Rivalries born: When each departed player will face their old club in 2026

The NRL has seen another merry-go-round of player movement ahead of 2026, and now, a host of players will have circled games in their calendars with the official release of the NRL draw on Friday morning.

Here is when every player at a new club will face their old club in 2026.

Round 1

Jonah Pezet: Melbourne Storm vs Parramatta Eels at AAMI Park, Thursday, March 5, 8pm
Jamal Fogarty: Manly Sea Eagles vs Canberra Raiders at 4 Pines Park, Saturday, March 7, 7:30pm

Round 2

Nil.

Round 3

Grant Anderson: Melbourne Storm vs Brisbane Broncos at AAMI Park, Friday, March 20, 8pm
Jye Linnane: Newcastle Knights vs New Zealand Warriors at McDonald Jones Stadium, Saturday, March 21, 3pm
Jack de Belin: Parramatta Eels vs St George Illawarra Dragons at CommBank Stadium, Sunday, March 22, 4:05pm

Round 4

Daly Cherry-Evans, Zach Dockar-Clay: Manly Sea Eagles vs Sydney Roosters at 4 Pines Park, Thursday, March 26, 8pm
Selwyn Cobbo, Aublix Tawha: Brisbane Broncos vs The Dolphins at Suncorp Stadium, Friday, March 27, 8pm
Leo Thompson: Canterbury Bulldogs vs Newcastle Knights at Accor Stadium, Saturday, March 28, 3pm
Lachlan Ilias: Gold Coast Titans vs St George Illawarra Dragons at CBus Super Stadium, Sunday, March 29, 6:15pm

Round 5

Jayden Brailey, Trey Mooney, Pasami Saulo: Newcastle Knights vs Canberra Raiders at McDonald Jones Stadium, Sunday, April 5, 4:05pm

Round 6

Tom Duffy: Brisbane Broncos vs North Queensland Cowboys at Suncorp Stadium, Friday, April 10, 8pm
Kai Pearce-Paul: Wests Tigers vs Newcastle Knights at Campbelltown Sports Stadium, Sunday, April 12, 4:05pm

Round 7

Brad Schneider: The Dolphins vs Penrith Panthers at TIO Stadium, Friday, April 17, 8pm
Alofiana Khan-Pereira: New Zealand Warriors vs Gold Coast Titans at Go Media Stadium, Saturday, April 18, 3pm
Jonah Glover: South Sydney Rabbitohs vs St George Illawarra Dragons at Accor Stadium, Saturday, April 18, 5:30pm
Jock Madden: Wests Tigers vs Brisbane Broncos at Campbelltown Sports Stadium, Saturday, April 18, 7:30pm
Sandon Smith: Sydney Roosters vs Newcastle Knights at Allianz Stadium, Sunday, April 19, 2pm

Round 8

Cody Ramsey: St George Illawarra Dragons vs Sydney Roosters at Allianz Stadium, Saturday, April 25, 4pm
Bronson Garlick: Melbourne Storm vs South Sydney Rabbitohs at AAMI Park, Saturday, April 25, 8:10pm
Jack Cogger, Asu Kepaoa: Newcastle Knights vs Penrith Panthers at McDonald Jones Stadium, Sunday, April 26, 2pm

Round 9

Reed Mahoney: Canterbury Bulldogs vs North Queensland Cowboys at Accor Stadium, Friday, May 1, 6pm

Round 10

Sean O'Sullivan: The Dolphins vs Canterbury Bulldogs at Suncorp Stadium, Thursday, May 7, 7:50pm
Kobe Hetherington: Manly Sea Eagles vs Brisbane Broncos at 4 Pines Park, Saturday, May 9, 7:30pm
Daine Laurie: Canberra Raiders vs Penrith Panthers at GIO Stadium, Sunday, May 10, 4:05pm

Round 11

Kade Dykes: Cronulla Sharks vs Canterbury Bulldogs at Suncorp Stadium, Friday, May 15, 6pm
Reece Robson: Sydney Roosters vs North Queensland Cowboys at Suncorp Stadium, Saturday, May 16, 5:30pm
David Fale: Penrith Panthers vs St George Illawarra Dragons at Suncorp Stadium, Sunday, May 17, 6:25pm

Round 12

Nil.

Round 13

Dylan Brown: Newcastle Knights vs Parramatta Eels at McDonald Jones Stadium, Saturday, May 30, 3pm
Tom Ale, Kalani Going: Penrith Panthers vs New Zealand Warriors at CommBank Stadium, Sunday, May 31, 6:15pm

Round 14

Mavrik Geyer: Wests Tigers vs Penrith Panthers at CommBank Stadium, Sunday, June 7, 2pm
Daniel Atkinson: Cronulla Sharks vs St George Illawarra Dragons at Sharks Stadium, Sunday, June 7, 4:05pm

Round 15

Nil.

Round 16

Luke Sommerton: Gold Coast Titans vs Penrith Panthers at CBus Super Stadium, Saturday, June 20, 5:30pm
Blake Wilson: Canterbury Bulldogs vs Manly Sea Eagles at Accor Stadium, Saturday, June 20, 7:30pm

Round 17

Sione Finau: Canberra Raiders vs St George Illawarra Dragons at GIO Stadium, Sunday, June 28, 2pm

Round 18

Peter Hola, Sebastian Su'a: Newcastle Knights vs The Dolphins at McDonald Jones Stadium, Sunday, July 5, 4:05pm

Round 19

Nil.

Round 20

Nil.

Round 21

Nil.

Round 22

Josh Kerr: St George Illawarra Dragons vs The Dolphins at WIN Stadium, Friday, July 31, 6pm

Round 23

Nil.

Round 24

Nil.

Round 25

Moala Graham-Taufa, Edward Kosi, Haizyn Mellars: South Sydney Rabbitohs vs New Zealand Warriors at Accor Stadium, Saturday, August 22, 5:30pm

Round 26

David Fifita: Gold Coast Titans vs South Sydney Rabbitohs at CBus Super Stadium, Saturday, August 29, 3pm

Round 27

Nil.