BREAKING: Round 18 venues locked in by NRL

The NRL have announced Round 18 venues, with the Queensland bubble designed to save the season ready for action.

Teams will be located on the Gold Coast, Sunshine Coast or in Brisbane, with 12 teams in total to be moved. They are all the Sydney based clubs, the Newcastle Knights, Canberra Raiders and already relocated New Zealand Warriors.

It means three stadiums will be used to carry out games, with teams to be in Queensland for the next month. Fans will be able to attend games, with the NRL putting on a swathe of double-headers to entice fans into watching neutral teams play.

Importantly, no fixtures have been changed by teams playing, times or dates. The only changes will be venues for those games which were supposed to be hosted by teams now inside the bubble.

The NRL is still hopeful teams will be able to return from the bubble in a months time, but that will be dependant on Sydney's COVID situation and lockdown measures.

The Round 18 fixtures will kick off on the Gold Coast, before the Cowboys and Storm host games on Saturday night.

Three games on Sunday this weekend due to State of Origin mean both Brisbane and the Gold Coast will be in action.

Intriguingly no games will be held on the Sunshine Coast this weekend, meaning the teams reportedly in that bubble will have some extra time on the team bus.

It was reported late yesterday by Sydney Morning Herald reporter Michael Chammas that clubs would be placed into bubbles as follows:

Sunshine Coast: Penrith Panthers, Newcastle Knights, Manly Sea Eagles, Sydney Roosters
Gold Coast: Parramatta Eels, Canterbury Bulldogs, South Sydney Rabbbitohs, Canberra Raiders, New Zealand Warriors
Brisbane: St George Illawarra Dragons, Cronulla Sharks, Wests Tigers