Daly Cherry-Evans will be drawn to face his old club Manly in the opening month of next NRL season, as part of a blockbuster start to the 2026 competition.

The NRL will officially announce their draw for next season on Friday morning, but several components of the first NRL schedule to be constructed using AI can now be revealed.

After Canterbury, St George Illawarra, Newcastle and North Queensland start the season in Las Vegas on February 28, the rest of the opening round is now locked in.

Melbourne will host Parramatta for the first game on Australian soil, as the Storm begin life after Ryan Papenhuyzen on a Thursday night at AAMI Park.

The Warriors get to start their season at home against the Sydney Roosters, where Cherry-Evans is expected to play his first game for the Tricolour

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