The same article also mentions that following the Las Vegas doubleheader on February 28 (March 1 Australian time), Storm is pencilled in to kick off the regular season in Australia at AAMI Park on Thursday night, March 5, with Broncos beginning their premiership defence at Suncorp on Friday night, March 6.
The 2026 NRL fixture is expected for release later this week.
One thing I really like about Nine and their rugby league coverage is that their A-team seems to work every competition. Itâs the same pool of callers, experts, hosts across the entire suite of events they have rights to. Really good to elevate the womenâs and neutral games.
Mostly, but I donât think Mat Thompson has called any games since the Grand Final.
Peter Psaltis is calling the last game for the year this afternoon, NZ vs Samoa, about to start right now.
Brenton Speed has called some games too.
Mat called all three games of the England v Australia test series.
Brenton commentated both Cook Islands v South Africa and the Pacific Championship womenâs final this afternoon.
The NRL announced the 2026 opening round fixture on social media this morning.
UPDATE: the dates for the State of Origin series were also revealed this morning.
Menâs
Wednesday, May 27
Game 1 at Accor Stadium (8.05pm AEST kickoff)
Wednesday, June 17
Game 2 at MCG (8.10pm AEST kickoff)
Wednesday, July 8
Game 3 at Suncorp Stadium (8.10pm AEST kickoff)
Womenâs (all 7.45pm AEST kickoff)
Thursday, April 30
Game 1 at McDonald Jones Stadium
Thursday, May 14
Game 2 at Suncorp Stadium
Thursday, May 28
Game 3 at Cbus Super Stadium
Junior
Thursday, June 18
Under-19s State of Origin and Under 19âs Womenâs State of Origin at North Sydney Oval
Good to have the Round 1 schedule announced. And also the dates for the State of Origin.
The rest of the 2026 NRL schedule should come out this Friday. So we will see which games will be on Nine (and rival Fox Sports).
Magic round with brodcasters
Womenâs State of Origin Game 3 @ Suncorp Stadium
Sharks v Bulldogs, 6.00pm (AEST) - Fox
Rabbitohs v Dolphins, 8.00pm (AEST) - Nine/Fox
Wests Tigers v Sea Eagles, 3.00pm (AEST) - Fox
Roosters v Cowboys, 5.30pm (AEST) - Fox
Eels v Storm, 7.45pm (AEST) - Nine/Fox
Titans v Knights, 2.00pm (AEST) - Fox
Warriors v Broncos, 4.00pm (AEST) - Nine/Fox
Panthers v Dragons, 6.25pm (AEST) - Fox
Itâs actually G2.
Also, donât tell me that is a Fox exclusive.
Womenâs State of Origin is a Nine exclusive.
So the first round coverage on 9:
NRL:
NRLW:
A bit surprised at the Perth double header scheduling on Sat 11th April.
First game is at 1pm local time (3pm EST) being Souths vs Canberra and then 3.30pm (5.30pm EST) for Sharks vs Roosters. I thought the games would be on 2 hours later (nb. Storm vs Warriors is the 7.30pm game that round).
Is also the weekend when the AFL Gather Round is on in Adelaide.
FULL MENâS FTA SCHEDULE (for those who struggle with the links)
R1 (unknown which Vegas game is being covered, and kickoff times to be determined)
THU: Melbourne vs Parramatta (Swan St Melbourne)
FRI: Brisbane vs Penrith (Lang Park)
SUN: Dolphins vs Souths (Lang Park)
R2
THU: Bris vs Parra (Lang)
FRI: Roosters vs Souths (SFS)
SUN: Manly vs Newcastle (Brookvale)
R3
THU: Canberra vs Canterbury (Canberra)
FRI: Melb vs Bris (Swan St)
SUN: Parra vs St.George/Illawarra (Parramatta)
R4
THU: Manly vs Roosters (Brookvale)
FRI: Bris vs Phins (Lang Pk)
SUN: Canberra vs Cronulla (Canberra)
R5 (EASTER)
THU: Phins vs Manly (Dolphin Oval)
FRI: Souths vs Canterbury (Olympic Stadium, 4PM), Penrith vs Melb (Parramatta)
SUN: Newc vs Canb (Newcastle)
R6
THU: CâBury vs Penrith (Olympic Stad)
FRI: Bris vs Nth Qld (Lang Pk)
