With the 2017 NRL Telstra Premiership draw now available, NRL.com analysed each club's schedule to give a quick snapshot of the important points in your team's fixture list.
Round-by-round: The 2017 NRL Telstra Premiership draw
Broncos | Raiders | Bulldogs | Sharks | Titans | Sea Eagles | Storm | Knights | Cowboys | Eels | Panthers | Dragons | Rabbitohs | Roosters | Warriors | Wests Tigers
Teams they play twice: Cowboys, Titans, Roosters, Raiders, Storm, Bulldogs, Eels, Sharks, Rabbitohs
Teams they play once: Panthers, Wests Tigers, Warriors, Sea Eagles, Dragons, Knights
Starting point: The boys from Brisbane have one of the toughest starts to 2017, facing the two past premiers in the Sharks and Cowboys to kick things off and then fierce rivals the Storm in Round 3. Hosting the Raiders in Round 4 is no easy way to finish the opening month of the season.
Tough run: The opening month is as tough as it will get for the Broncos if form from last year holds true (which it invariably doesn't). Away games against the Eels (Rd 21) and Titans (Rd 22) before hosting the Sharks in Round 23 also represents a tricky stretch in the back-end of the season.
Show-stoppers: It doesn't get any bigger than the opening night against the defending premiers on their home turf but there will be a full house again for Brisbane's first home game of the year, the next chapter in their enthralling rivalry with the Cowboys. In Round 13 the Broncos play the second match of the Suncorp double-header against the Sea Eagles and 50,000 will be on hand to see the Storm play in Brisbane in Round 17.
Origin impact: (Byes: Round 15 and 18.) The Broncos must travel to New Zealand minus their best players for their Round 12 clash where the Warriors will likely be at full strength, but have byes prior to both Origin II and III. The great challenge for Wayne Bennett's men will lie in how they back-up after Origin, with away trips to play the Roosters, Raiders and Knights in the days after each game.
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Teams they play twice: Cowboys, Sharks, Broncos, Eels, Warriors, Sea Eagles, Knghts, Panthers, Storm
Teams they play once: Wests Tigers, Titans, Bulldogs, Roosters, Dragons, Rabbitohs
Starting point: The Raiders will need to hit the ground running with an opening round trip to Townsville to take on the Cowboys, before hosting 2016 premiers Cronulla Sharks in Round 2. The Raiders also face the Broncos and Eels in the opening five rounds which could prove an early litmus test for their premiership credentials.
Tough run: The above mentioned first five rounds could prove crucial, while a make-or-break stretch between Rounds 16-22 will see the Raiders take on the Broncos, Cowboys, Storm and Sharks in what could be a season-defining few months of football.
Show-stoppers: Canberra's first home game of the season against the Sharks should provide fireworks after their clash in the finals in 2016, while two matches against the Storm – who knocked them out of the preliminary finals – should also rate highly on all Canberra fans' calendars.
Origin impact: (Byes: Round 15 and 18.) The Raiders play once in the major Origin bye weeks, against the Roosters. They also take on the Broncos directly after Origin II – which could be a great opportunity to take advantage of a Brisbane side with a host of stars backing up.
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Teams they play twice: Roosters, Warriors, Sea Eagles, Broncos, Knights, Rabbitohs, Panthers, Dragons, Eels
Teams they play once: Storm, Wests Tigers, Raiders, Cowboys, Sharks, Titans
Starting point: The Bulldogs' first game of the season is at their spiritual Belmore home against heavyweights Melbourne. After that it's the Roosters at Allianz followed by a trip over the ditch to face the Warriors.
Tough run: Mercifully for blue and white fans the Dogs have a very light load in terms of travel in 2017, with no away games in Melbourne or Townsville. The toughest stretch could be just after Origin III and their second bye when a trip to Suncorp in Round 20 is followed by a trip to Penrith in Round 21 before returning home to host what is expected to be a dangerous Eels outfit in Round 22.
