With the full NRL draw out for 2026, teams and their fans will have circled dates in their calendars.
Must-win games, key outings, rivalry clashes.
No team is going to win 24 from 24 throughout the course of an NRL season that is wildly tough to predict at the best of times, but clubs will know the key games they must win.
For fans, neutral or supporters, here are the five biggest clashes to watch for each and every NRL side throughout the 2026 season, kicking off in Las Vegas on the first weekend of March and winding itself across Australia and New Zealand over the following six months.
Parramatta Eels
Round 1, vs Melbourne Storm, at AAMI Park, Thursday, March 5, 8pm
Round 4, vs Penrith Panthers, at CommBank Stadium, Sydney, Saturday, March 28, 5:30pm
Round 5, vs Wests Tigers, at CommBank Stadium, Monday, April 6, 4:05pm
Round 14, vs Canterbury Bulldogs, at Accor Stadium, Sydney, Monday, June 8, 4:00pm
Round 23, vs South Sydney Rabbitohs, at Allianz Stadium, Sydney, Saturday, August 8, 7:30pm
The Eels were blown out of the water in their first game of 2025 against the Storm, and with Jonah Pezet on deck, will be desperate to right the wrongs.
Their Round 4 clash against the Panthers, and Easter Monday game against the Tigers, are also likely to be must-watch encounters. So too will their Kings Birthday clash against Canterbury in Round 14, while a Round 23 game against South Sydney could see two teams approaching the end of a much improved campaign do battle.
