Broncos NRL draw, schedule 2023: Brisbane’s date with Dolphins revealed

The Broncos and Dolphins will face off twice in 2023, with the full Brisbane draw revealing a historic NRL debut for the Gabba.

Kotoni Staggs (C) and Adam Reynolds (R) won’t have to wait long to face new rivals the Dolphins. Picture: Getty

Wayne Bennett and his former protege Kevin Walters are on a collision course with expansion foes the Broncos and Dolphins to wage the first ‘Battle of Brisbane’ in the opening month of the 2023 premiership.

The full NRL season draw will be released on Thursday and News Corp can reveal Bennett’s Dolphins and Walters’ Broncos will go toe-to-toe twice – including a historic clash at the iconic Gabba.

The first instalment of Queensland’s explosive new rivalry will be a Friday night affair on March 24 with an expected 50,000 fans to flock to Suncorp Stadium for the inaugural Broncos-Dolphins clash.

SEE THE FULL 2023 BRONCOS DRAW BELOW

Kotoni Staggs (C) and Adam Reynolds (R) won’t have to wait long to face new rivals the Dolphins. Picture: Getty

The Broncos and Dolphins will then square off in a return bout in round 18 on Saturday, July 1 at the Gabba – rugby league’s first match in 67 years at the famous Queensland venue.

In other major features of the 2023 draw for the Broncos and Dolphins:

• The Broncos have a dream start, playing eight of their first 10 matches on Queensland soil, including seven games at Suncorp;

• Brisbane will play three games at the Gabba against the Dolphins, Roosters and Eels, forced to relocate from Suncorp because of the women’s football World Cup;

• The Dolphins will travel to Perth to play Newcastle as part of a double header involving Souths;

• New Manly coach Anthony Seibold will return to Suncorp for Magic Round to face the Broncos club that sacked him; and

• The Broncos play premiers Penrith, preliminary finalists Souths and the Cowboys and the Storm twice.

The Dolphins-Brisbane opener will feature a number of spicy narratives, none better than the coaching return of Bennett, who was sensationally sacked by the Broncos in 2018.

Walters won five premierships as Bennett’s five-eighth and was his assistant coach when the Broncos made the 2015 grand final.

Now they will go head-to-head in a Battle of Brisbane blockbuster – and Walters welcomed a showdown with Bennett and the Broncos’ new rivals.

“I certainly am excited,” Walters said.

“It brings a lot of noise around Brisbane and the NRL.

“The rivalry will be good. We’ve got four Queensland teams now which will create great rivalries.

“It’s going to be good for rugby league in Queensland and Origin.

“There will be good opportunities for Queensland kids to make their pathways into the NRL.”

Wayne Bennett believes the Dolphins-Broncos rivalries will be a juicy one. NRL Imagery.

The Broncos will be happy with the draw provided by the NRL as they look to atone for last season’s top-eight collapse.

Brisbane will travel outside southeast Queensland just three times in the opening three months, giving the Broncos the perfect platform to set up their season before a tough final month against the Cowboys, Eels, Raiders and Storm.

The Broncos have two big road trips – to Darwin in round eight against the Eels before a round 13 clash with the Warriors in Napier.

The Dolphins have a handy start with clashes against the Roosters (round one), Canberra, Newcastle and the Broncos before meeting Anthony Griffin’s Dragons in round five.

Meanwhile, the NRL has flagged a possible all-Queensland pre-season double header in Cairns.

The Broncos are expected to play a trial against the Titans on Sunday, February 12 at 6pm (AEDT) before the Cowboys host the Dolphins at 8pm.

Originally published as Broncos NRL draw, schedule 2023: Brisbane’s date with Dolphins revealed