What teams should kickoff the 2017 NRL Season

[Valheru]

Cronulla v Penrith to commemorate our 50th anniversarys would be cool. Then a few weeks later exactly 50 years on Cronulla v Roosters at the SCG

Forgive my ignorance but what is the significance of that one? Was it Cronulla's first win?

Anyways, we should go back to the early noughties when the premiers get to kick off the season at home against an opponent of their choice without it being a GF replay as that sells itself in rounds 2-6.

 

[jc155776]

Don't the Sharks get to pick their opponents for round 1?

If it's a home game I'd pick the team that normally brings the fewest fans as the place will sell out regardless.

No need to have a normal crowd puller straight up.

 

[WaznTheGreat]

Eels vs Titans at Pirtek would have been perfect but we aint playing there next season,would have been a full house to boo Hayne

 

[Timmah]

Spitballing a potential Round 1:

Thu 8pm - Eels v Titans @ ANZ Stadium
Fri 6pm - Warriors v Bulldogs @ Mt Smart
Fri 8pm - Broncos v Rabbitohs @ Suncorp Stadium
Sat 4pm - Storm v Knights @ AAMI Park
Sat 7:30pm - Panthers v Wests Tigers @ Pepper Stadium
Sat 9:30pm - Cowboys v Sea Eagles @ 1300Smiles Stadium
Sun 2pm - Raiders v Roosters @ GIO Stadium
Sun 4pm - Sharks v Dragons @ Southern Cross Group

 

[rabbitohs95]

Sharks vs Raiders/Storm/Dragons at Shark Park.

It should be a rule that the Premiers get to play their first game at home. Absolutely baffled we weren't able to do so in Round 1 2015, it should be a small reward for the title holders.

 

[Brutus]

Burleigh Bears v Illawarra Cutters

 

[Jason Maher]

Sharks vs Dragons. For teh lulz.

 

[grozzy]

Forgive my ignorance but what is the significance of that one? Was it Cronulla's first win?

Anyways, we should go back to the early noughties when the premiers get to kick off the season at home against an opponent of their choice without it being a GF replay as that sells itself in rounds 2-6.

Its the anniversary (forget the exact date) of the sharks first game. Roosters v Sharks at the showgrounds

 

[moffla]

Round 1 needs to have at least one drawcard and that should be Sharks vs Raiders IMO. Although Ennis not playing takes a little spice from the clash.

As for storm I'd like us to have a home game vs Cowboys even though I know that probably won't happen

 

[Vic Mackey]

Tigers v souths @ leichhardt

 

[rabbitohs95]

Tigers v souths @ leichhardt

Needs to be round 3 for Robbies 250th

 

[roofromoz]

Fast forwarding a few rounds, but would l Iike to see one of the scheduled Belmore matches to be v Penrith on the weekend of 2 April to mark 50 years since the Panthers first premiership match v Canterbury, and also have the Roosters v Sharks at Allianz as it is on the site of the old Sports Ground.

Won't happen though.

 

[Apey]

I forgot about Friday 6pm garbage. I'll have to record Neighbours.

 

[Silent Knight]

I'm counting down the days til' Souffs Grand Final. That's when s*** gets real.

 

[POPEYE]

Only fair that the #2 team of '16 should give the #1 team a rematch with a home crowd advantage . . . might even fill the MCG

 

[docbrown]

Spitballing a potential Round 1:

Thu 8pm - Eels v Titans @ ANZ Stadium
Fri 6pm - Warriors v Bulldogs @ Mt Smart
Fri 8pm - Broncos v Rabbitohs @ Suncorp Stadium
Sat 4pm - Storm v Knights @ AAMI Park
Sat 7:30pm - Panthers v Wests Tigers @ Pepper Stadium
Sat 9:30pm - Cowboys v Sea Eagles @ 1300Smiles Stadium
Sun 2pm - Raiders v Roosters @ GIO Stadium
Sun 4pm - Sharks v Dragons @ Southern Cross Group

A lot of logic there -- you'd have to think Eels vs Titans for Hayne, Warriors for the 6pm slot, Broncos for the crowds, Storm because no AFL & GF, Cowboys on a Saturday night, Raiders in a day slot, Sharks at home for sure. I'd only swap the Panthers to the Bulldogs but have them play each other.

