NRL 2025 draw Round 1: Trial by fire for Jason Ryles as Eels take on Storm, Wayne Bennett grudge match against Dolphins
Jason Ryles faces a trial by fire, Michael Maguire is thrown in a brutal first test with his Broncos and Wayne Bennett comes up against his old team. See the full NRL round one fixtures analysis.
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Welcome to the opening round of NRL grudge matches and heated rivalry.
The 2025 season will launch with an intensity like no other with Wayne Bennett gifted an immediate shot at inflicting pain on his former club, The Dolphins.
Returning to South Sydney for the first time since 2021, the wily Bennett has been drawn to face the coach he has helped mentor for the past two years, rookie Kristian Woolf.
How the Rabbitohs respond under Bennett following a dismal 16th-placed finish in 2024 will make the Friday night, March 7 fixture, to be held in Queensland, one of the most watched matches of the opening round.
Ahead of the NRL announcing the 2025 season draw this week, this masthead can also reveal that Woolf isn’t alone in commencing his NRL coaching career with an initiation of fire.
Rookie Eels coach Jason Ryles has been handed the toughest road trip in the game with a first-up assignment against the Storm at AAMI Park on Sunday afternoon, March 9.
The locked-in clash will be layered with additional feeling with Ryles, a former assistant coach of the Storm, originally slated as the replacement for champion coach Craig Bellamy, prior to his decision to take up the job at Parramatta.
It will be the ultimate acid test for Ryles and Parramatta’s roster overhaul, which includes winger Josh Addo-Carr playing his first NRL game for the Eels, against the Storm, where he won the 2017 and 2020 premierships.
Sydney will also host one of rugby league’s fiercest rivalries with the Dragons drawn to tackle the Bulldogs in a 5.30pm clash on Saturday, March 8, that is certain to be sold-out in minutes.
In a huge Sydney derby, the clash will be the first time the two teams have met after a spiteful match-up last August, which included Dragons playmaker Kyle Flanagan being suspended for biting Bulldogs captain Stephen Crichton.
Setting the scene for a series of tense opening round fixtures will be Michael Maguire’s return to NRL coaching with the Broncos against Trent Robinson’s Roosters at Allianz Stadium on Thursday night, March 6.
Depending on how negotiations pan out with Ben Hunt, the clash could also feature the Test playmaker playing against one of the two clubs that are currently battling for his signature.
Ironically, Maguire’s first round clash with the Roosters will also allow him to use intel from his most recent coaching assignment as NSW coach, which included working with Roosters and Blues stars James Tedesco, Angus Crichton, Spencer Leniu and Connor Watson.
In a marketing dream for the NRL and Fox League, Wests Tigers marquee signing Jarome Luai will tackle Knights Dally 2023 M winner Kalyn Ponga at 6pm on Friday night, March 7.
The Tigers will play host to the clash in a match that coach Benji Marshall will be desperate to start with victory after signing not only Luai for the 2025 season, but also Royce Hunt, Jack Bird, Sunia Turuva and Jeral Skelton.
The Sea Eagles enjoyed a huge 2024 season at home and will be aiming for another massive crowd at Four Pines Park when they open their 2025 account against the Cowboys at 7.30pm, Saturday night, March 8.
The opening round will officially launch in Las Vegas with the second instalment of the NRL’s US odyssey on Sunday afternoon, March 2.
The Raiders will face the Warriors at Allegiant Stadium at 4pm (AEST) followed by the Panthers and Sharks at 8pm (AEST).
Premiers Penrith will be sweating on the fitness of their most influential stars Nathan Cleary and Dylan Edwards, who have both undergone shoulder surgery.
Des Hasler’s Titans will be forced to wait until round two to open their 2025 account after drawing a first round bye.
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Originally published as NRL 2025 draw Round 1: Trial by fire for Jason Ryles as Eels take on Storm, Wayne Bennett grudge match against Dolphins
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