NRL clubs expect flexible draw next week

NRL clubs are expecting to receive the rest of this year’s draw by mid next week, however the venues of each fixture are unlikely to be included.

The league on Friday revealed rounds three and four of the restructured schedule, which will resume with a Brisbane-Parramatta blockbuster on May 28.

Where games will be staged remains unknown, as is the rest of the draw, which is expected to be revealed following an ARL Commission meeting on Wednesday.

There is widespread speculation that the Sydney clubs will utilise Bankwest Stadium, Netstrata Jubilee Stadium, and Leichhardt Oval as home grounds.

North Queensland are likely to host matches at their new Queensland Country Bank Stadium, as are Brisbane at Suncorp Stadium.

Melbourne and Gold Coast are also hopeful of staying in their respective homes.

While remaining at Cbus Super Stadium is their preference, Titans chief executive Steve Mitchell is accepting of the reasons behind centralising venues.

“There’s the consolidation of stadium-plan, which makes sense in Sydney given there’s nine teams within a 200-kilometre radius,” Mitchell said on ABC radio.

“And that’s about biosecurity measures and making sure that they keep zones clean and apply the protocols that we put forward to both the respective state governments and federal government.

“And also broadcast, setting up a single set of broadcast equipment in one stadium, you can run multiple sites through that makes sense.

“If we’ve got to go to Suncorp, we’ll swallow it and go up.

“But we’d prefer to stay at home.”

Canberra coach Ricky Stuart on Friday suggested the Raiders may play home games in Campbelltown, while the Knights are expected to travel down the F1.

The Warriors are hopeful of hosting games in Gosford, where they will be based after completing their two-week quarantine in Tamworth this week.

Manly coach Des Hasler is resigned to shifting away from Lottoland.

“To be realistic, I don’t think there will be any games at Brookie in the first instance. But maybe later in the season,” Hasler said on Saturday.

“Still got 18 games to play, but I think you ask any player at the moment they just want to get on the field and play.”

Mitchell believes the NRL will release a full draw next week, but remain flexible on venues for the foreseeable future.

“You can certainly do the fixture in collaboration with the broadcasters,” he said.

“But as the lockdown starts to loosen and we go to different phases of that, it’d be good if at some point teams can return … to a home ground.

“I think the draw will offer that.”

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