Show-stoppers: The big season opener at Belmore against the Storm will be one that fans can't wait for. Needless to say the traditional Good Friday blockbuster at ANZ against the Rabbitohs in Round 7 will be absolutely massive.
Origin impact: (Byes: Round 15 and 19.) David Klemmer and Josh Jackson are shaping as the only Origin certainties for Canterbury, though the Morris twins are in with a shot. With that in mind, a Round 12 meeting with what could potentially be an Origin-ravaged Cronulla side (Jack Bird, Wade Graham, James Maloney, Andrew Fifita and Val Holmes could all be missing) may be a blessing.
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Teams they play twice: Broncos, Raiders, Dragons, Knights, Storm, Titans, Wests Tigers, Cowboys, Roosters
Teams they play once: Eels, Panthers, Bulldogs, Sea Eagles, Rabbitohs, Warriors
Starting point: The Sharks have the honour of kicking off the new season at home against the Broncos, before turning their attention to a trip to Canberra in a replay of their 2016 finals week one showdown against the Raiders. A local derby against the Dragons completes a mouth-watering opening three weeks for the defending premiers.
Tough run: No game is easy when you are the hunted, but the Sharks have a particularly difficult stretch of matches to complete the regular season. Following their Round 18 bye, the Sharks will spend four of the next six weeks on the road with games on the Gold Coast, in New Zealand, Brisbane and Townsville, before finishing the year in Newcastle.
Show-stoppers: One of the bedrocks behind their premiership success was incredible home support, and the Sharks will once again turn to their fans to help them during the manic Origin period. The Sharks play five straight games at Southern Cross Group Stadium in Rounds 11-16, including blockbusters against the Cowboys and Bulldogs as well as the grand final replay against the Storm.
Origin impact: (Byes: Round 13 and 18.) The Sharks will host the Bulldogs and Wests Tigers in the weeks leading in to Origins I and II, but can relax with a bye scheduled before the decider.
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Teams they play twice: Cowboys, Broncos, Roosters, Eels, Warriors, Sharks, Knights, Wests Tigers, Dragons
Teams they play once: Raiders, Storm, Sea Eagles, Rabbitohs, Panthers, Bulldogs
Starting point: The Titans meet only one fellow finalist (the Cowboys) from 2016 in the first five weeks of the season and have three games at Cbus Super Stadium in the opening month. They start the year against a Roosters team desperate to atone for a disappointing season in 2016 and interestingly finish the regular season with the return bout in Sydney in Round 26.
Tough run: They may start the season in familiar surroundings but from Round 5 the Titans will spend a lot of time on the road over the ensuing six weeks. And they are among the most imposing road trips in the game. They take on the Warriors at Mt Smart (Rd 5), Broncos at Suncorp (Rd 7), Sharks at Southern Cross Group Stadium (Rd 8) and the Storm at AAMI Park (Rd 10) in an early-season litmus test. In their history the Titans have a combined record at those venues of 10 wins and 31 losses.
Show-stoppers: Unlike in 2016 the Titans will host both fellow Queensland rivals (Cowboys in Round 4, Broncos in Round 23) at Cbus Super Stadium in 2017. Both teams should be at full strength when the ever-popular Warriors arrive on the Gold Coast in Round 14 and Jarryd Hayne's long-awaited reception from Eels fans will have to wait until the Titans play the Eels at ANZ Stadium in Sydney in Round 24.
Origin impact: (Byes: Round 12 and 18.) Origin contenders from the Titans include Hayne, Ryan James and Nathan Peats who if selected for Game Two would miss the clash with the Rabbitohs in Sydney in Round 15. Otherwise Gold Coast have byes prior to both Origin I and Origin III. Post-Origin games pose some interest with a trip to Townsville to play the Cowboys three days after Origin I and a Friday night clash with the Wests Tigers in Sydney two days after Origin II.
