2019 NRL Telstra Premiership draw

2019 Telstra Premiership draw released for new era of NRL

Author: Chris Kennedy NRL.com Reporter
Timestamp: Thu 25 Oct 2018, 10:56 AM

After more than five months of intense work the 2019 Telstra Premiership draw has been released, revealing plenty of games in regional areas, a more even spread of short turnarounds, plenty of early-season blockbusters and a Magic Round in round nine at Suncorp Stadium.

The season will kick off at Melbourne's AAMI Park on Thursday, March 14.

That Storm v Broncos clash, taking place in Melbourne a week before the AFL season gets underway to take advantage of a sporting vacuum in Melbourne, kicks off an opening round of blockbusters and a 25-round season that delivers NRL fans one of the most even draws in memory.

Successful late negotiations between Parramatta and stadium operator VenuesLive mean the Eels' draw contains home games from round six – an Easter Monday blockbuster against Wests Tigers – at the new 30,000-seat stadium (other than a round-15 trip to Darwin to face the Raiders).

The Roosters will play their home games from the SCG, with matches from round 11 listed with venue "TBA" while the NRL awaits the release of the AFL draw and the Sydney Swans' requirements but it is not expected to result in any changes to the NRL schedule.

Sunday derbies, Magic Weekend headline 2019 draw

The Roosters are also set to take a round 15 home game against Melbourne to Adelaide Oval once again, with that match also listed as "TBA" until the AFL draw finalises requirements for its two Adelaide-based clubs.

There are regional games in Mudgee, Bathurst, Wagga Wagga, Tamworth, Darwin, Sunshine Coast, Adelaide, Wellington and Christchurch.

All 16 clubs will feature at Suncorp Stadium over four days in round nine in the competition's first Magic Round.

NRL Telstra premiership draw 2019

The Warriors again have a healthy share of the first Friday match, which means an 8pm kick-off in local time but a 6pm start in Australia's eastern states.

The increase in matches in this timeslot last season helped contribute to a 30% jump in ratings in the New Zealand market.

They have five of those fixtures in 2019 while the Titans (three), Raiders, Knights, Cowboys and Panthers have two each. The Bulldogs, Sea Eagles, Rabbitohs, Dragons and Eels have one apiece.

Five-day turnarounds are more evenly spread in 2019. There are two more short turnarounds across the entire draw but in contrast to 2018 – when four clubs had three and three clubs had none – the spread is now more even.

Two clubs have three in 2019 (Dragons and Wests Tigers) but neither of those had three last season. Two clubs have none (Penrith and Souths) while the other 12 clubs have one or two five-day turnarounds.

The Warriors and Storm each have one fewer short turnarounds than last season with one and two respectively, with the Auckland-based club's overall travel burden has been reduced while the travel load of the Storm and three Queensland clubs is either down or steady.