NRL 2025: Magic Round draw released, Broncos bumped from prime time, Roosters face Dolphins, Sea Eagles miss out

The Broncos have lost their prime time Magic Round slot to their bitter rivals, while the Sea Eagles have missed out on rugby league’s showcase entirely in 2025. SEE WHO YOUR TEAM PLAYS.

BRISBANE, AUSTRALIA – MAY 17: Payne Haas of the Broncos looks on during the round 11 NRL match between Manly Sea Eagles and Brisbane Broncos at Suncorp Stadium, on May 17, 2024, in Brisbane, Australia. (Photo by Bradley Kanaris/Getty Images)

The legend of Arthur Beetson will help launch Magic Round with the Roosters and Dolphins usurping a Broncos-Panthers blockbuster for the prized Friday night timeslot at Suncorp Stadium.

This masthead can reveal the full 2025 Magic Round draw, which will go ahead without Manly after the Sea Eagles were left without a seat at rugby league’s showcase weekend.

It comes as Queensland NRL Immortal Beetson’s beloved Roosters and Dolphins help kick off the sixth instalment of the eight-game Suncorp carnival.

Cronulla and Jason Ryles’ Parramatta Eels will open the event at 6pm on Friday night, before Roosters and Dolphins stars square off for the Artie Legacy Medal in game two at 8pm.

The Broncos have headlined five consecutive Magic Round contests against Manly in the prestigious Friday night timeslot, which is a proven ratings bonanza for broadcasters Channel 9 and Fox Sports.

But for the first time since the birth of Magic Round in 2019, Brisbane are no longer Friday night specialists. As this masthead revealed last month, Michael Maguire’s Broncos will face defending premiers Penrith at 4.05pm on Sunday afternoon.

Reece Walsh and the Broncos will face the Panthers on the Sunday afternoon. Picture: Bradley Kanaris/Getty Images

Brisbane’s traditional Magic Round rivals, Manly, will be the only team to not attend, having been given the bye after five consecutive fixtures against the Broncos.

The 2023 grand final replay will be shown on free-to-air and pay TV platforms and will be the penultimate game of the weekend before Melbourne face Canberra at 6.25pm to draw the curtain on Magic Round.

The Dolphins and Broncos are waging a fierce sporting turf war in Queensland and Redcliffe’s Friday night timeslot is a major coup for the fledgling organisation in the Battle of Brisbane rivalry.

The Beetson-inspired showdown between the Roosters and Dolphins will be a chance for the Bondi glamour club to exact revenge following their shock loss to Redcliffe at the same venue two years ago.

In one of the greatest moments in the code’s history in 2023, Wayne Bennett’s Dolphins shocked the league, upsetting the Roosters 28-18 at Suncorp in their historic first game as an NRL franchise.

Brisbane relish being Friday night TV darlings with broadcasters, but their move to the Sunday slot will give their army of fans the rare chance to see the Broncos playing afternoon football at Suncorp.

On Saturday, day two of NRL action will begin with the Rabbitohs and Knights in a 3pm clash that could see South Sydney superstar Latrell Mitchell wage a fullback duel with Newcastle skipper Kalyn Ponga.

The Souths-Knights clash will be followed by the New Zealand Warriors and North Queensland Cowboys at 5.30pm, before St George Illawarra return after last year’s Magic Round bye to face Wests Tigers in the final game of the evening at 7.45pm.

On Sunday, the final day will commence with an old rivalry – Gold Coast mentor Des Hasler will take on the Canterbury club he coached to two grand finals in 2012 and 2014 at 1.50pm before the Broncos-Panthers marquee clash.

The Bulldogs (0-5) and Dragons (0-4) are the only teams never to win at Magic Round and will be out to break their Suncorp hoodoos.

Last year’s event attracted a record 149,196 fans and the NRL will be hoping to crack the 150,000 mark in 2025 as Magic Round becomes a multimillion-dollar economic bonanza for Queensland.

Originally published as NRL 2025: Magic Round draw released, Broncos bumped from prime time, Roosters face Dolphins, Sea Eagles miss out