The Broncos have the toughest draw heading into the 2023 season according to numbers obtained by Fox Sports Lab after examining the team’s 17 games into the upcoming season.
Meanwhile, Ricky Stuart will have to find something new to complain about after the Raiders got the easiest draw in 2023.
Fox Sports Lab has broken down each team’s draw difficulty using strength of schedule based on the Lab Predictor ratings for each team, which also factors in how teams have historically fared in scheduled spots.
Read on for the winners and losers of the 2023 NRL draw.
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RAIDERS (1st *easiest draw)
Matches played against –
The first eight: 8
The first four: 5
bottom eight: 14
The bottom four: 7
Who do they play twice: Dolphins, Brisbane, Wests Tigers, St George Illawarra, Newcastle, Cronulla, Canterbury, Warriors
analysis: The Raiders have a dream draw after finding the total number of 8 sides with 14 and the same number of four sides with seven. They also have the fewest top four teams with five and the fewest total top eight teams with eight, three fewer than the next best team (11). Meanwhile, the Sharks are the only team in the top eight to play the Raiders twice.
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Ricky Stuart finally has a good draw.Source: supplied
COWBOYS (2nd)
Matches played against –
The first eight: 10
The first four: 6
bottom eight: 12
The bottom four: 7
Who do they play twice: Gold Coast Titans, Dolphins, Brisbane, Wests Tigers, Parramatta, Penrith, Cronulla, Warriors
analysis: The Cowboys play 10 games against the top eight teams, second-fewest, while facing the top four teams with six. However, they play 12 games against the bottom eight teams and the top four teams are tied with seven. Meanwhile, the Panthers, Eels and Sharks are the only top eight teams to play twice.
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Crichton enjoying taking on ‘best mates’ | 03:35
DOLPHINS (3rd)
Matches played against –
The first eight: 11
The first four: 5
bottom eight: 13
The bottom four: 7
Who do they play twice: Canberra, Warriors, Newcastle, North Queensland, St George Illawarra, Sydney Roosters, Brisbane, Gold Coast Titans
analysis: The new boys in the competition have 11 games against the top eight teams, but the second fewest matches against the top four sides with five. The Dolphins are tied for second most games against the bottom eight teams and the same number of games against the bottom four teams. The Raiders, Cowboys and Roosters are the only top eight teams they play twice.
Wayne Bennett’s Dolphins have one of the best draws for his first season.Source: News Corp Australia
SHARKS (4th)
Matches played against –
The first eight: 10
The first four: 4
bottom eight: 13
The bottom four: 6
Who do they play twice: South Sydney, St George Illawarra, Manly, North Queensland, Newcastle, Canberra, Warriors, Canterbury
analysis: The Sharks play the second-fewest games against top-eight teams with 10, while they have the fewest games against top-four teams with four. The Sharks play the second most games against the top eight teams with 13 and the second most games against the last four teams with six. The Rabbitohs, Cowboys and Raiders are the only top eight teams to meet twice.
Seibold’s first words as Sea Eagles boss | 02:54
KNIGHTS (5th)
Matches played against –
The first eight: 11
The first four: 6
bottom eight: 11
The bottom four: 5
Who do they play twice: Canberra, Warriors, Canterbury, Cronulla, Manly, Penrith, Wests Tigers, Dolphins
analysis: The Knights have the third-fewest games against the top eight teams, but the second-most games against the top four teams with six. Newcastle have 11 games against the last eight teams and the second fewest games against the last four teams with five. However, they only play three of the top eight teams twice in the Raiders, Sharks and Panthers.
THEM (6th)
Matches played against –
The first eight: 11
The first four: 5
bottom eight: 12
The bottom four: 5
Who do they play twice: Canterbury, Manly, North Queensland, Penrith, Sydney Roosters, Melbourne, Brisbane, Gold Coast Titans
analysis: Last year’s grand finalists have 11 games against the top eight teams and 12 games against the top eight teams in an even spread. The Eels also play five games against the top four teams, the second fewest and five games against the top four teams. They play the top eight teams of the Cowboys, Panthers, Roosters and Storm twice.
