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.
6. Cronulla Sharks vs St George Illawarra Dragons, Round 13
The local "rivalry" had been reduced to a matter of "Sharks by how many?" in the past five seasons.
Clint Gutherson's inspired Red V ran riot against the Sharks at Kogarah in Round 23 of last season. As a Sharks fan, that still stings.
The Dragons delivered the Sharks last regular season loss and the only loss they suffered in ten games. Do you know how annoying that is?
The Sharks, at home, will be looking to right the wrong, as they see it. The Dragons will be looking to start a streak against their local rivals for the first time in a very long time.
