NRL 2025 fixture analysis: North Queensland Cowboys

The North Queensland Cowboys come into the 2025 season looking for consistency, but a challenging fixture list across the board is unlikely to do Todd Payten's side any favours.

Here is everything you need to know for the Cowboys fixtures ahead of 2025.

Teams to play twice
Manly Sea Eagles (Round 1, 11), Cronulla Sharks (Round 2, 22), Brisbane Broncos (Round 3, 26), Penrith Panthers (Round 5, 10), Gold Coast Titans (Round 8, 17), Wests Tigers (Round 13, 25), Melbourne Storm (Round 14, 18), The Dolphins (Round 15, 20)

The Cowboys certainly don't have the toughest run of double-ups, but it's not the easiest either.

They do clash with the Panthers and Storm twice, which won't be a straightforward exercise, and also face the Sharks and Sea Eagles out of last year's top eight.

Sitting eighth on the list of toughest double-ups when the numbers based on the 2024 NRL ladder are run, the Cowboys face the Broncos, Titans and Dolphins, as well as the Tigers in their other double-ups in games that are hard to call.

Travel schedule
As always, travel will be a major headache for the Cowboys. Their shortest road trip is Brisbane but even that is a two-hour flight, and they will be on a plane 12 times throughout the year.

They have the third most air time of any team, including more than the Panthers and Sharks who both have to travel to Las Vegas to start their campaign.

They have a back-to-back Sydney and Perth trip in Round 5 and 6, and a double-up in Sydney during Round 22 and 23.

They have been looked after through the middle of the season though, playing at home in Round 8, 10, 11 and 13 with a bye in Round 12.

Turnaround times
Given their travel, it's not a surprise to see the Cowboys having a well under average number of short turnarounds.

Their only five-day turnaround of the year comes ahead of a game against the Dolphins in Brisbane during Round 20, while they have no consecutive six-day turnarounds, and only five of them for the whole season.

Every other turnaround is seven days or more.

Start of the season
The Cowboys kick off their campaign against the Sea Eagles on the road and it doesn't get any easier from there.

The Sharks will visit for Round 2, then they head to Brisbane to play the Broncos in Round 3.

Round 4 at home against the Raiders looks like an early must-win, before the aforementioned double-header on the road in Sydney and Perth against the Panthers and Rabbitohs respectively.

A bye in Round 7 should allow the Cowboys to reset.

The Origin period
The Cowboys have been dealt a rough run through Origin given they are likely to provide a number of players again.

They have the bye before Game 1, but have to host the Dolphins and Storm before Game 2 and 3 respectively, while they play after all three Origins, hosting the Tigers after Game 1, travelling to play the Roosters after Game 2, and hosting the Bulldogs after Game 3.

The only advantage is none of their games after an Origin match are on a Thursday.

The run home
The Cowboys are in the tricky position of finishing their season with a bye. The remainder of their run home is a mixed back, but one they should be able to deal with.

That said, three of their final five games are on the road, clashing with the Sharks in Round 22, the Eels in Round 23 and the Tigers in Round 25. They face the Knights in Round 24 and Broncos in Round 26 as the only two home games in the last six weeks.

There are enough winnable games for the Cowboys, but as always, consistency will be the key if they are going to play finals footy this year.

Toughest stretch
The Cowboy's toughest games are scattered throughout the season, but given their horror record against the Warriors where they have lost six of their last eight, the period leading into Origin looks tricky.

Coming off the road games in Sydney and Perth, they have a bye, then host the Titans, before playing the Warriors in Magic Round. Directly afterwards, they play the Panthers and Sea Eagles.

With players having one eye on Origin and it coming off a tricky start to the season, the Cowboys will need to find a way to turn this stretch into a winning one.

Easiest stretch
The period directly after Origin will have to be a winner for the Cowboys, with a home game against the Bulldogs, a clash away against the Dolphins, and then a home game against the Dragons between Round 19 and 21.

Like their games against tough opposition, their easier ones are scattered, and it's hard to pinpoint the period the Cowboys will be lining up to build some momentum, so this is as good as any.

Games to watch
Round 3, vs Brisbane Broncos, at Suncorp Stadium, Fri, Mar 21, 8pm
Round 10, vs Penrith Panthers, at Queensland Country Bank Stadium, Sat, May 10, 7:35pm
Round 14, vs Melbourne Storm, at AAMI Park, Fri, Jun 6, 6pm
Round 20, vs The Dolphins, at Suncorp Stadium, Thu, Jul 17, 7:50pm
Round 26, vs Brisbane Broncos, at Queensland Country Bank Stadium, Sat, Aug 30, 7:35pm

The must-win games
Round 4, vs Canberra Raiders, at Queensland Country Bank Stadium, Sat Mar 29, 5:30pm
Round 8, vs Gold Coast Titans, at Queensland Country Bank Stadium, Sat, Apr 26, 5:30pm
Round 13, vs Wests Tigers, at Queensland Country Bank Stadium, Sat, May 31, 5:30pm
Round 21, vs St George Illawarra Dragons, at Queensland Country Bank Stadium, Fri, Jul 25, 6pm
Round 24, vs Newcastle Knights, at Queensland Country Bank Stadium, Sun, Aug 17, 4:05pm

Full fixtures