The competition debut of the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs and the return of the Warriors headline the biggest ever season of NRLW, with anticipation building for Round 1.
Grand finalists the Sharks will host the opening match of the competition when they take on the Eels, who just missed out on the finals in their first season under new coach Steve Georgallis.
In a nod to history, defending premiers the Roosters will take on the Warriors on Sunday to close out the opening round, with the two foundation teams meeting in their first encounter in the inaugural NRLW season in 2018.
NRL.com runs the rule over the opening round of the 2025 season that kicks off on July 3.
Click here for the full 2025 Draw
New era begins
Thursday, July 3 - Sharks v Eels at Sharks Stadium, 7.45pm AEST
The Sharks and the Eels will get the season rolling in 2025 with a Thursday night match to get the fans back into the swing of NRLW action. Cronulla come into the new season with a renewed vigour having just fallen short of a remarkable comeback win in last year’s grand final against the Roosters, while Parramatta also just missed out on playing finals football and will be keen to start their season on the front foot.
Friday, July 4 – Bulldogs v Knights at Accor Stadium, 5.40pm AEST
NRLW fans will get their first look at new team the Bulldogs when they host perennial finalists the Knights for some Friday night football. The Bulldogs have recruited well and are set to field a strong line-up against the star-studded Newcastle side stacked with representative talent, with many players having featured in the recent Pacific Championships.
Saturday, July 5 - Broncos v Wests Tigers at Totally Workwear Stadium, 12.45pm AEST
The co-captains of the Pacific Championship winning Australian Jillaroos are set to go head-to-head when Ali Brigginshaw’s Brisbane Broncos host the Kezie Apps led Wests Tigers. After a slow start, the Broncos found form late in the 2024 to return to the finals and will be looking to build following a strong year. Wests Tigers struggled with injury setbacks throughout their second season in the competition, but finished on a high, posting back-to-back wins to close out the season.
Saturday, July 5 – Raiders v Dragons at GIO Stadium, 3.15pm AEST
The Green Machine showed plenty of promise throughout the 2024 season but just could not stay in games for the full 70 minutes and will be working hard to turn their potential into points – starting off with their Round 1 match against the Dragons. St George Illawarra come into 2025 with a new coach in Nathan Cross, who most recently was an assistant to Tahnee Norris as Queensland claimed a historic series win in the first ever three-game State of Origin series.
Saturday, July 5 – Cowboys v Titans at Queensland Country Bank Stadium, 5.15pm AEST
The first of the Queensland derby matches will be played in North Queensland, with only one point able to separate the two sides the last time they met in Round 4 of 2024, with a Kirra Dibb field goal proving the difference. Both sides struggled with their consistency last season and will have a firm focus on starting their new year well.
Sunday, July 6 – Roosters v Warriors at Allianz Stadium, 11.50am AEST
The Warriors get a tough welcome back into the competition when they travel to Sydney to take on the might of defending premiers the Roosters to close out the opening round of the 2025 NRLW season. While the Roosters boast a star-studded team with the likes of Karyn Murphy Medallist Tarryn Aiken and Dally M medal winner Olivia Kernick guiding the side, the Warriors have recruited well and will be counting on the likes of Kiwi stars Apii Nicholls and former Rooster Mya Hill-Moana to lead them to a win in their first NRLW game since 2020.
