NRLW 2025 Draw Debrief: Saturday Sizzlers

With the long wait for NRLW season over, get ready for some jampacked weekends ahead, with plenty of Saturday games to keep you occupied. 

NRL.com has run the rule over the draw and picked out five blockbuster Saturday matches too good to miss for eager fans this NRLW season.

Super Saturdays

Round 1 Saturday, July 5 – Broncos v Tigers at Totally Workwear Stadium – 12.45pm (AEDT)

There is no better way to kick off the first NRLW Super Saturday of the year than with the Australian co-captains in Ali Brigginshaw and Kezie Apps going head-to-head. Two of the fiercest competitors in the women’s game, there is generally nothing left on the field when these two meet and no doubt they’ll have that influence upon both their sides as they look to make a statement to start the season. Brigginshaw’s Broncos are the reigning minor premiers, but fell short of the grand final while Apps’ Tigers are coming off the dreaded wooden spoon finish. With a couple of new faces in both squads, the Broncos and Tigers will be hungry for more this year and know every point counts in the 11-week season.

Round 1 Saturday, July 5 – Raiders v Dragons at GIO Stadium – 3.15pm (AEDT)

The Dragons will herald in new coach Nathan Cross as they look to return to the powerhouse status they once held as one of the foundation teams of the competition. The 2019 and 2021 grand finalists haven’t qualified for finals over the past two years, falling to a low of ninth place last season. With former Queensland Maroons assistant coach Cross at the helm, the proud club will be eyeing off a much-needed finals berth. To open their campaign, they do face a challenge in the Raiders, who are yet to make it to the pointy end of the season after their 2023 inclusion, setting the stage for a fiery clash.

Round 2 Saturday, July 12 – Cowboys v Knights at Queensland Country Bank Stadium – 5.15pm (AEDT)

These two teams met in the last round of last season, with Newcastle dishing out a masterclass to the shell-shocked Cowboys. The 32-point loss was the equal biggest in the club’s short history and while they improved on their 2023 debut season, last year was disappointing overall for the Townsville-based team. They will have a fire in their bellies coming into this clash against a new-look Knights who are also looking to go further into the season this year. There has been a lot of talk this pre-season about the potential of the Cowboys after they recruited strongly with the likes of Australian Rugby Sevens star Lily Dick and Kiwi Ferns duo Najvada George and Abigail Roache joining the squad, and this will be a chance to show how far they’ve come.

Round 5 Saturday, August 2 – Titans v Bulldogs at McDonald Jones Stadium – 12.15pm (AEDT)

Round 5 of the NRLW season will be one for the history books – the first ever women’s Magic Round. Hosted at Newcastle’s McDonald Jones Stadium, the Titans and Bulldogs have been given the honour of kicking off the inaugural festival and will want to deliver on the big stage. By this point of the season, the newcomers in the Bulldogs will have had a month to find their feet while the Titans will be well into their campaign to regain their red-hot 2023 form. There will be a lot of eyes on this historic occasion.