Latest NRL News

NRL confirm 2025 pre-season challenge fixtures and schedule

The draw for the 2025 pre-season challenge is in.

Published by
Scott Pryde

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
Published by
Scott Pryde