Draw for expanded NRLW competition has been confirmed

There were fears the NRLW season may not start when pay talks stalled, but the draw is finally out as the players prepare for the biggest season ever.

The Knights celebrate with the NRLW premiership trophy after victory in the 2022 grand final. Picture: Cameron Spencer/Getty Images

After months of delays the biggest ever NRLW fixture has been confirmed, with nine rounds, double-headers and, for the first time, matches in prime time.

The ongoing CBA negotiations left the competition in limbo with teams unsure when they could start recruiting players, but the bulk of that has been sorted with a signing frenzy in recent weeks the perfect entrée to the draw announcement.

The 2023 season will feature nine rounds, with the Sharks, Cowboys, Raiders and Wests Tigers fielding teams for the first time.

One of those teams, the Cowboys, will open the season against Queensland rivals the Titans as part of a double-header on the Gold Coast on July 22.

The opening round of the season will also see a standalone blockbuster between the Broncos and Roosters on Saturday night, which will have extra spice with superstars Amber Hall and Tarryn Aiken moving to Sydney this season, while Millie Boyle will also play her first game for the Tricolours.

That game will be at Sunshine Coast Stadium and will go up against the Cowboys and Eels NRL match which kicks off 10 minutes earlier.

Suburban grounds will feature prominently this season with Wollongong, Townsville, Cronulla, Campbelltown and Belmore some of the areas that will host matches in 2023.

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There will be nine standalone double-headers, while there will also be 18 double-headers with NRLW games played before the men’s competition.

In an exciting development, the final two rounds will feature standalone Thursday night matches in primetime to kick-off the opening two weeks of the NRL finals series.

The top four will then compete in the semi-finals, with the decider to be played on October 1 before the men’s decider.

“In 2023, there will be new rivalries and new timeslots with every match being broadcast on free-to-air TV nationally with primetime coverage for the first time ever,” NRL chief executive Andrew Abdo said.

“The schedule will include a balance of standalone double-headers, club double-headers and standalone fixtures at new venues, aimed at maximising the opportunity for fans to experience the premiership live or on broadcast across a range of markets.”

Every game of the season will also be shown on Fox Sports and Kayo, including the grand final rematch between the Eels and Knights at CommBank Stadium on August 6.

Titans coach Karyn Murphy said it finally felt “real” as her team prepared to open the season.

“It feels real now and it’s super exciting that we’ve got four home games here at Cbus and then one up the road at The Gabba,” she said.

“There’s a lot of games for our family, friends and fans to come along and watch this year and we’ll be playing three of our games as double-headers with our NRL side.

“To play locally and get the support from everyone here on the coast will be really important and I can’t wait for the season to start in mid-July, with our first game a Queensland derby against the Cowboys.”

Originally published as Draw for expanded NRLW competition has been confirmed