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Teams they play twice: Rabbitohs, Storm, Raiders, Bulldogs, Roosters, Warriors, Dragons, Tigers, Panthers
Teams they play once: Eels, Cowboys, Broncos, Titans, Knights, Sharks
Starting point: The Sea Eagles start their season with three home games in their first four. Matches against the Eels, Rabbitohs and Bulldogs are separated with one of the game's toughest road trips to take on the Cowboys in North Queensland. Seven of Manly's first nine games are at home; if they can turn Brookvale Oval into a fortress again they'll be well on their way to making the finals.
Tough run: A potentially tricky stretch of five games between Round 7 and Round 11 will see the Sea Eagles take on last year's minor premiers Melbourne before four consecutive games on the road including visits to last year's second-placed team Canberra, South Sydney, Brisbane and the Gold Coast before the first bye of their season.
Show-stoppers: The Round 10 'home' clash with the Broncos is part of a Suncorp Stadium double-header and should provide an awesome atmosphere and night of entertainment in Brisbane.
Origin impact: (Byes: Round 12 and 15.) The Sea Eagles only play once in the major bye rounds against a Panthers side likely to be missing a host of stars including Trent Merrin, Matt Moylan, Bryce Cartwright, James Tamou and Josh Mansour to Origin duty. They also play the Sharks straight after Origin II, who could have several players backing up.
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Teams they play twice: Warriors, Broncos, Sharks, Sea Eagles, Rabbitohs, Knights, Cowboys, Roosters, Raiders
Teams they play once: Bulldogs, Wests Tigers, Panthers, Dragons, Titans, Eels
Starting point: The Storm kick off their season with a trip to Belmore to take on a Bulldogs side they have struggled with in recent times. Three of their first four games are away from home, with a grand final rematch against the Sharks looming in Round 6 at AAMI Park.
Tough run: A tricky month looms in the Origin period with the Storm set to travel to Cronulla, Adelaide (against the Roosters) and Brisbane, with their only home game in that period against 2015 premiers the Cowboys. Craig Bellamy will have to weigh up how he handles the workload of stars Cameron Smith and Cooper Cronk as they prepare for yet another finals assault.
Show-stoppers: The Storm will have two opportunities to exact some form of grand-final revenge on the Sharks with the competition heavyweights slated to meet in Melbourne in Round 6, as well as a Round 14 showdown in the Shire. They will also 'host' the Titans as part of a Round 10 double-header at Suncorp Stadium, and will once again do battle in their traditional ANZAC Day clash against the Warriors in Round 8.
Origin impact: (Byes: Round 12 and 19.) The Storm will receive a welcome bye in Round 12, but they will have to make do without their Origin stars against the Cowboys - who will be missing key personnel - in Round 15 and the Eels in Round 18.
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Teams they play twice: Warriors, Titans, Panthers, Sharks, Bulldogs, Roosters, Raiders, Dragons, Storm
Teams they play once: Rabbitohs, Cowboys, Sea Eagles, Wests Tigers, Eels, Broncos
Starting point: The Knights start their campaign in New Zealand against the Warriors before back-to-back home games against the Titans and Rabbitohs.
Tough run: After finishing last season with just one win and a draw, the Knights will be hoping for better luck in 2017. A five-game stretch from Round 5 to Round 8 against the Panthers, Sharks, Roosters, Bulldogs and Cowboys looks pretty intimidating, but their end to the season in Rounds 18-26 is equally as daunting with matches against the Bulldogs, Broncos, Roosters, Dragons, Warriors, Eels, Storm, Raiders and Sharks.
Show-stoppers: The Knights pushed the Raiders to golden point twice in 2016 and will be looking forward to proving more than a nuance when they clash twice in 2017. The Knights also have a host of home games on Sunday afternoons which should make the Novacastrian faithful very happy.
Origin impact: (Byes: Round 12 and 15.) The Knights only play once in the major bye rounds against a Bulldogs side who could be missing forwards Josh Jackson and David Klemmer, as well as the Morris twins. They also take on the Storm straight after Origin I, meaning players like Billy Slater, Cameron Smith and Cooper Cronk will be backing up.
