The off-season may have just officially started, but rugby league fans are already looking towards 2025.
The highly anticipated NRL draw has just dropped, meaning fans of every team are now mapping out their calendars, booking their trips and getting in their predictions.
I'll leave the strength of draw breakdowns to others, instead today focusing on playing hype man.
As a lover of the greatest game of all, all (almost) rugby league fixtures are must-watch. That said, some stand out above the rest.
Obviously this is an opinion piece and not a prediction on the ten best games for next year. Let us know which games you are most looking forward to.
Below are the top 10 fixtures to look forward to in 2025:
2Canterbury Bulldogs vs Manly Sea Eagles (Round 21)
Although I still see the Roosters/Rabbits rivalry as the game's most fierce, as a neutral the Dogs/Sea Eagles rivalry is right up there!
Manly knocked the Dogs out in a chaotic cracker of a Final in 2024. The rematch can't possibly match those heights but there will be a massive crowd on hand WHEN THEY PLAY.
Both sides look very capable of a deep Finals run in 2025. Wins over sides at the same level are super valuable.
This fixture has all the ingredients. It should be an offence to make us wait until Round 21 of the season. Still, this means it will have huge Finals implications!
Bronx v Bunnies for me. Which of the underperformers will come good ? Unfortunately, round 10 is a bit late. We should have found out before then which is a pretender and which is a contender.