Penrith will begin its Premiership defence with a blockbuster clash against Tom Trbojevic’s Manly Sea Eagles at BlueBet Stadium on Thursday, March 10.
The NRL Draw for the 2022 season was officially released this morning.
Key highlights for the Panthers include:
- A Round 3 clash against Newcastle at Carrington Park in Bathurst.
- An epic Grand Final re-match against South Sydney on Friday, April 1 at BlueBet Stadium.
- A rare Good Friday game at BlueBet Stadium, with the Panthers taking on Brisbane on Friday, April 16 at 7.55pm.
- Two huge Battle of the West clashes against Parramatta – first at BlueBet Stadium on Friday, May 6 and then on Friday, July 29 at Commbank Stadium.
- Two games against Melbourne – one as part of Magic Round and the other at BlueBet Stadium in August.
- Finishing the season on the road with a clash against the Cowboys at QLD Country Bank Stadium on Saturday, September 3.
Penrith will also return to Auckland for the first time in several seasons when they play the Warriors at Mount Smart Stadium on Saturday, June 18 at 5.30pm.
13 of Penrith’s 24 matches will be shown on free-to-air TV via Channel Nine.
“There certainly is a lot to look forward to in 2022,” said NRL CEO Andrew Abdo.
“The draw and the schedule is always an important time of year for a lot of banter, a lot of analysis and a lot of prediction.
“Our draw is particularly complex because there’s a lot of inputs that need to go in to satisfying the outcomes we want to achieve.”
Mr Abdo confirmed a new format for pre-season trials would be announced in the coming weeks.
Troy Dodds
Troy Dodds is the Weekender's Managing Editor and Breaking News Reporter. He has more than 20 years experience as a journalist, working with some of Australia's leading media organisations. In 2023, he was named Editor of the Year at the Mumbrella Publish Awards.