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Teams they play twice: Broncos, Titans, Eels, Raiders, Rabbitohs, Sharks, Storm, Wests Tigers, Panthers
Teams they play once: Warriors, Knights, Bulldogs, Sea Eagles, Roosters, Dragons
Starting point: Two Queensland derbies on the road in the opening month add some spice to North Queensland's start to the season which also includes home games against the Raiders and Sea Eagles. Other than flying into Coolangatta prior to their Round 4 clash against the Titans, the Cowboys don't leave Queensland for the first six weeks of the season and have six home games in their first nine. Away games against the Eels and Rabbitohs in Darwin and Cairns respectively later in the year also assist in North Queensland's travel schedule.
Tough run: Back-to-back trips to Sydney to play the Bulldogs and Sharks leading into Origin could be a crucial little period in North Queensland's season. The positive to that is that it is the only time all season where the Cowboys travel to Sydney in consecutive weeks. The other challenging fortnight in terms of travel will be when they play the Eels in Darwin in Round 14 and seven days later face Melbourne in Melbourne minus their Origin stars.
Show-stoppers: Rounds 2 and 26 will be played in front of full houses at Suncorp Stadium and 1300SMILES Stadium respectively as the Cowboys-Broncos rivalry is renewed while the Round 22 clash with the Storm in Townsville will also be a blockbuster. Part II of 'JT v GI' in Cairns in Round 19 will also be a major North Queensland rugby league event in Round 19.
Origin impact: (Byes: Round 12 and 18.) The Cowboys have byes ahead of both Origin I and Origin III but will be without Thurston, Scott et al when they head to Melbourne in Round 15 to face a Storm team minus the likes of Smith and Cronk. Another positive is that the Cowboys don't have to leave Queensland in the wake of any Origin games with home games against the Titans and Panthers and short trip north to play Souths in Cairns.
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Teams they play twice: Dragons, Titans, Raiders, Warriors, Tigers, Cowboys, Rabbitohs, Broncos, Bulldogs
Teams they play once: Sea Eagles, Sharks, Panthers, Roosters, Storm, Knights
Starting point: The season kicks off against old rivals Manly at Brookvale Oval on a Sunday afternoon before visits to face the Dragons and Titans.
Tough run: The toughest stretch for the Eels really does come right up front. After those above-mentioned three away games the club's first home game, in Round 4, is against premiers Cronulla before they then pack their bags for trips to Canberra and Auckland. To sneak even three wins from the first six rounds will be an achievement in itself.
Show-stoppers: The Round 1 trip to Brooky is a fair start and the other big clash to circle is the Easter Monday blockbuster at ANZ Stadium against Wests Tigers. It's the only NRL game on that day so it definitely gets star billing. If both clubs are in contention for top eight or even top four spots then the Round 22 clash at ANZ against bitter cross-town rivals Canterbury will attract huge interest.
Origin impact: (Byes: Round 16 and 19.) the Eels are again the only club to play in all three pre-Origin bye weeks. Their opponents in those weeks (the Dragons, Rabbitohs and Storm) look certain to be more Origin-affected than Parramatta, so on paper the Origin period is pretty kind to the Eels. They do have the latest byes of any club – whether this is a blessing or a curse remains to be seen but they could be more well-rested than the other clubs leading into the finals as a result.
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Teams they play twice: Dragons, Wests Tigers, Knights, Rabbitohs, Warriors, Bulldogs, Raiders, Cowboys, Sea Eagles
Teams they play once: Roosters, Storm, Sharks, Eels, Broncos, Titans
Starting point: Penrith travel to face the Dragons in Round 1 and Wests Tigers in Round 2 before their first home game – against the Roosters – lands in Round 3.
Tough run: Coming out of Origin II the Panthers have three away games in four weeks in which they travel to Townsville in Round 16 and Auckland in Round 19 (plus Souths at ANZ in Round 17). Their only home game in that four-week run comes minus whatever their Origin contingent is against Manly in Round 18.
Show-stoppers: After stunning the Broncos twice in 2016 Penrith only get one chance against the former club of coach Anthony Griffin and hooker Peter Wallace in 2017. That Round 9 fixture will have Panthers fans glued to their sets. In terms of home games, a Sunday afternoon in Round 7 against defending premiers Cronulla should draw a massive crowd.
