The NRL fixtures for 2026 are set to be revealed next week, with attention now firmly on next season and the ongoing 2027 recruitment window, which kicked off on November 1.
As anticipation builds for 2026, naturally, the opening round will draw plenty of headlines, and the NRL have often served up early season blockbusters to get the campaign going.
The addition of a bye in recent years, as well as the Las Vegas fixtures, leaves a lot less up in the air, but here at Zero Tackle, we have taken a stab at what the Round 1 fixtures might look like when the draw for the entire season is released.
The Las Vegas games are obviously already locked in, taking the Canterbury Bulldogs, St George Illawarra Dragons, Newcastle Knights and North Queensland Cowboys out of the picture.
Of the remainnig teams, it has been reported the Melbourne Storm will host the first game on Australian soil for the year - to be played on Thursday, March 5, and the Brisbane Broncos will host the Friday night game.
It has also been reported that the Cronulla Sharks and Dolphins are set to host Round 1 games.
It is also known that Accor Stadium (Canterbury Bulldogs and South Sydney Rabbitohs), CommBank Stadium (Penrith Panthers and Parramatta Eels), and CBus Super Stadium (Gold Coast Titans) will be out of action for the opening round due to soccer's women's Asia Cup.
Given the two prime time games have been (reportedly, at least) locked away in terms of their hosts for Thursday and Friday, we are anticipating the NRL won't muck around.
The Penrith Panthers could be awarded the trip to Victoria, while the Parramatta Eels, who opened their 2025 season against the Melbourne Storm, might head north to play the Broncos in a game that will immediately pit young halfback Jonah Pezet against his future club after leaving the Storm during the off-season.
We are suggesting the Sharks will host their game on Saturday in the twilight spot against the Sydney Roosters in what is always a fiercely fought contest, while the Dolphins will play on free to air TV on Sunday against the Gold Coast Titans in an interstate derby.
That leaves five teams to be split across two games.
The New Zealand Warriors should open their season at home in the Friday, 6pm slot, and we will suggest they play the Wests Tigers, who are unlikely to be handed the bye given they have already had a Round 1 bye last year.
Of the remaining sides, it's hard to see the high-flying Raiders being given the opening round bye, or the Rabbitohs, so we will have those sides clash in the nation's capital, while the Manly Sea Eagles have the opening round bye before likely being awarded a home blockbuster in Round 2 to kick-off the second weekend of footy for 2026.
Predicted 2026 Round 1 NRL fixtures
Las Vegas games
Sunday, March 1: Canterbury Bulldogs vs St George Illawarra Dragons
Sunday, March 1: Newcastle Knights vs North Queensland Cowboys
Thursday, March 5, 7:50pm - Melbourne Storm vs Penrith Panthers at AAMI Park, Melbourne
Friday, March 6, 6pm - New Zealand Warriors vs Wests Tigers at Mt Smart Stadium, Auckland
Friday, March 6, 8:05pm - Brisbane Broncos vs Parramatta Eels at Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane
Saturday, March 7, 5:30pm - Cronulla Sharks vs Sydney Roosters at Sharks Stadium, Cronulla
Saturday, March 7, 7:35pm - Canberra Raiders vs South Sydney Rabbitohs at GIO Stadium, Canberra
Sunday, March 8, 4pm - The Dolphins v Gold Coast Titans, at Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane
Bye - Manly Sea Eagles
Only one game in Sydney – and that at the Cronulla Construction site !
Not much opportunity for walk-up fans to get a seat.
But your logic seems sound.