You also have to account for Daylight Savings - if the Warriors game started at 6pm EDST (8pm NZ) the Broncos match would have to kickoff 9pm in Brisbane to be 8pm EDST otherwise they'd clash

Thursday 8:30pm (7:30pm local) -- Broncos vs Dragons -- this usually draws well in Brisbane
Friday 6:00pm (8:00pm local) -- Warriors vs Knights
Friday 8:00pm -- Bulldogs vs Panthers -- the best performing western sydney sides
Saturday 3:30pm -- Storm vs Tigers -- I think the 1 v 16 with the Knights would be a thumping
Saturday 6:00pm (7:00pm local) -- Cowboys vs Sea Eagles
Saturday 8:00pm -- Eels vs Titans - the hayne game
Sunday 2pm -- Raiders vs Roosters -- there won't be any travelling support anyway
Sunday 4pm -- Sharks vs Rabbitohs -- keep the Dragons match up their sleeve for a few rounds in for another decent crowd

 

[docbrown]

Only fair that the #2 team of '16 should give the #1 team a rematch with a home crowd advantage . . . might even fill the MCG

It could just as easily be in Round 2 though

 

[Diesel]

A lot of logic there -- you'd have to think Eels vs Titans for Hayne, Warriors for the 6pm slot, Broncos for the crowds, Storm because no AFL & GF, Cowboys on a Saturday night, Raiders in a day slot, Sharks at home for sure. I'd only swap the Panthers to the Bulldogs but have them play each other.

You also have to account for Daylight Savings - if the Warriors game started at 6pm EDST (8pm NZ) the Broncos match would have to kickoff 9pm in Brisbane to be 8pm EDST otherwise they'd clash

Thursday 8:30pm (7:30pm local) -- Broncos vs Dragons -- this usually draws well in Brisbane
Friday 6:00pm (8:00pm local) -- Warriors vs Knights
Friday 8:00pm -- Bulldogs vs Panthers -- the best performing western sydney sides
Saturday 3:30pm -- Storm vs Tigers -- I think the 1 v 16 with the Knights would be a thumping
Saturday 6:00pm (7:00pm local) -- Cowboys vs Sea Eagles
Saturday 8:00pm -- Eels vs Titans - the hayne game
Sunday 2pm -- Raiders vs Roosters -- there won't be any travelling support anyway
Sunday 4pm -- Sharks vs Rabbitohs -- keep the Dragons match up their sleeve for a few rounds in for another decent crowd

Saturday 6pm game (I'm assuming this is NSW time) is 5pm in Qld and that'd be f**king hot in NQ, may need to swap with the 8pm game but even at 7pm it'd be 32C.

Perhaps we should skip home games for NQ in March due to heat and the wet season

 

[no name]

A lot of logic there -- you'd have to think Eels vs Titans for Hayne, Warriors for the 6pm slot, Broncos for the crowds, Storm because no AFL & GF, Cowboys on a Saturday night, Raiders in a day slot, Sharks at home for sure. I'd only swap the Panthers to the Bulldogs but have them play each other.

You also have to account for Daylight Savings - if the Warriors game started at 6pm EDST (8pm NZ) the Broncos match would have to kickoff 9pm in Brisbane to be 8pm EDST otherwise they'd clash

Thursday 8:30pm (7:30pm local) -- Broncos vs Dragons -- this usually draws well in Brisbane
Friday 6:00pm (8:00pm local) -- Warriors vs Knights
Friday 8:00pm -- Bulldogs vs Panthers -- the best performing western sydney sides
Saturday 3:30pm -- Storm vs Tigers -- I think the 1 v 16 with the Knights would be a thumping
Saturday 6:00pm (7:00pm local) -- Cowboys vs Sea Eagles
Saturday 8:00pm -- Eels vs Titans - the hayne game
Sunday 2pm -- Raiders vs Roosters -- there won't be any travelling support anyway
Sunday 4pm -- Sharks vs Rabbitohs -- keep the Dragons match up their sleeve for a few rounds in for another decent crowd

Maybe swap the Cowboys and Eels games around because 6:00pm NSW is 5:00pm QLD, not 7.
The latest games should be the QLD ones for weather and crowd purposes.

 

[Walpole]

Knights V Dragons

Nah, that one will generate more excitement in round 10 when they're both 0-9.