Origin impact: (Byes: Round 12 and 15.) Penrith join Manly and Newcastle in being the only three clubs to get both byes out of the way by Round 15. Whether that is an issue late in the season remains to be seen. Given any of Matt Moylan, Trent Merrin, James Tamou, Josh Mansour (if he's back by then), Nathan Cleary and Bryce Cartwright could be involved for NSW, having both byes on Origin rounds is a blessing. The Round 18 game against a Manly side likely to have few Origin reps outside potentially the Trbojevic brothers looms as a hurdle though.
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Teams they play twice: Wests Tigers, Sea Eagles, Roosters, Cowboys, Panthers, Bulldogs, Broncos, Storm, Eels
Teams they play once: Knights, Titans, Sharks, Raiders, Dragons, Warriors
Starting point: Five of their first seven matches will be on the road, but importantly, only one of those – the Round 5 trip to Townsville – is outside NSW. They won't play a top-eight team in the opening month, but it gets tougher after that with four-straight games against 2016 finalists.
Tough run: Things get serious for the Rabbitohs from Rounds 14-21 with six of their seven matches against teams that played finals footy in 2016. The seven-game stretch includes trips to Brisbane and Cronulla, as well as a date with traditional foes the Roosters at Allianz Stadium. The Bunnies failed to win a game during the same period last season and will be desperate to make amends.
Show-stoppers: New recruit Robbie Farah won't have to wait long before he takes on his former club with the Rabbitohs set to face off against the Wests Tigers in primetime on the first Friday of the season. That will be one of 12 Friday night appearances for the men in cardinal and myrtle; the most of any club. The Rabbitohs will take home games to Cairns (Cowboys) and Perth (Storm) next season in a bid to strengthen their brand and to grow the game.
Origin impact: (Byes: Round 13 and 16.) There will be no respite for the Rabbitohs during the representative period with the Bunnies drawn to face the Eels, Titans and Roosters in the weeks leading up to Origin.
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Teams they play twice: Panthers, Eels, Sharks, Warriors, Wests Tigers, Sea Eagles, Bulldogs, Titans, Knights
Teams they play once: Cowboys, Roosters, Storm, Raiders, Broncos, Rabbitohs
Starting point: The Dragons start their campaign with back-to-back home games against the Panthers and Eels before a local derby with reigning Premiers Cronulla in Round 3.
Tough run: A daunting run between Rounds 7-11 will see the Red V take on the Cowboys, Roosters (away), Storm, Sharks and Warriors (away) before their first bye. It could prove to be a vital period if the club hopes to make the finals.
Show-stoppers: The local derby with Cronulla is always the first to be circled on the calendar, but the fact the Sharks are reigning premiers should add plenty of spice to their contest in Round 3. The traditional clash with the Roosters on Anzac Day in Round 8 is also one of the highlights of the season.
Origin impact: (Byes: Round 12 and 18.) The Dragons play only once in the major bye rounds against the Eels, with both clubs likely to be missing an outside back in Michael Jennings and Josh Dugan.
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Teams they play twice: Titans, Bulldogs, Rabbitohs, Sea Eagles, Broncos, Knights, Wests Tigers, Storm, Sharks
Teams they play once: Panthers, Cowboys, Dragons, Warriors, Eels, Raiders
Starting point: Roosters fans won't have too many chances to see their team play in the early rounds with the Tricolours set to play six of their first nine matches on the road. Their first three opponents all made the finals in 2016, but only one of the following six games will be against a top-eight side.
Tough run: Rounds 16-18 could well define the Roosters' season as they take on last year's grand finalists (the Storm and Sharks) followed by a showdown with arch-rivals South Sydney. With a bye either side of the three-week stretch, the Roosters have the chance to make a mid-season statement.
