Broncos Have Just Had A Massive Spray About Final Six Rounds Of NRL Draw Released Today

See the schedule here.


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Brisbane CEO Paul White expects a backlash from members after the club missed out on a Sunday game when the NRL released the final six rounds of the regular season draw on Monday.

The Broncos have been allocated one Saturday afternoon game on the Gold Coast and will play the other five matches either on Thursday or Friday nights.

"Am I disappointed we are under-represented in Sunday afternoon football? Yes I am," White said.

"I do want to let our members know that we fight very hard for diversity in the draw."

However Brisbane are one of 10 teams to avoid a dreaded five-day turn-around between rounds 21-26 with a likely finals campaign around the corner.

Canberra (round 25), the Gold Coast (round 24), Melbourne (round 22), Parramatta (round 21), Penrith (round 21) and the Warriors (round 24) will each endure a five-day turn-around.

It takes the season's total of five-day turn-arounds to 25, down from 43 last year, according to the NRL.

Despite no desired Sunday games, the Broncos' season tail-end includes blockbuster home clashes with Canterbury, premiers Cronulla, St George Illawarra and Parramatta.

They meet North Queensland in Townsville to wrap up their regular season in round 26.

The NRL's schedule release also heralds the introduction of free-to-air television matches across all four days (Thursday-Sunday) of the final five rounds.

Highlights of the back-end of the regular-season include a Friday night clash at the SCG between St George Illawarra and South Sydney in round 22.

Cooper Cronk will play his final game for Melbourne against Canberra in round 26 on Saturday, September 2.

Saturday free-to-air TV matches include the Sharks against the Raiders in round 22, Cowboys and Cronulla in round 24 and round 25's clash between the Sharks and the Sydney Roosters.

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Earlier, the NRL released the schedule for the final six rounds, which includes a series of blockbuster matches and the introduction of free-to-air matches across all four days of the final five rounds. Read the full statement below.

Penrith, Parramatta, North Queensland and Brisbane Broncos will all host crucial matches in marquee timeslots during the closing rounds.

Premiers Cronulla, Penrith, North Queensland and Melbourne will all host blockbuster Saturday night simulcast matches over the closing five rounds, broadcast on Channel Nine as well as Fox Sports.

Some of the highlights of the finalised schedule include:
- A final-round clash between 2015 grand finalists North Queensland Cowboys and Brisbane Broncos on Thursday night at 1300Smiles Stadium;
- A Friday night clash between St George Illawarra and South Sydney Rabbitohs at the Sydney Cricket Ground in Round 22;
- A clash between Premiers Cronulla and Canberra to open the Channel Nine simulcast of Saturday night football in Round 22;
- A Round 23 Friday night clash between Brisbane Broncos and Cronulla at Suncorp Stadium;
- A Saturday night simulcast clash in Round 24 between the last two Premiers, North Queensland Cowboys and Cronulla at 1300Smiles Stadium;
- A Round 25 Saturday night simulcast clash between premiership heavyweights Cronulla and Sydney Roosters at Southern Cross Group Stadium;
- Cooper Cronk’s final home regular-season match for Melbourne Storm, against their 2016 Preliminary Final opponents Canberra, on Saturday night in Round 26;
- A clash on the final Sunday of the regular season between Sydney rivals St George Illawarra and the Bulldogs at ANZ Stadium.
RL CEO Todd Greenberg said the final six rounds would provide some crucial match-ups which would ultimately decide the make-up of the top eight as well as the minor premiership.

“The competition is already incredibly tight but we know that it will only get tighter the closer we get to the finish line,” Mr Greenberg said.

“As always this will be a competition which will keep us all guessing until the very last round and the very last match.”

There will be a total of 25 five-day turnarounds in 2017, compared to 43 in 2016 - a reduction of 42 percent.

For the full schedule for the final six rounds, please visit nrl.com

For tickets, please visit nrl.com/tickets

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26 June 2017




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