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Nathan Cleary will need to be at his magical best if Penrith are any hope of overcoming a nightmare 2026 schedule.
The NRL released its draw for next season on Friday, and it is not good news for the Panthers and their supporters.
Last year’s preliminary finalists face a gruelling first six weeks with games against premiers the Broncos in Brisbane, followed by Cronulla, the Roosters, Parramatta, Melbourne, and the Bulldogs.
The Panthers then travel to Darwin in round seven for a clash against the Dolphins.
They face the Broncos, Storm, Roosters, Bulldogs, Raiders and Warriors – all finalists last season – twice.
Another hurdle for Penrith is that they will be on the road for most of the year, with home games in Bathurst and Mudgee, two trips to Brisbane, and one to each of the Gold Coast, North Queensland, Melbourne, and Auckland.
Penrith are the big losers when it comes to the 2026 NRL draw.Credit: Getty Images
Cleary was inspirational for the Panthers last season, dragging them off the bottom of the ladder midway through the year to within 80 minutes of chasing a fifth straight title. Should Cleary remain fit, expect the western Sydney club to push deep into next September.
If there is one consolation, the Panthers will be spared playing at their makeshift home ground at CommBank Stadium at 6pm on a Friday, a timeslot that failed to draw fans and was a financial disaster for the club last season.
The NRL for the first time used AI to finalise its draw – and apart from a tough run for Penrith, clubs will celebrate the fact there will be only one – or none in some instances – case where teams will have to contend with a five-day turnaround.
South Sydney’s only quick back-up will come against bitter rivals the Sydney Roosters in round two. But the Bunnies will host the Roosters in the final round at Allianz Stadium.
The Roosters and their star recruit Daly Cherry-Evans appear on free-to-air television just three times in the opening 13 rounds, including DCE’s return to Manly in round four, but do have the benefit of playing their final five games of the season in Sydney.
The Dragons play at home or Sydney the last seven rounds, while Cronulla, who were forced to travel to all parts of the country and Las Vegas at the start of the year, have a ‘soft’ draw on paper, including playing the Titans and Dragons twice.
The Wests Tigers will welcome playing 15 games with daytime kick-offs, including Sunday afternoon games against the Roosters and Panthers in the final three rounds.
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The Cowboys on a Saturday at 3pm in round two, the Raiders on a Thursday night in round eight, and Titans on a Sunday afternoon in round 15 are the three fixtures pencilled in for the club’s spiritual Leichhardt Oval.
Gold Coast only have two games beamed on Nine, the Warriors have three, while the Raiders entertaining brand of football and success last year will see them on Nine, publishers of this masthead, nine times.
The round-one fixtures, the pre-season challenge, as well as the All Stars game, which returns to New Zealand next year, were confirmed during the week.
More to come ...
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