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.
Wests Tigers
Round 2, vs North Queensland Cowboys, at Leichhardt Oval, Saturday, March 14, 3pm
Round 5, vs Parramatta Eels, at CommBank Stadium, Monday, April 6, 4:05pm
Round 11, vs Manly Sea Eagles, at Suncorp Stadium, Saturday, May 16, 3pm
Round 14, vs Penrith Panthers, at CommBank Stadium, Sunday, June 7, 2pm
Round 25, vs Sydney Roosters, at Allianz Stadium, Sunday, August 23, 4:05pm
The Tigers are an intriguing team to work through for 2026 as Benji Marshall continues his rebuild.
They have had a topsy turvy rivalry with the Cowboys in recent years, so starting their season against them suggests it could throw up anything.
Their public holiday game against the Eels in Round 5 is another that is circled on the calendar, while we also have magic round against the Sea Eagles as a critical clash.
Round 14 sees the Tigers clash with the Panthers in a game that has thrown up some surprisingly close scores in recent times, before the joint-venture's game against the Roosters in Round 25 looks as if it could be critical.
