Phil Rothfield analyses the 2019 NRL draw — see how your team fared
THE Dragons, Sharks and Tigers are the biggest winners — but who are the losers? BUZZ ROTHFIELD analyses the 2019 NRL draw — see how your team fared.
Phil Rothfield
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ST GEORGE-Illawarra, the Cronulla Sharks and the Wests Tigers are the biggest winners.
And it’s the Rabbitohs, Roosters, Gold Coast Titans and Warriors with the toughest draws.
By the time the NRL takes into account requests from broadcasters, club requirements, venue availability and player welfare, the integrity and the fairness of the schedule will never be perfect.
Never has, never will be.
To evaluate the fairness we’ve looked at how many times clubs play teams from last year’s top eight in 2019. If your team made the top eight, we throw in the ninth placed Wests Tigers for the assessment.
The Dragons, Sharks and Wests Tigers have only 11 games against the ‘tougher’ teams.
The Rabbitohs, Roosters, Gold Coast Titans and Warriors have 14. Here is how your team fared:
BRONCOS
Surprise, surprise. Eight of their first 10 games on prime-time free-to-air television on Thursday and Friday nights, which allows them to sell sponsorship at a higher rate than their rivals.
Three of the first five games at home and three of their last four games at home.
They have 13 games against on the ‘tougher’ teams from last season.
Only one game against the Dragons, who thumped them in the first weekend of the finals.
Play Sharks and Warriors during Origin, two teams that won’t have many involved.
BULLDOGS
Not a great draw for a club trying to recover from a poor 2018.
Have to play four of last season’s top clubs twice — Melbourne Storm, St George-Illawarra, the Roosters and the Rabbitohs. They only get the weaker Knights and Titans once.
Play four clubs from last year’s top right in the opening six rounds and have only one of their first five games at home.
COWBOYS
First five games all in QLD — four in Townsville and one at Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane.
Still, five of their first six games are against top eight opponents from last season.
Overall a hard draw with 13 games on the ‘tougher’ side. They play Storm, Broncos, Sharks and Rabbitohs twice. The bonus is having only one game against the Roosters.
DRAGONS
Four of their first six games against team that missed the top eight which should allow Paul McGregor to get another strong start.
They only play Melbourne Storm, The Broncos and the Panthers only once which is a nice advantage. Have only 11 games against the ‘tougher’ sides.
One of only two clubs that have to deal with three five-day turnarounds.
EELS
Don’t play at home until the blockbuster opening of Western Sydney Stadium against the Wests Tigers on Easter Monday.
Eels fans will love the fact they play the Roosters, Storm and Rabbitohs only once. They also avoid the long trip across the Tasman to play the Warriors. Get to play the Knights twice.
Four of their last five games against teams that missed the play-offs this year.
KNIGHTS
A tough opening to the season for a side and a coach that needs a strong start with matches against top eight sides the Sharks, Panthers and Dragons plus a road trip to Canberra in the opening four rounds. At least they have four of their first five games at home.
Have to play the Roosters, Dragons, Panthers and Warriors twice.
The bonus is a soft last seven rounds with six games against sides that missed the play offs this year.
PANTHERS
Is the NRL running scared of the great Gus? One of only two clubs to have zero five-day turnarounds.
They also get a blockbuster season opener against western Sydney rivals the Parramatta Eels in round one at home. Have a nice advantage in playing Storm only once — and it’s not even in Melbourne. Get the Knights and Titans twice.
RABBITOHS
Not wonder Anthony Seibold wants to jump ship. The Rabbitohs have 14 games against the tougher teams from last season.
They play the Roosters, Dragons, Broncos and Panthers twice but weaker teams the Knights and Titans only once.
The negative is three five-day turnarounds. Plus a tough last three rounds against the Broncos, Warriors and Roosters, including away games with tired bodies in Brisbane and then Auckland.
RAIDERS
The NRL has done Ricky Stuart no favours. They play grand finalists the Roosters and Storm twice and also the Sharks and the Panthers.
However they have a nice run at the beginning of the season with four out of six home games and only one in the first six rounds against a top eight side from last season.
No excuses for a slow start in 2019.
ROOSTERS
Maybe Nick Politis is losing some of his influence had headquarters.
The Roosters have a tough draw with two games against Storm, Rabbitohs, Panthers and Dragons and Broncos.
Between round six and 10 they are on the road three times — twice to Brisbane and once to Melbourne. Also a tough finish to the year with four games against last season’s finalists in the last four rounds.
SEA EAGLES
Travel to Suncorp, Newcastle and Christchurch in the first nine rounds.
Tough first four rounds against the Wests Tigers (away), the Roosters, Warriors (away) and
Rabbitohs. Their big win is only having to play the Roosters once.
SHARKS
A great draw for coach Shane Flanagan with only 11 games against the tougher teams from this season. A huge advantage in playing only once against the Roosters, Rabbitohs and Panthers.
They’ve got a fantastic run home with five of their last seven matches at Shark Park. In those seven weeks their furthest trip is to Penrith. Helped by having Storm and Broncos during the Origin period.
STORM
A fantastic run home with three home games in the last four round at AAMI Park against sides that failed to make the finals this year. Only play the Panthers, Dragons and Rabbitohs once.
A great home schedule with a Good Friday grand final replay against the Roosters and the opening game of the season against the Broncos before the AFL competition starts.
WESTS TIGERS
Wayne Bennett or Michael Maguire will be happy with this draw, especially towards the end of the season. From Round 17 they have seven matches in a row against sides that didn’t make the play offs, including two matches against the Knights.
A tough month from round eight with games against the Roosters, Panthers, Storm and Rabbitohs.
TITANS
Huge pressure on Garth Brennan from the beginning of the season.
They play top eight sides in four of the first five rounds, including two trips to Sydney and one to Auckland. Play the Storm twice within six weeks in July and August. Have the Roosters, Broncos and Dragons in that period too. Seven early Friday night games and a trip to Tamworth against Tigers.
WARRIORS
Their biggest advantage is five of their first six games in New Zealand for a team that is notoriously poor at travelling. No top eight team from 2018 in the first four rounds
A tough draw though having to play Storm, Broncos and Panthers twice during the season.
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