The full draw for the 2022 NRL season has been released.
And as fans pore over the 24 games their team will play next year, as always there will be some feeling elated, and others feeling a little aggrieved.
Here’s the teams that win, and those that don’t, from the NRL’s fixturing.
**CLICK HERE TO SEE THE FULL 2022 SEASON DRAW**
WINNERS
Melbourne Storm: The Victorian club will host five of its opening seven games at AAMI Park in Melbourne, as reward for spending the best part of two years camped in southern Queensland away from home. They play the Tigers in Sydney and the Raiders in Wagga, but host the Rabbitohs, Eels, Bulldogs, Sharks, and Warriors all in the southern capital before Round 8.
Warriors: They don’t play a team that finished higher than eighth in 2021 before Round 6. The Warriors start the season by taking on the Dragons, Titans, Tigers, Broncos, and Cowboys, before facing the Roosters then Storm in consecutive weeks. Their season is split evenly against bottom-eight and top-eight opponents, facing 12 of each across the draw.
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Gold Coast Titans: In the opening 13 rounds of the season the Titans only play two games against top-four teams from 2021. They face the Sea Eagles in Round 6 and the Panthers in Round 8, and then their next top-four opponent is the Rabbitohs in Round 14. After Round 16 they only play three games against 2021 top-eight teams, and five against teams that finished below them. All up they play only 10 games against top-eight opponents and 14 against bottom-eight.
North Queensland Cowboys: They don’t play a 2021 top-four team until Round 11. In their opening 10 games of the season they play only four against top-eight teams from last season, and none finished higher than fifth. In total the Cowboys play only 11 of their 24 games against 2021 finalists.
Manly Sea Eagles: They play the fewest games against top-four teams from last season. Granted, Manly was one of the top-four. They begin their season against reigning premiers Penrith, but after that they only play South Sydney once and Melbourne twice. They also finish the season with three games against bottom-eight teams from 2021 – the Sharks, Raiders, and Bulldogs.
**CLICK HERE TO SEE THE FULL NRLW DRAW FOR SEASON 2021**
LOSERS
Canterbury Bulldogs: It’s always going to look like an uphill battle when you’re the competition’s reigning wooden spooners. But the Bulldogs will play each of 2021’s best four teams in their opening six rounds, and the top five teams in their opening eight rounds. They kick off the year with the Cowboys and Broncos – two teams not considered premiership contenders this year – but then go up against Manly, Melbourne, Penrith, and South Sydney in consecutive weeks. They get a reprieve with the Broncos again in Round 7 but then face the Roosters in Round 8. All up, the Bulldogs play 13 games against top-eight teams from last season.
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Eels and Roosters: They are the only two teams to play each of 2021’s top-four teams twice during the 2022 season. Both these clubs will have to take on the Storm, Panthers, Rabbitohs, and Sea Eagles twice before finals. The Roosters finish their season against the Storm and Rabbitohs.
Newcastle Knights: It could be a tricky State of Origin period for the Hunter club. On top of expecting to lose a number of players through June and July to the interstate series, the Knights have a tough run against strong opponents at the same time. Between their Round 13 bye and Round 19 they go up against the Panthers, Rabbitohs, Sea Eagles, and Roosters. The Raiders and Titans also fall in that period and may provide tough opposition if they are improved on 2021.
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