McGuire’s departure from the Broncos at the end of 2018 came as a surprise to many in the code, but Brisbane insiders were always confident they had a ready-made successor in the industrious Carrigan.
His rise has been meteoric. This time last year, Carrigan was celebrating his NRL debut against the Wests Tigers. Now, after just 19 NRL games, Carrigan was stunned to be handed the co-captaincy for Brisbane’s first two games against the Cowboys and Souths before the COVID-19 saga forced the suspension of the season.
Queensland coach Kevin Walters will be searching for fresh blood this year to avoid a third straight series defeat and Carrigan plans to keep McGuire honest in his dream to wear Maroon for the Origin series in November.
“100 per cent, it’s definitely a goal of mine that I have set (to play for Queensland),” Carrigan said.
“I need to do my job for the Broncos first and put myself in a position where I’m better than the opposite No. 13 or whatever role I am playing every week.
“I grew up in Queensland and loved watching the Maroons play.
“My mum is from NSW so I don’t know how she would go but I remember the opportunity to play with Queensland in the younger rep teams and I would be around the coaches like Justin Hodges and Scotty Prince (former Origin stars).
“I’d love to be able to pull on the (Queensland) jersey one day and hopefully it will come.”
Carrigan is already on Walters’ radar, having captained the Queensland under-20s side two years ago. And with this year’s Origin series to be held in November, it potentially gives Carrigan another 20 NRL games to stake his claim for the code’s toughest arena.
“Anyone who has played Origin, I have seen the guys come in and back up three days after and they look pretty sore,” he said.
“Three weeks in a row (of Origin games in November) might take a toll on the body.
“Hopefully it will be a good year. If we can win the comp and I could get to play some Origin this year, I would be a happy man.”
Carrigan admits he initially feared he hadn’t earned the respect of the Broncos group when he was appointed co-captain.
“As a younger fella, you always worry about that (getting respect),” he said.
“It’s a bit hard for me to lead the boys and look across and see a guy like Darius (Boyd) who I respect.
“I was five or six years old when he debuted in the NRL.
“I just tried to take it like I would do my job and I don’t need to tell the boys what to do. I ran out first but it doesn’t change too much about what we do.
“It was a huge honour but I’m glad we have ‘Lexi’ (first-choice skipper Alex Glenn) back (from injury) to have some stability on that left edge.”
Originally published as NRL draw 2020: Brisbane Broncos set to face Souths, Eels, Roosters, Titans, Cowboys twice