NRL 2023 draw: Round 1 revealed as date for full season announcement confirmed
More details about the 2023 NRL season can be revealed ahead out of the official announcement. Check out the latest details
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Sunday night footy and an additional club fixture prior to State of Origin will become part of the NRL’s 2023 season draw.
Fans who care only for their club are the big winners with the NRL’s soon-to-be-released draw set to include five club games instead of the previous four on the weekends prior to State of Origin I, II and III.
The additional game is in response to upset fans who complain that Origin gets in the way of their support for their team.
The NRL have also noticed a drop-off in interest from supporters during the Origin period due to the previous split round of just four games.
The NRL will also reject scrapping the 6pm timeslot next season.
The only shift will be during the Origin period.
In order to aid the recovery of the game’s elite players after State of Origin, the NRL will move the 6pm Friday night slot, to Sunday 7pm.
As previously reported by News Corp, State of Origin will be played over three Wednesday nights, with Sunday night Origin no longer.
Adelaide will host Origin I on May 31, followed by Brisbane for Origin II on June 21 and the third game of the series on July 12 in Sydney.
Meanwhile, Anthony Griffin’s season of survival is poised to receive a major kickstart with St George-Illawarra expected to be the first team to open next season with a bye.
It comes as Brisbane have been handed a horror start to their 2023 NRL campaign after being thrust into a Round 1 away clash against two-time defending premiers Penrith.
The NRL are in the final stages of locking in the 2023 season draw with the intent to release next year’s fixtures on Thursday.
Amid the backdrop of a tense negotiations with the RLPA, the NRL are planning to press pause on the high-level talks to give fans what they’ve been waiting for.
Clubs have begun receiving their home game dates for 2023 with some clubs beginning to learn who they will play in round one.
The Daily Telegraph understands the Dragons are preparing for a bye — the first of three that clubs will receive in 2023 - in round one.
Head coach Griffin, without a contract for 2024, must start fast to secure his coaching future.
The 2023 season will kick-off on Thursday, March 2 with broadcasters planning for last year grand finalists Parramatta to face Melbourne at CommBank Stadium
In other likely match-ups for round, both Fox Sports and Nine have pencilled in the following with the NRL having the next 24-hours to make any late changes:
As previously revealed by The Sunday Telegraph, the 2023 NRL season will be the earliest kick-off in 22 years, lasting 31 weeks and in a major shock for fans, every club will have three byes.
The game’s historic expansion to a 17-team competition with the inclusion of The Dolphins makes it the most complex and jam-packed NRL schedule on record.
In a massive win for fans, the regular season will be run over 27 rounds with four weeks of finals.
It is the earliest start to a season since the 2001 season which launched on February 17.
Pre-season matches are poised to formally begin on the weekend of February 10-12 with staging of the NRL’s Indigenous and Maori All Stars clash in Rotorua, on top of every club’s first official trial matches.
Following its ratings success this season, every trial match will again be televised live on Fox League.
The annual Charity Shield between South Sydney and St George Illawarra, as well as a second weekend of club trial matches, is being slated by the NRL for February 17-19.
Every club will be given a weekend off from footy on February 24-26 in order to rest before the season-proper commences on March 2.
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