Rivalry feast to kick off 2022 as draw unveiled

2 years ago 255

Reigning premiers Penrith volition motorboat the 2022 NRL play against Manly, aft the afloat gully was confirmed this morning.

The Panthers volition kick-off the play erstwhile they big the Sea Eagles astatine Bluebet Stadium connected March 10, a lucifer that pits Clive Churchill Medallist Nathan Cleary against Dally M Medallist Tom Trbojevic.

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The Jason Demetriou epoch astatine Souths gets underway the pursuing night, unrecorded and escaped connected Nine, erstwhile the Rabbitohs play Brisbane astatine Suncorp Stadium, a lucifer that volition besides spot Broncos' enlistee Adam Reynolds travel up against his erstwhile nine for the archetypal time.

Also connected March 11, Craig Fitzgibbon makes his debut arsenic an NRL coach, erstwhile the Sharks play Canberra, astatine GIO Stadium, pitting Fitzgibbon against his erstwhile mentor Ricky Stuart.

The Roosters get the accidental for revenge successful Round 2, erstwhile they look Manly, the aforesaid squad that ended their 2021 run with a 42-6 thumping successful week 2 of the finals.

Round 2 besides sees the mouth-watering imaginable of Newcastle hosting the Tigers, a lucifer that volition beryllium played against the backdrop of the ongoing saga implicit the aboriginal of Luke Brooks.

Fans won't person to hold excessively agelong for the expansive last rematch, with Penrith and Souths to look disconnected successful Round 4. That lucifer volition beryllium played astatine Bluebet Stadium connected Friday, April 1.

The accepted Anzac Day clash betwixt the Dragons and Roosters volition beryllium unrecorded and escaped connected Nine from the SCG, portion Magic Round has been acceptable down for Round 10 successful mid-May, with Suncorp Stadium erstwhile again hosting each 8 matches crossed 3 days.

Manly and Brisbane volition diagnostic successful the Friday nighttime lucifer connected Nine, portion the Saturday nighttime sees the blockbuster clash betwixt Penrith and Melbourne, the 2 clubs that finished 1-2 astatine the decision of the 2021 regular season. That lucifer volition beryllium unrecorded and escaped connected Nine, arsenic volition Sunday's clash betwixt the Roosters and Eels.

Those 2 clubs look possibly the toughest gully of each the clubs. They've each been scheduled to play each 4 top-four teams from 2021 doubly each. Manly, connected the different hand, lone has 4 matches against top-four teams from 2021, with conscionable 1 lucifer each against expansive finalists Penrith and Souths.

This year's woody spooners, the Bulldogs, could find themselves successful akin occupation aboriginal successful 2022. After starting against chap 2021 strugglers the Cowboys and Broncos, Canterbury past faces Manly, Melbourne, Penrith and Souths successful consecutive weeks from Round 3.

The Cowboys don't look immoderate of the 'Big Four' until Round 11, but they'll beryllium hoping to person a apical 8 spot stitched up with clip to spare, fixed they look Penrith and Souths successful the last 2 matches of the regular season.

The New Zealand Warriors look the imaginable of different agelong stint connected the road, nether a worst-case script successful the gully for 2022.

The Warriors don't play astatine Mt Smart Stadium until Round 15 successful June, alternatively playing their location matches successful Queensland.

It's a stark reminder of the realities of planetary question successful the COVID-19 era, though Redcliffe residents volition get an aboriginal sensation of regular NRL enactment adjacent earlier the Dolphins participate the competition, with galore of the Warriors' matches acceptable down for Moreton Daily Stadium.

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