The NRL have confirmed the pre-season challenge fixtures and schedule for the 2025 season, with NRL trials to again take place over a three-week window before the start of the season.
It marks a change from last year, when all pre-season games took place over a two-week window.
As was the case last year, all teams will play two trials, with the four teams heading to Las Vegas - the Penrith Panthers, Cronulla Sharks, Canberra Raiders and New Zealand Warriors - all playing a week ahead of the rest of the competition.
17 teams being included however means the Panthers will have Week 2 off before fielding what will be a likely weakened outfit in Week 3 of the pre-season challenge against the Manly Sea Eagles.
That first week of pre-season trials will see the Sharks host the Warriors on Friday, February 7, and the Panthers host the Raiders on Saturday, February 8, although both games will be played at the renamed Sharks Stadium.
Week 2 will kick-off in Canberra on Thursday, February 13, with games then to be played in Newcastle, Cairns, Auckland, Gosford, Toowoomba and Kogarah, where a double header will be played between the Bulldogs and Tigers, and Dragons and Rabbitohs on Sunday, February 16.
The final week of pre-season trials will only see seven games, with a Friday night double-header on Friday, February 21, the Charity Shield between the St George Illawarra Dragons and South Sydney Rabbitohs returning to Mudgee on Saturday, February 22, then games to be played in Redcliffe, Melbourne and Gosford over the remainder of the weekend.
NRL pre-season challenge fixtures
All times AEDT.
Week 1
| Date | Time | Game | Venue |
| Fri Feb 7 | 7:30pm | Cronulla Sharks vs New Zealand Warriors | Sharks Stadium, Cronulla |
| Sat Feb 8 | 7:30pm | Penrith Panthers vs Canberra Raiders | Sharks Stadium, Cronulla |
Week 2
| Date | Time | Game | Venue |
| Thu Feb 13 | 7:50pm | Canberra Raiders vs Cronulla Sharks | GIO Stadium, Canberra |
| Fri Feb 14 | 6pm | Newcastle Knights vs Parramatta Eels | McDonald Jones Stadium, Newcastle |
| Fri Feb 14 | 8pm | North Queensland Cowboys vs The Dolphins | Barlow Park, Cairns |
| Sat Feb 15 | 1:30pm | New Zealand Warriors vs Melbourne Storm | Go Media Stadium, Auckland |
| Sat Feb 15 | 3:30pm | South Sydney Rabbitohs vs Manly Sea Eagles | Industree Group Stadium, Gosford |
| Sun Feb 16 | 3:30pm | Brisbane Broncos vs Gold Coast Titans | Toowoomba Sports Ground, Toowoomba |
| Sun Feb 16 | 5:30pm | Canterbury Bulldogs vs Wests Tigers | Netstrata Jubilee Stadium, Kogarah |
| Sun Feb 16 | 7:30pm | St George Illawarra Dragons vs Sydney Roosters | Netstrata Jubilee Stadium, Kogarah |
Week 3
| Date | Time | Game | Venue |
| Fri Feb 21 | 6pm | Manly Sea Eagles vs Wests Tigers | Leichhardt Oval, Sydney |
| Fri Feb 21 | 8pm | Wests Tigers vs Parramatta Eels | Leichhardt Oval, Sydney |
| Sat Feb 22 | 3pm | St George Illawarra Dragons vs South Sydney Rabbitohs | Glen Willow Oval, Mudgee |
| Sat Feb 22 | 5:30pm | Brisbane Broncos vs Canterbury Bulldogs | Kayo Stadium, Redcliffe |
| Sat Feb 22 | 7:30pm | The Dolphins vs Gold Coast Titans | Kayo Stadium, Redcliffe |
| Sun Feb 23 | 2pm | Melbourne Storm vs North Queensland Cowboys | Casey Fields, Melbourne |
| Sun Feb 23 | 4pm | Sydney Roosters vs Newcastle Knights | Industree Group Stadium, Gosford |