SUN: Wests Tigers vs Newc (Campbelltown)
R7
THU: Nth Qld vs Manly (Townsville)
FRI: Phins vs Penrith (Marrara Oval Darwin)
SUN: Parra vs CâBury (Parramatta)
R8 (ANZAC Rd)
THU: Tigers vs CâBerra (Leichhardt)
FRI: Bris vs CâBury (Lang Pk)
SAT: Roosters vs St.G/Ill (SFS, 4PM)
SUN: Manly vs Parra (Brookvale)
R9
THU: WOMENâS ORIGIN 1 (Newcastle)
FRI: Phins vs Melb (Lang Pk)
SUN: Cronulla vs Tigers (Shark Pk)
R10
THU: Phins vs CâBury (Lang Pk)
FRI: Nth Qld vs Parra (Townsville)
SUN: CâBerra vs Penrith (Canberra)
R11 (MAGIC ROUND, all games at Lang Pk)
THU: WOMENâS ORIGIN 2
FRI: Souths vs Phins
SAT: Parra vs Melb
SUN: NZ Warriors vs Bris
R12
THU: CâBerra vs Phins (Canberra)
FRI: CâBury vs Melb (Olympic St)
SUN: Nth Qld vs Souths (Townsville)
STATE OF ORIGIN 1, Wednesday May 26, Olympic Stadium Sydney
R13
THU: WOMENâS ORIGIN 3 (Robina)
FRI: Cronulla vs Manly (Shark Pk)
SUN: CâBerra vs Nth Qld (Canberra)
R14
THU: Manly vs Souths (Brookvale)
FRI: CâBerra vs Chooks (Canberra)
SUN: Cronulla vs St.G/Illa (Shark Pk)
R15
THU: Souths vs Bris (Olympic Stad)
FRI: Phins vs Chooks (Lang Pk)
SUN: Tigers vs G.Coast (Leichhardt)
STATE OF ORIGIN 2, MCG, Wednesday 17 June
R16
THU: UNDER 19âs ORIGIN (Nth Sydney)
FRI: Newc vs St.G/Illa (Newcastle)
SUN: Melb vs CâBerra (Swan St)
R17
THU: Parra vs Souths (Parramatta)
FRI: Bris vs Chooks (Lang Pk)
SUN: Newc vs Tigers (Newcastle)
R18
THU: NRLW OPENER (Cronulla vs Newcastle, Shark Pk)
FRI: Penrith vs Souths (Parramatta)
SUN: Newc vs Phins (Newcastle)
STATE OF ORIGIN 3, LANG PARK, WEDNESDAY 8 July
R19
THU: NRLW Stand alone game (Cronulla vs Bris, Shark Pk)
FRI: Tigers vs Wahs (Leichhardt)
SUN: Manly vs Nth Qld (Brookvale)
R20
THU: Penrith vs Bris (Parramatta)
FRI: Chooks vs Melb (SFS)
SUN: Phins vs Nth Qld (Lang Pk)
R21
THU: Parra vs Penrith (Parramatta)
FRI: Souths vs Melb (Olympic Stad)
SUN: Manly vs Cronulla (Brookvale)
R22
THU: Nth Qld vs Chooks (Townsville)
FRI: Melb vs CâBury (Swan St)
SUN: Tigers vs Parra (Parramatta)
R23
THU: G.Coast vs Nth Qld (Robina)
FRI: Chooks vs CâBury (SFS)
SAT: Souths vs Parra (Olympic Stad)
SUN: St.G/Illa vs Cronulla (Kogarah)
R24
THU: Penrith vs Chooks (Parramatta)
FRI: CâBury vs Souths (Olympic Stad)
SAT: Bris vs Wahs (Lang Pk)
SUN: Tigers vs St.G/Illa (Parramatta)
R25
THU: Melb vs Penrith (Swan St)
FRI: Phins vs Parra (Lang Pk)
SAT: St.G/Illa vs CâBury (SFS)
SUN: Chooks vs Tigers (SFS)
R26
THU: Bris vs Melb (Lang Pk)
FRI: Penrith vs CâBury (Parramatta)
SAT: Nth Qld vs Tigers (Townsville)
SUN: Parra vs Cronulla (Parramatta)
R27
THU: CâBury vs Bris (Olympic Stad)
FRI: Souths vs Chooks (Olympic Stad)
SAT: Cronulla vs Melb (Shark Pk)
SUN: Penrith vs Tigers (Parramatta)
Thanks for this!
I dropped this into a spreadsheet and crunched the numbers on how many games each club (menâs only) will have on FTA next year (not including Vegas as that is the unknown).
Brisbane - 14
Parramatta - 13
Souths - 13
Canterbury - 13
Melbourne - 13
Penrith - 12
Dolphins - 12
Roosters - 12
Tigers - 11
Nth Qld - 10
Manly - 9
Canberra - 9
Cronulla - 9
St.George/Illawarra - 7
Newcastle - 6
NZ Warriors - 3
G.Coast - 2
No real surprises there I guess.
I imagine itâll be the Bulldogs vs Dragons as that match would likely have more commercial appeal than the Knights vs Cowboys game.
It doesnât make sense to me that Rabbitohs and Dolphins will have 13 FTA games given both missed the finals this year, while minor premiers Raiders and preliminary finalist Sharks will only get nine FTA games each.
I know, but itâs always been like that..
Unfortunately it isnât decided on merit/ladder position - Dolphins and Souths attract a bigger audience. 9 FTA games is higher than usual for Canberra.
