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2025 NRL Draw news, venues, info

gerg

Juniors
Messages
2,491
Roosters playing The Broncos and Penrith twice in the first 7 rounds, what a f*cked draw. So lopsided with teams having to play each twice in a short time so early in the season , they should work out a draw that you don't play a team for the second time until you have played each other once.
Yeah it's pretty annoying. I understand it's difficult to keep 17 clubs happy so I'd be a bit more flexible than your suggestion, but it should be a bare minimum of ten rounds between playing a team a second time.
 
Messages
3,644
Fair enough, although for him making the switch might be a case of training the house down

This house?

images
 

mxlegend99

Referee
Messages
23,332
Roosters, Manly and Dogs don't get any of their 3 byes in origin affected rounds meaning they all have to play 3 games with origin players missing.

Both Dogs and Manly get two byes directly after origin leaving roosters the only team to have all 3 byes in full 8 game rounds.
So those teams are gifted 3 easy games against Origin depleted sides? /s

I would rather bye after Origin than before though. Teams either rest players after Origin or play them and theyre risking burnout.

IMO the best breakup of bye rounds would be a bye after Origin 1, a bye after origin 2 and the third bye a week or two before finals.

Panthers have all their byes by Round 18. They have 9 weeks to finals without a bye going into finals then however many weeks through finals. Unless they finish top 4 and get the week off thats a long stretch without a break. It makes the first 18 weeks decent. But i think a bye leading up to finals is probably the most valuable time to get one.
 

Valheru

Coach
Messages
19,208
So those teams are gifted 3 easy games against Origin depleted sides? /s

I would rather bye after Origin than before though. Teams either rest players after Origin or play them and theyre risking burnout.

IMO the best breakup of bye rounds would be a bye after Origin 1, a bye after origin 2 and the third bye a week or two before finals.

Panthers have all their byes by Round 18. They have 9 weeks to finals without a bye going into finals then however many weeks through finals. Unless they finish top 4 and get the week off thats a long stretch without a break. It makes the first 18 weeks decent. But i think a bye leading up to finals is probably the most valuable time to get one.
Not sure how depleted the Sharks, Knights and Tigers will be in those weeks...

Roosters have their last bye in round 17
 

Valheru

Coach
Messages
19,208
That’s pretty harsh then. Actually that is just f**ked.
Don't get me wrong, not saying it's a conspiracy against the roosters. It just seems easy to me to ensure everyone has at least one bye directly before an origin week and then also spread them apart somehwat.

We have 3 byes from rounds 10 - 17 and you guys from rounds 11 - 18.
 

Vee

First Grade
Messages
5,625
Not sure if it's good luck or good management but the Storm get three home games in clear air, Round 1, R6(?) when the fumbleball getaround in SA and the final round v the Rorters when the fumblers have a break before finals.

I and others have been calling for this for years, long may it continue.

Cowboys CEO delighted with our draw. Even our Perth game comes after a Sydney game with a bye afterwards so we will stay in Sydney and recover afterwards.
 

Vic Mackey

Referee
Messages
25,426
Roosters, Manly and Dogs don't get any of their 3 byes in origin affected rounds meaning they all have to play 3 games with origin players missing.

Both Dogs and Manly get two byes directly after origin leaving roosters the only team to have all 3 byes in full 8 game rounds.

Thats very odd, particularly as we have 2 in those weeks. I do believe teams request their origin affected byes, I remember a couple of years ago when the Tigers beat Penrith missing like 9 origin players Ivan said he preferred not having byes before origin as he'd rather have it when those guys could have a rest.
 

KingTigerman

Juniors
Messages
58
Yeah it's pretty annoying. I understand it's difficult to keep 17 clubs happy so I'd be a bit more flexible than your suggestion, but it should be a bare minimum of ten rounds between playing a team a second time.
Only fair draw is 34 rounds 32 games
But players are too princessy to allow it to happen
 

Scootsie

Juniors
Messages
184
Okay, so there are issues for many teams about an unfair draw.
I’ll start with the Storm.
How is it fair that they get 7 home games and 3 byes by Round 15?
It was the same in 2024. They are a great side and deserved Grand Finalists, but they were ahead of the pack most of the year on the ladder because they got on a massive roll of home wins. Success breeds success, so don’t tell me having the majority of your home games in the first half of the season is in any way a disadvantage.
The draw sucks.
 

flippikat

First Grade
Messages
5,253
Get over it. The draw is not designed to be fair or even. The NRL have pretty much admitted that.

At the end of the day the best 8 teams will make the finals. And the best team will win the Grand Final. These meltdowns are hilarious.
Long run, we could get to 20 (or more) teams and just have everyone play everyone once, with a decent rep footy break in mid-season.

Sure, it wouldn't allow for "return matches", but if you want truly fair that's the way.
 

Futura1966

Juniors
Messages
18
Okay, so there are issues for many teams about an unfair draw.
I’ll start with the Storm.
How is it fair that they get 7 home games and 3 byes by Round 15?
It was the same in 2024. They are a great side and deserved Grand Finalists, but they were ahead of the pack most of the year on the ladder because they got on a massive roll of home wins. Success breeds success, so don’t tell me having the majority of your home games in the first half of the season is in any way a disadvantage.
The draw sucks.
But the storm do not have a home game for the last six rounds
 
Messages
15,138
Every team gets 12 home games and 12 away games. The teams that have a non home game like magic round or what not, do so at their own request. Just sooks looking for things to sook about.
 
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