Show-stoppers: All eyes will be on the Roosters as they host the Dragons in Round 8 in the annual Anzac Day clash. Last season's match was full of controversy, so expect plenty of feeling when these two proud clubs come together. The Round 16 trip to Adelaide will hold special significance as it will be the first time the Tricolours have played for points in the city of churches. The Roosters will be out for revenge at the Adelaide Oval after being thrashed 46-0 the last time they hosted the Storm.
Origin impact: (Byes: Round 15 and 19.) The Roosters will travel to the nation's capital in Round 12 ahead of Origin I and could be without up to half-a-dozen stars depending on selection. Their Round 18 clash against the Bunnies will also be affected by Origin, but that won't stop a big crowd from turning out at Allianz.
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Teams they play twice: Knights, Storm, Bulldogs, Dragons, Titans, Eels, Raiders, Panthers, Sea Eagles
Teams they play once: Roosters, Broncos, Cowboys, Sharks, Rabbitohs, Wests Tigers
Starting point: The Warriors players can put their passports away for the first three weeks of the season with back-to-back home games at Mt Smart Stadium against the Knights and Storm to be followed by an 'away' game against the Bulldogs to be played at Dunedin's Forsyth Barr Stadium. Further home games against the Titans and Eels in rounds five and six give new coach Stephen Kearney the ideal platform on which to launch a successful start to his tenure.
Tough run: After their favourable start to the season the Warriors have three demanding trips to Australia in the space of four weeks from Round 7, starting with the Raiders in Canberra where they have won just three times in 14 visits. That is followed by the traditional ANZAC Day clash 10 days later (Tuesday) against the Storm at AAMI Park, a five-day turnaround into a home game against the Roosters, the Representative Round in which they will be heavily represented and then a Saturday afternoon clash with the Panthers at Pepper Stadium in Round 10.
Show-stoppers: Two meetings with the Storm in the first eight weeks will both be well attended while Benji Marshall could be in line for a Broncos call-up when Brisbane travel to Mt Smart in Round 12 minus their Origin stars. A Friday night clash with the Dragons at FMG Stadium in Waikato should also prove popular with the locals in Round 11. The Kiwi ex-pat population in Perth will also turn out en masse when the Warriors meet the Sea Eagles in the west in Round 17.
Origin impact: (Byes: Round 15 and 18.) It's where the Warriors normally mark their customary mid-season charge but they only get one shot at a team minus their Origin representatives in 2017. The Broncos will be without the likes of Darius Boyd, Sam Thaiday, Josh McGuire and Matt Gillett in Round 12 but the Warriors have byes in Round 15 and 18 when Origin stars are unavailable for selection. They do have home games following both Origin II and III which could place travel pressures on any reps from the Bulldogs and Panthers hoping to back up and play for their club teams.
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Teams they play twice: Rabbitohs, Panthers, Dragons, Cowboys, Eels, Sharks, Roosters, Titans, Sea Eagles
Teams they play once: Raiders, Storm, Bulldogs, Broncos, Knights, Warriors
Starting point: It starts off with two Sunday games, the first against the Rabbitohs at ANZ Stadium in the final match of Round 1 followed by a visit from the Panthers to Campbelltown Stadium.
Tough run: Thankfully for Tigers fans there's no real cluster of gruelling away trips or back-to-back games against heavyweights likes Melbourne, Brisbane and North Queensland all piled together. A visit from the Storm to Leichhardt in Round 4 is soon followed by a long trek to Townsville in Round 6 before backing it up in an Easter Monday showdown against the Eels in Round 7 which will provide an early tester.
Show-stoppers: That Easter Monday clash in Round 7 is sure to draw plenty of interest while the final regular season fixture will be against the Warriors at Leichhardt Oval. Given how entertaining meetings between those two clubs are, that will be a massive finish if both teams are still in finals contention at that stage.
Origin impact: (Byes: Round 12 and 18.) The Tigers only have a Round 15 game with the likes of Aaron Woods and James Tedesco away on Blues duty and that comes against a Cronulla side likely to be missing some big guns of their own.
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Round-by-round: The 2017 NRL Telstra Premiership draw
