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.
The Dolphins
Round 1, vs South Sydney Rabbitohs, at Suncorp Stadium, Sunday, March 8, 4:05pm
Round 4, vs Brisbane Broncos, at Suncorp Stadium, Friday, March 27, 8pm
Round 8, vs New Zealand Warriors, at Sky Stadium, Wellington, Saturday, April 25, 6:05pm
Round 14, vs North Queensland Cowboys, at Queensland Country Bank Stadium, Saturday, June 6, 5:30pm
Round 27, vs Gold Coast Titans, at Cbus Super Stadium, Friday, September 4, 6pm
The Dolphins kick their season off against the Rabbitohs, and not for the first time.
That will be another chance for the Dolphins to beat their old boss, and to ensure they pick up where they left off.
They clash with crosstown rivals and defending premiers the Broncos in Round 4, while a game on Anzac Day against the Warriors carries extra importance.
We will take their Queensland derbies against the Cowboys and Titans as the others to watch.
