The 2023 season is fading into the rear view mirror, and that means attention across the competition is already turning to the 2024 campaign.
As it stands, the NRL have only confirmed the dates for the opening of the season in Las Vegas, but based on that information, and the date when the NRL grand final must be, we can now safely predict the dates for the 2024 NRL season.
The draw release is due by the end of November, with the only question regarding dates really to be around the State of Origin period.
There has been plenty of conversation around a shrinking of the window where Origin matches are played, and that could yet be the case, however, in the below list of dates, we have marked Origin games as they were played this year.
Of note, the season will kick-off on the same weekend as this year, despite the likelihood of Round 1 being a split round. That means the games in Aamerica will be played on the weekend of March 2 and 3.
That is because teams returning from Las Vegas have been promised extra recovery time, so the South Sydney Rabbitohs, Brisbane Broncos, Sydney Roosters and Manly Sea Eagles will all kick-off their season a week ahead of the rest of the competition.
It means the opening round in Australia will only feature six games between March 7 and 10, before the first full round - and the unlucky recipient of the Round 1 bye - plays on the weekend of March 14 to 17.
The reason that those games in Las Vegas can be played on the same weekend as this year's season opener is purely down to the fact that the grand final weekend, which is always prior to the labor day public holiday, goes back a week in 2024 to keep it in October.
That means Round 27 will be played between September 5 and 8, with the finals then being played over the next three weekends before the grand final takes place on Sunday, October 6.
March 2-3: Round 0 (2 games in Las Vegas)
March 7-10: Round 1 (6 games in Australia, 1 team bye)
March 14-17: Round 2
March 21-24: Round 3
March 28-31: Round 4
April 4-7: Round 5
April 11-14: Round 6
April 18-21: Round 7
April 25-28: Round 8
May 2-5: Round 9
May 9-12: Round 10
May 16-19: Round 11
May 23-26: Round 12
May 30-Jun 2: Round 13
Jun 5: State of Origin 1
Jun 6-9: Round 14
Jun 13-16: Round 15
Jun 20-23: Round 16
Jun 26: State of Origin 2
Jun 27-30: Round 17
Jul 4-7: Round 18
Jul 11-14: Round 19
Jul 17: State of Origin 3
Jul 18-21: Round 20
Jul 25-28: Round 21
Aug 1-4: Round 22
Aug 8-11: Round 23
Aug 15-18: Round 24
Aug 22-25: Round 25
Aug 29-Sep 1: Round 26
Sep 5-8: Round 27
Sep 13-15: Finals Week 1
Sep 20-21: Finals Week 2
Sep 27-28: Finals Week 3
Oct 6: Grand final
Some clubs have also confirmed slight changes to their home ground structures for 2024, with the St George Illawarra Dragons revealing they will play six games in Wollgong, and the Wests Tigers returning to five games at both Leichhardt and Campbelltown.
The Dolphins, meanwhile, continue with their three games in Redcliffe, while they will play an extra at Suncorp Stadium, taking the total at the cauldron to eight.