It was one of the more heavily criticised parts of last year’s NRL draw, but rugby league fans will be cheering after a key change to the 2026 schedule was announced on Friday morning.
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The full draw will be unveiled at 11am on Friday morning and foxsports.com.au will have you covered with all the analysis on the biggest winners and losers from the fixture.
But in the meantime, having already revealed a host of huge games to kick off the season, the NRL has also confirmed a big win for fans: return match-ups between teams within a four and five-week period are gone.
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In other words, no longer will fans have to watch their team play another twice in the space of a month, as was the case a number of times in 2024.
There were seven return match-ups within the span of four weeks in 2025 and eight within five weeks, but that number has been cut all the way down to zero with only five return match-ups within six-week gaps in 2026.
The last time the NRL had a season with zero return match-ups spaced fewer than six rounds apart was 2008, however that came with 40 five-day turnarounds.
Friday’s announcement will come as welcome news for fans, who won’t have to wait long for their teams to return to action with the NRL also confirming the annual pre-season challenge, which is live and exclusive on Fox League, will kick off on February 7.
The Bulldogs and Cowboys face off at 5.30pm at Netstrata Jubilee Stadium with the Dragons and Knights to follow at 7.30pm.
In other news, the NRL also confirmed $13 million man Dylan Brown will face off against his former Parramatta teammates for the first time in Round 13 with the Eels scheduled to play the Knights at McDonald Jones Stadium on May 30.
It is one of several rivalry games that headline the 2026 schedule, with Daly Cherry-Evans returning to 4 Pines Park to face former side Manly in Round 4.
Elsewhere, the All-Stars game will be played outside of Australia for just the second time with the annual fixture taking place on February 15 in Hamilton, New Zealand.
Check back at 11am AEDT on foxsports.com.au for the full 2026 NRL and NRLW draws!
2026 Pre-Season Challenge Draw
Round One
Saturday, February 7
Bulldogs vs Cowboys @ Netstrata Jubilee Stadium 5:30pm
Dragons vs Knights @ Netstrata Jubilee Stadium 7:30pm
Round Two
Thursday, February 12
Dolphins vs Titans @ Kayo Stadium 8:00pm (AEDT) 7:00pm (local time)
Friday, February 13
Raiders vs Storm @ Seiffert Oval, Queanbeyan 5:30pm
Cowboys vs Panthers BB Print Stadium, Mackay 8:00pm (AEDT), 7:00pm (local time)
Saturday, February 14
Warriors vs Sea Eagles @ Mclean Park, Napier 1:40pm (AEDT), 3:40pm (local time)
West Tigers vs Roosters @ McDonald Jones Stadium 3:50pm
Knights vs Bulldogs @ McDonald Jones Stadium 6:00pm
Dragons vs Rabbitohs @ WIN Stadium 8:10pm
Sunday, February 15
Sharks vs Eels @ Henson Park 6:00pm
Round Three
Friday, February 20
Warriors vs Dolphins @ Leichhardt Oval 6:00pm
Wests Tigers vs Panthers @ Leichhardt Oval 8:10pm
Saturday, February 21
Sharks vs Raiders @ Polytec Stadium, Gosford 3:50pm
Roosters vs Eels @ Polytec Stadium, Gosford 6:00pm
Storm vs Titans @ Sunshine Coast Stadium 8:10pm (AEDT), 7:10pm (local time)
Sunday, February 22
Rabbitohs vs Sea Eagles @ Glen Willow Stadium, Mudgee 4:00pm
