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The full 2022 NRL draw has been released and while the opening rounds might have Bulldogs fans sweating, a deeper look at the fixtures shows it’s the Broncos, Roosters and Eels that have the toughest roads ahead.
The Broncos kick their season off with a blockbuster clash with 2021 grand finalists, the Rabbitohs. Marquee recruit, Adam Reynolds, won’t have to wait long at all to go up against the club that let him walk.
Beyond that big start to the year, Brisbane will play a top-eight team (from the 2021 season) 14 times — the most of any side. Kevin Walters’ men will face a top-four team six times, which is close to average, but only have five clashes — one of the lowest — with bottom-four teams. The reigning minor premiers, Melbourne, join them in that boat.
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Speaking of Melbourne, the powerhouse club has a relatively kind draw. They open their season with the Wests Tigers, a handy opponent to face while Cameron Munster and Brandon Smith are out suspended.
They then enjoy three consecutive games on home turf at AAMI Park, in a nice reward for the NRL-starved fans in Melbourne.
The Storm sit in the middle of the road for games against top-eight teams (12), games against top-four teams (6) and games against bottom-eight teams (12), but as mentioned earlier, have struck gold with just five games against bottom-four teams. The only other clubs to have that same fate are all bottom-eight teams — the Raiders, Wests Tigers and Broncos.
Things even out though when you take into account that Melbourne do have to play fellow top-four teams, Penrith, South Sydney and Manly, twice.
Remarkably though, the Storm haven’t got it the worst in that regard.
The Roosters and Eels, who finished fifth and sixth respectively, have to play all of the top-four teams twice. They have to play each other twice too.
WHO YOUR TEAM PLAYS TWICE
Broncos: Rabbitohs, Bulldogs, Cowboys, Roosters, Knights, Titans, Storm, Dragons, Eels
Raiders: Storm, Panthers, Sea Eagles, Knights, Titans, Sharks, Dragons, Warriors, Cowboys
Bulldogs: Panthers, Rabbitohs, Sea Eagles, Eels, Knights, Sharks, Wests Tigers, Broncos, Cowboys
Sharks: Storm, Sea Eagles, Knights, Titans, Raiders, Dragons, Warriors, Wests Tigers, Bulldogs
Titans: Sea Eagles, Eels, Knights, Sharks, Raiders, Dragons, Warriors, Broncos, Cowboys
Sea Eagles: Storm, Roosters, Eels, Knights, Titans, Sharks, Raiders, Wests Tigers, Bulldogs
Storm: Panthers, Rabbitohs, Sea Eagles, Roosters, Eels, Sharks, Raiders, Warriors, Broncos
Knights: Panthers, Sea Eagles, Roosters, Titans, Sharks, Raiders, Wests Tigers, Broncos, Bulldogs
Cowboys: Panthers, Roosters, Titans, Raiders, Dragons, Warriors, Wests Tigers, Broncos, Bulldogs
Eels: Storm, Panthers, Rabbitohs, Sea Eagles, Roosters, Titans, Wests Tigers, Broncos, Bulldogs
Panthers: Storm, Rabbitohs, Roosters, Eels, Knights, Raiders, Warriors, Cowboys, Bulldogs
Rabbitohs: Storm, Panthers, Roosters, Eels, Dragons, Warriors, Wests Tigers, Broncos, Bulldogs
Dragons: Rabbitohs, Roosters, Titans, Sharks, Raiders, Warriors, Wests Tigers, Broncos, Cowboys
Roosters: Storm, Panthers, Rabbitohs, Sea Eagles, Eels, Knights, Dragons, Broncos, Cowboys
Warriors: Storm, Panthers, Rabbitohs, Titans, Sharks, Raiders, Dragons, Wests Tigers, Cowboys
Tigers: Rabbitohs, Sea Eagles, Eels, Knights, Sharks, Dragons, Warriors, Broncos, Cowboys, Bulldogs
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Parramatta will want to bank some games early because in the three weeks before the State of Origin period they face the Panthers, Roosters, Sea Eagles and Raiders. They’ll then likely be without some players throughout that representative period.
The good news is that seven of their first eight games are very much winnable. They face the Titans twice, the Sharks, Tigers, Knights, Dragons and Cowboys. The other opponent is the Storm, but if Parramatta’s efforts last time they faced Melbourne are anything to go by, they could easily cause an upset.
They’re final six weeks present a big hurdle though with clashes against the Panthers, Sea Eagles and Rabbitohs in consecutive weeks and then finishing off the regular season with the Storm.
The Origin period is a challenge for every team that boasts representative stars, but it’s the Roosters who are staring at the biggest test.
They face the Raiders, Storm, Eels and Panthers before getting the bye ahead of Origin III and then facing the Dragons three days after the series wraps up. The Tricolours will be without skipper James Tedesco and potentially forwards Angus Crichton, Victor Radley and Lindsay Collins at stages during that period.
Another club that knows exactly what the Origin period is like is Manly, who will likely be without the Trbojevic brothers and Daly Cherry-Evans once again.
However, Des Hasler’s side has a relatively easy run, facing the Warriors in Round 13, followed by the Tigers, Cowboys and then going up against the Storm before getting the bye in Round 17 and then facing the Knights three days after Origin III.
Overall, Manly actually have quite an attractive draw. They only have four games against top-four teams — the lowest out of every club.
The Sea Eagles have a tough couple of weeks to start the year with a blockbuster Thursday-night clash with the premiers to open the season. They then face the Roosters in Round 2.
But at the other end of the draw, if Manly are sitting in a good position, their last month leading into finals could be quite cruisy with games against the Titans, Sharks, Raiders and Bulldogs. Three of those teams didn’t make the finals this year.
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And as for the premiers, Penrith’s draw is similar to Melbourne’s in that they sit in the middle of the rankings when it comes to games against top-eight teams (12), games against bottom-eight teams (12) and games against bottom-four teams. But they are one of the clubs with a lower amount of games (5) against top-four teams.
The Panthers are also expected to be without a host of stars throughout the Origin period, but coach Ivan Cleary can breathe easy knowing his side will go up against the Bulldogs, Knights, Warriors and Roosters in four winnable clashes before a bye in Round 17. Their Origin representatives will have four days to recover if they want to back up to play the Tigers in Round 18.
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