The NRL has announced its pre-season challenge schedule, revealing 16 games will be played starting from February 15.
The competition will use the same format as the 2023 season, with $100,000 in prize money up for grabs and bonus points for tries, line breaks and offloads.
Each team will be allowed to name 28 players per week, giving coaches a chance to prepare their teams ahead of the 2024 season’s launch in Las Vegas.
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The pre-season challenge will begin with the Bulldogs and Storm facing off at Belmore Sports Ground on Thursday February 15.
Meanwhile, the Roosters will take on defending champions the Sea Eagles and the Cowboys will also face the Broncos in the first round.
The All Stars showcase will also be played on Friday February 16 at Queensland Country Bank Stadium with Indigenous and Maori teams once again facing off.
The annual Charity Shield will also be played on Saturday February 17 at Netstrata Jubiulee Stadium between the Rabbitohs and Dragons.
The Panthers won’t take part in the pre-season challenge and will instead travel to England to face Wigan Warriors on February 25.
The Bunker will feature in every game of the pre-season challenge.
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WHO WON THE 2023 PRE-SEASON CHALLENGE?
The Sea Eagles took home the first ever pre-season challenge trophy, winning $100,000 in the process.
Manly faced the Rabbitohs and Roosters in their two games last season and scored 29 points out of a possible 30 available to record.
The Sea Eagles beat out the Sharks by a single point, with Cronulla tallying four bonus points compared to Manly’s five.
POINTS SYSTEM
Teams will be awarded 12 points for a win, and six for a draw, with several ways to score bonus points ensuring no contest is a dead rubber.
If a team scores five or more tries, they earn one extra bonus point, whilst earning the same amount for five or more linebreaks and 10 or more offloads.
The maximum a team can score with a win is 15 points, while three points are still on offer for the losing side.
HOW MANY PLAYERS CAN A TEAM NAME?
The NRL will once again allow clubs to field as many as 28 players in the pre-season challenge with unlimited interchanges.
WHAT HAPPENS IF TEAMS ARE TIED ON POINTS?
In the event of a tie after all games are completed, a system has been laid out to ensure the pre-season challenge will always have a victor.
The team with the highest points differential will stake the money home, but in the event teams are still level it comes down to a percentage.
The winner becomes the team with the greater percentage of points scored for and against, from tries and goals.
If somehow there is still a deadlock at the top of the ladder, the winner is decided by these statistics, in order — most tries, scores, most goals kicked, most field goals kicked, least amount of penalties conceded — and ultimately, the toss of a coin.
WHERE TO WATCH?
All pre-season challenge matches will be broadcast live on Fox League and Kayo!
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NRL PRE-SEASON CHALLENGE SCHEDULE (times in AEDT)
Thursday, February 15
7.00pm – Bulldogs v Storm at Belmore Sports Ground
Friday, February 16 at Queensland Country Bank Stadium
5:50pm – Indigenous All Stars women v Māori All Stars women
8:10pm – Indigenous All Stars men v Māori All Stars men
Saturday, February 17
1.45pm – Knights v Sharks at Industree Group Stadium
3.45pm – Roosters v Sea Eagles at Industree Group Stadium
5.55pm – Eels v Raiders at Netstrata Jubilee Stadium
8.05pm – Rabbitohs v Dragons at Netstrata Jubilee Stadium
Sunday, February 18
2.00pm – Warriors v Wests Tigers at Apollo Projects Stadium, Christchurch
4.00pm – Cowboys v Broncos at BB Print Stadium, Mackay
6.15pm – Dolphins v Titans at Sunshine Coast Stadium
Friday, February 23
6.00pm – Rabbitohs v Roosters at Belmore Sports Ground
8.00pm – Sharks v Bulldogs at Belmore Sports Ground
Saturday, February 24
1.45pm – Storm v Knights at Churchill Park, Lautoka
3.45pm – Warriors v Dolphins at Go Media Stadium
5.55pm – Sea Eagles v Broncos at 4 Pines Park
8.05pm – Dragons v Wests Tigers at Glen Willow Stadium, Mudgee
Sunday, February 25
3.00pm – Raiders v Cowboys at Seiffert Oval, Queanbeyan
5.00pm – Titans v Eels at North Ipswich Reserve, Ipswich
