Despite finishing at the bottom of the NRL ladder in 2019, St George Illawarra and the Gold Coast have been dealt two of the toughest draws for next season.
Wooden-spooners the Titans will play this year’s grand finalists Canberra and the minor premiers Melbourne each twice over the season.
Raiders and Storm matches will feature in the first five rounds for the Titans, as well as one with premiers the Roosters.
It will be a tough initiation for incoming Titans coach Justin Holbrook, who will need to get off to a good start to appease long-suffering fans.
The Dragons have seemingly fared little better, playing top four sides the Roosters, Raiders and South Sydney twice this season.
Along with Brisbane and Warriors they have the most games against top four sides from 2019 with seven.
During rounds three to 12, the Dragons will play all of the 2019 top four sides, and seven of their 10 games are against teams who finished in this year’s top eight.
In this time they play just three home games against the Warriors, Titans and the Sea Eagles, although their Anzac Day clash with the Roosters at the Sydney Cricket Ground is billed as a Dragons home game.
The Roosters will play 13 of their 24 games against teams who played finals in 2019 as they look to claim three consecutive NRL premierships.
The Dragons, Storm, Penrith and North Queensland are the only other teams to have as many games against last year’s finalists.
Newcastle, Canterbury and Parramatta are the biggest winners out of the draw, while the Broncos and Titans are the only two teams to avoid any five-day turnarounds.
The Knights and the Bulldogs play the Rabbitohs twice, but the rest of the top four sides just once.
The Eels will play Souths and Storm twice, but the Roosters at Bankwest Stadium just once in round 21, and the Raiders at GIO Stadium in round 18.
KEY POINTS FROM YOUR TEAM’S NRL DRAW
Brisbane – Top four games: 7, Top eight games: 11, Five-day turnarounds: 0
Canberra: Top four games: 6, Top eight games: 11, Five-day turnarounds: 1 (round 3)
Canterbury: Top four games: 5, Top eight games: 12, Five-day turnarounds: 1 (round 14)
Cronulla: Top four games: 6, Top eight games: 10, Five-day turnarounds: 3 (rounds 17, 19, 21)
Gold Coast: Top four games: 6, Top eight games: 12, Five-day turnarounds: 0
Manly: Top four games: 6, Top eight games: 11, Five-day turnarounds: 1 (round 10)
Melbourne: Top four games: 6, Top eight games: 13, Five-day turnarounds: 3 (rounds 4, 6, 9)
Newcastle: Top four games: 5, Top eight games: 12, Five-day turnarounds: 1 (round 10)
Warriors: Top four games: 7, Top eight games: 12, Five-day turnarounds: 1 (round 9)
North Queensland: Top four games: 6, Top eight games: 13, Five-day turnarounds: 1 (round 21)
Parramatta: Top four games: 6, Top eight games: 11, Five-day turnarounds: 3 (round 6, 12, 19)
Penrith: Top four games: 5, Top eight games: 13, Five-day turnarounds: 1 (round 14)
South Sydney: Top four games: 6, Top eight games: 12, Five-day turnarounds: 3 (rounds 9, 11, 18)
St George Illawarra: Top four games: 7, Top eight games: 13, Five-day turnarounds: 2 (rounds 2, 24)
Sydney Roosters: Top four games: 6, Top eight games: 13, Five-day turnarounds: 2 (rounds 14,18)
Wests Tigers: Top four games: 6, Top eight games: 12, Five-day turnarounds: 1 (round 14)
*Against sides that featured in the top four and eight in 2019.