Travel will as always be the biggest challenge for the New Zealand Warriors as they look to mount a surge towards the top eight in 2025 after a disappointing last campaign.
Here is everything you need to know about the Warriors fixture list heading into 2025.
Teams to play twice
Canberra Raiders (Round 1, 12), Manly Sea Eagles (Round 2, 27), Wests Tigers (Round 4, 19), Brisbane Broncos (Round 7, 17), Newcastle Knights (Round 8, 20), St George Illawarra Dragons (Round 10, 24), The Dolphins (Round 11, 22), Gold Coast Titans (Round 21, 25)
The Warriors have one of the easier runs throughout the 2025 season when double-up matches are the only metric.
Based on last year's ladder, they clash with the Sea Eagles and Knights out of last year's top eight, and that's it.
Playing none of last year's top four twice is a boost, and so is the fact they avoid some of the likely improvers like the Rabbitohs.
Travel schedule
Travel is always the thorn in the Warriors' side. They spend more time in a plane, and more kilometres on the road, than any other team in the NRL.
That already tough part of their schedule is added too with a road trip to Las Vegas to kick things off.
They do have back-to-back home New Zealand games three separate times throughout the year, but also have some tough Australian stints, including three weeks in a row between Round 9 and 11.
Turnaround times
Given their horror travel schedule, the Warriors do get a traditionally calmer end-of-the-turnaround time stick.
That's the case again in 2025, with zero five-day turnarounds, and seven six-day turnarounds.
They have back-to-back six-day turnarounds in Round 7 and Round 8, where they will have to travel from Melbourne back to Auckland, and then from Auckland to Christchurch, and another pair in Round 21 and 22, although both of those games are in Auckland.
Start of the season
Las Vegas poses the first challenge for the Warriors, with Andrew Webster's side clashing with the Canberra Raiders in the opening game of the new season.
They then have back-to-back home games against the Manly Sea Eagles and Sydney Roosters, before clashing with the Wests Tigers on the road.
A bye follows, then it's onto the Storm in Round 6 away from home.
It's an opening six games with enough winnable contests, and if the Warriors are going to return to their 2023 form, you feel a fair idea will be generated over the opening month and a half of the campaign.
The Origin period
The Origin period is often a part of the season where the Warriors can gain traction against their rivals.
With the only selected expectation being Mitch Barnett though, they have been amazingly handed byes before Game 2 and 3.
They clash with the Raiders before Game 1, and will play against the Rabbitohs four days after Game 1, the Panthers three days after Game 2, and the Tigers four days after Game 3.
It's a schedule a lot of Australian clubs would prefer to the one they have been dealt.
The run home
Like the start of the season, the Warriors have a run home that they will fancy themselves to come out on the right side of.
Finishing their season on the road to Manly, it's the games before that - home to Parramatta, away to the Titans, home to the Dragons, away to the Bulldogs, and home to both the Dolphins and Titans, which they will believe present the best chance of storming into the finals.
At least five of those final seven games should be winnable.
Toughest stretch
The Warriors' toughest stretch isn't built by the teams they face, but rather, by the travel they encounter.
Round 9 against the Cowboys in Brisbane, Round 10 against the Dragons in Wollongong, and then Round 11 against the Dolphins in Brisbane.
Whether they stay in Australia or travel home for those three weeks remains to be seen, but find a way out of it, and they will be in a remarkably good position.
In terms of teams, they do face the Sharks, Panthers and Broncos with a bye in the middle between Rounds 14 and 17, but it's during the Origin period, so tough to know exactly what they will come up against.
Easiest stretch
The end of the Origin period will see the Warriors clash with the Tigers at home in Round 19, then hit the road to play the Knights in Round 20, before they return home for a double-up against the Titans and Dolphins.
Three out of four home games, all against teams expected to be at best in the battle for finals rugby league is a stretch the Warriors need to earmark.
Games to watch
Round 1, vs Canberra Raiders, at Allegiant Stadium, Sun, Mar 2,11 amm
Round 6, vs Melbourne Storm, at AAMI Park, Sun, Apr 132 pmpm
Round 7, vs Brisbane Broncos, at Go Media Stadium, Sat, Apr 15:30 pm0pm
Round 16, vs Penrith Panthers, at Go Media Stadium, Sat, Jun 3 pm 3pm
Round 23, vs Canterbury Bulldogs, at Accor Stadium, Sat, Au7:35 pm:35pm
The must-win games
Round 3, vs Sydney Roosters, at Go Media Stadium, Fri, Ma6 pm1, 6pm
Round 8, vs Newcastle Knights, at Go Media Stadium, Fri, A6:05 pm 6:05pm
Round 12, vs Canberra Raiders, at Go Media Stadium, Sun, 4:05 pm, 4:05pm
Round 19, vs Wests Tigers, at Go Media Stadium, Sun,2 pml 13, 2pm
Round 26, vs Parramatta Eels, at Go Media Stadium, Fri6 pmug 29, 6pm
Full Fixtures
Round | Opponent | Date | Time (AEDT) | Venue |
1 | Raiders | Sun, Mar 2 | 11:00 am | Allegiant Stadium |
2 | Sea Eagles | Fri, Mar 14 | 6:00 pm | Go Media Stadium |
3 | Roosters | Fri, Mar 21 | 6:00 pm | Go Media Stadium |
4 | Wests Tigers | Sun, Mar 30 | 6:15 pm | Campbelltown Sports Stadium |
5 | Bye | |||
6 | Storm | Sun, Apr 13 | 2:00 pm | AAMI Park |
7 | Broncos | Sat, Apr 19 | 5:30 pm | Go Media Stadium |
8 | Knights | Fri, Apr 25 | 6:05 pm | Apollo Projects Stadium |
9 | Cowboys | Sat, May 3 | 5:30 pm | Suncorp Stadium |
10 | Dragons | Sat, May 10 | 5:30 pm | WIN Stadium |
11 | Dolphins | Sat, May 17 | 3:00 pm | Suncorp Stadium |
12 | Raiders | Sun, May 25 | 4:05 pm | Go Media Stadium |
13 | Rabbitohs | Sun, Jun 1 | 2:00 pm | Accor Stadium |
14 | Sharks | Sat, Jun 7 | 5:30 pm | Sharks Stadium |
15 | Bye | |||
16 | Panthers | Sat, Jun 21 | 3:00 pm | Go Media Stadium |
17 | Broncos | Sat, Jun 28 | 3:00 pm | Suncorp Stadium |
18 | Bye | |||
19 | Wests Tigers | Sun, Jul 13 | 2:00 pm | Go Media Stadium |
20 | Knights | Sun, Jul 20 | 4:05 pm | McDonald Jones Stadium |
21 | Titans | Sat, Jul 26 | 3:00 pm | Go Media Stadium |
22 | Dolphins | Fri, Aug 1 | 6:00 pm | Go Media Stadium |
23 | Bulldogs | Sat, Aug 9 | 7:35 pm | Accor Stadium |
24 | Dragons | Fri, Aug 15 | 6:00 pm | Go Media Stadium |
25 | Titans | Sat, Aug 23 | 5:30 pm | Cbus Super Stadium |
26 | Eels | Fri, Aug 29 | 6:00 pm | Go Media Stadium |
27 | Sea Eagles | Fri, Sep 5 | 6:00 pm | 4 Pines Park |