The NRL has officially unveiled the Round 1 draw, delivering a blockbuster start filled with rivalries, revenge and hype.

For the first time, the league used AI technology to build the draw, creating a Round 1 schedule that reads like a promoter's dream.

The season officially kicks off in Las Vegas on February 28, with the Canterbury Bulldogs facing the St George Illawarra Dragons and the Newcastle Knights meeting the North Queensland Cowboysin front of more than 40,000 fans at Allegiant Stadium.

NRL Rd 4 – Sharks v Bulldogs
SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA - MARCH 29: Jacob Preston of the Bulldogs celebrates scoring a try during the round four NRL match between Cronulla Sharks and Canterbury Bulldogs at Sharks Stadium, on March 29, 2025, in Sydney, Australia. (Photo by Brendon Thorne/Getty Images)

Back home, the AI-generated schedule has stacked the deck with grudge matches across Australia and New Zealand.

Thursday Night: Storm v Eels

Former Melbourne Storm playmaker Jonah Pezet faces his old club after his move to the Parramatta Eels.

Friday Night: Warriors v Roosters

This match could mark Daly Cherry-Evans' first Sydney Roosters game against a hungry New Zealand Warriors side.

Friday Night: Broncos v Panthers

A preliminary-final rematch as Ivan Cleary's Penrith Panthers chase revenge for their shock loss to the Brisbane Broncos at Suncorp.

Saturday: Sharks v Titans

Rookie coach Josh Hannay returns to Shark Park to face Craig Fitzgibbon's Cronulla Sharks.

Saturday Night: Sea Eagles v Raiders

Jamal Fogarty gets an early shot at his former club, as the Canberra Raiders aim to set the tone after a disappointing finals exit in 2025.

Sunday: Dolphins v Rabbitohs

Wayne Bennett meets his former apprentice Kristian Woolf in a coaching showdown featuring David Fifita's South Sydney Rabbitohs debut.

Wests Tigers have been handed the first-round bye, which will mark their second in three years.

From Pezet's Storm reunion to the Panthers' redemption quest, the AI's first attempt at scheduling has sparked storylines across every match-up.

If the goal was to create drama, balance and broadcast appeal, it looks like AI just passed its first NRL test.

Get set for the footy with the FREE Zero Tackle 2026 NRL Season Guide! Packed with 130+ pages of player profiles, team previews, insights and analysis, the 2026 NRL Season Guide is built for fans who want the full picture. Download your free Season Guide HERE.

2 COMMENTS

  1. A first round bye is as bad as no bye at all.
    Wests can legitimately feel hard done by.

    Whoever programmed the AI didn’t put in some code to say “don’t give the round 1 bye to the same team as last year”.

    I can’t believe that the NRL didn’t review the draft draw and send it back to the programmers.

  2. Surey this is a joke – what an underwhelming start to the season in Vegas. I guess everyone has to get a go – but that certainly isn’t a quality start.

    How can Wests Tigers pick up a first round bye two out of three years? This is a signifcant hurdle for a struggling club – the NRL should be trying to even the competition out not giving a leg up to the top teams by giving them byes mid season and putting hurdles in front of the bottom sides.

    Anyone with half a brain would have told the AI that teams with a first round bye since inception were to be excluded from a first round bye in 2026. The NRL bosses are using AI as a scapgoat – spineless!