I have done the sums. From the day the draw is released (November 14th) there are 85 days until pre-season rugby league.
Thats only 12 weekends of horrible, hot and sweaty, rugby league-less-ness.
It may seem like a long, long way away, but with the NRL, NRLW and Pre-Season Cup draws being released, hope is suddenly on the horizon.
The mad scramble on Friday morning sent us all into a level of frenzy.
Some planned their away trips, others looked for rivalry games. Most proclaimed 2026 was "our season".
Every fixture next season is exciting in its own way, but some just stand out above the rest.
We've compiled ten such fixtures below. The reasons vary, but they all promise to be hot encounters.
Here are ten must watch fixtures for 2026.
3. Melbourne Storm vs Brisbane Broncos, Round 3
It's practically the law to include the "Grand Final rematch" in a list like this. Especially when it comes so early in the season.
All week we'll hear about how the Storm are "looking for revenge" even though a Round Three game means about a hundredth of what a Grand Final does.
That said, Melbourne vs. Brisbane is always a marquee fixture. The Friday night time slot is perfect. A sell out is assured.
Reece Walsh is in town for the first time since breaking Storm hearts back in October. Grant vs. Hunt. Hughes vs Reynolds. Haas vs Utoikamanu. Yes please!
