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.
St George Illawarra Dragons
Round 1, vs Canterbury Bulldogs, at Allegiant Stadium, Sunday, March 1, TBC
Round 7, vs South Sydney Rabbitohs, at Accor Stadium, Saturday, April 18, 5:30pm
Round 8, vs Sydney Roosters, at Allianz Stadium, Saturday, April 25, 4pm
Round 13, vs Brisbane Broncos, at Suncorp Stadium, Sunday, May 31, 2pm
Round 23, vs Cronulla Sharks, at Jubilee Oval, Sunday, August 9, 4:05pm
The Dragons will start their season against bogey club the Bulldogs desperately chasing a positive start after their dismal 2025 fadeout.
Back-to-back Saturday games against the Rabbitohs and Roosters (on Anzac Day) in Rounds 7 and 8 then set the tone for their season, before they travel to Brisbane early in the Origin period.
It's a game the Dragons won last year, and they'd love to repeat the dose this time around.
Their second clash against the Sharks at Kogarah also shapes as an important date on the calendar.
