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The Witzer Pre-Season Challenge kicks off on February 7 and will feature 17 matches across three weeks including three double-header matchdays.

From Mudgee and Gosford in NSW to Toowoomba and Cairns in Queensland, Cranbourne East in Victoria and Hamilton in New Zealand, the Pre-Season Challenge offers fans in regional centres an early glimpse at the NRL stars in action as teams put the finishing touches on their Premiership preparations.

This year's competition will feature all 17 NRL teams, with the four Las Vegas teams - Sharks, Warriors, Raiders, Panthers - featuring in Round 1 at Sharks Stadium.

In Round 2, great rivals the Warriors and Storm clash in Hamiton while Netstrata Jubilee Stadium plays host to a Sunday double-header featuring the Bulldogs-Wests Tigers clash and Shane Flanagan's Red V taking on the Roosters.

In Round 3, the time-honoured Charity Shield between the Dragons and Rabbitohs will light up the picturesque Glen Willow Oval in Mudgee on Saturday afternoon before a double dose of action at Redcliffe's Kayo Stadium with the Broncos, Bulldogs, Dolphins and Titans all strutting their stuff.

The winning team will take home $100,000 and a huge shot of confidence to take into the 2025 NRL Telstra Premiership.

  • Watch every game of the Witzer Pre-Season Challenge exclusive to Fox League, available on Kayo Sports.

The rules

Team Lists

A 28-player list to be submitted by 3pm Tuesday, prior to the match. Final lists to be submitted 1 hour prior to kick-off. See Round 2 team lists here.

Interchange

Unlimited interchange will apply. Up to 28 players may be used in each game.

Bonus points

The addition of bonus points to go alongside points earned by winning or drawing a match ensures teams have something to play for in every contest, no matter what's happening on the scoreboard. 

Alongside points accumulated through results, the number of bonus points a team can snare each game could make all the difference on what is sure to be a congested ladder. 

The club with the most points at the conclusion of the two rounds will be declared the winner of the Witzer Pre-Season Challenge and claim the $100,000 in prizemoney.

Tiebreaker process 

Given the short duration of the Witzer Pre-Season Challenge, there is a good chance the winner will have to be decided via a countback, and the NRL has devised a system to find a winner should teams finish tied on points at the top of the ladder.

Defending champs

The Broncos downed the Cowboys and Sea Eagles in last year's Pre-Season Challenge and took the title on points differential from the Roosters, who also won both their matches. The Broncos' differential of +52 was enough to sneak past the Roosters +50, both sides collecting four bonus points across the two rounds.

The Schedule

Round 1 

Round 2

Round 3