DRAGONS (7th)
Matches played against –
The first eight: 12
The first four: 5
bottom eight: 10
The bottom four: 7
Who do they play twice: Dolphins, Gold Coast Titans, South Sydney, Sydney Roosters, Wests Tigers, Cronulla, Canberra, Warriors
analysis: The Dragons finished 10th last season and play 12 games against the top eight teams and 10 games against the top eight teams in 2023. They play the second fewest games against the top four teams with five and the same number of games against the top four last teams with seven. The Dragons play four of the top eight teams twice in the Rabbitohs, Roosters, Sharks and Raiders.
Hunt eyes a starting spot in the semi-final | 00:55
ROOSTER (8th)
Matches played against –
The first eight: 11
The first four: 6
bottom eight: 11
The bottom four: 5
Who do they play twice: Warriors, Manly, Parramatta, Penrith, St George Illawarra, Melbourne, South Sydney, Dolphins
analysis: The Roosters play an even share of 11 games each against the top eight and bottom eight. They play six games against the top four teams, but the second fewest matches against the top four teams with five. The Tricolors play four of the top eight teams twice in the Eels, Panthers, Storm and Rabbitohs.
STORM (9th)
Matches played against –
The first eight: 11
The first four: 6
bottom eight: 12
The bottom four: 6
Who do they play twice: South Sydney, Gold Coast Titans, Brisbane, Wests Tigers, Sydney Roosters, Parramatta, Penrith, Manly
analysis: The Storm have their games evenly spread with 11 against the top eight teams and 12 against the bottom eight teams. However, they are tied for second most games against the top four teams, while they have six games against the bottom four teams, the second most. The Storm play four of the top eight teams twice in the Rabbitohs, Roosters, Eels and Panthers.
RABBITS (10th grade)
Matches played against –
The first eight: 11
The first four: 6
bottom eight: 12
The bottom four: 5
Who do they play twice: Cronulla, Canterbury, Penrith, Sydney Roosters, St George Illawarra, Wests Tigers, Brisbane, Melbourne
analysis: The Rabbitohs have an even share of 11 games against the top eight teams and 12 against the bottom eight. They have the second most tied games against the top four teams and the second fewest tied games against the bottom four teams. Souths play four of the top eight teams twice in the Sharks, Panthers, Roosters and Storm.
Seibold confirmed as Manly manager | 01:06
WARRIORS (11th)
Matches played against –
The first eight: 12
The first four: 6
bottom eight: 10
The bottom four: 4
Who do they play twice: Dolphins, St George Illawarra, Sydney Roosters, North Queensland, Cronulla, Newcastle, Canberra, Canterbury
analysis: The Warriors play 12 games against the top eight teams and 10 against the top eight. They play the second-most number of games against the top four teams and the fewest number of games against the bottom four teams with four. The Warriors play four of the top eight teams twice in the Roosters, Cowboys, Sharks and Raiders.
BULLDOGS (12th)
Matches played against –
The first eight: 12
The first four: 6
bottom eight: 11
The bottom four: 7
Who do they play twice: Warriors, Canberra, Cronulla, Newcastle, Manly, Parramatta, South Sydney, Gold Coast Titans
analysis: The Bulldogs have an even matchup ratio with 12 against the top eight teams and 11 against the bottom eight teams. They are tied for second most games against the top four teams with six, but have the most games tied against the top four teams (7). The Bulldogs play four of the top eight teams twice in the Raiders, Sharks, Eels and Rabbitohs.
PANTHERS (13th)
Matches played against –
The first eight: 12
The first four: 5
bottom eight: 11
The bottom four: 5
Who do they play twice: South Sydney, Brisbane, Melbourne, Sydney Roosters, Parramatta, North Queensland, Manly, Newcastle
analysis: The defending champions have an even spread of 12 games against the top eight teams and 11 against the top eight teams. The Panthers have the same second-fewest games against the top four teams and the second-fewest games against the bottom four teams. However, the Rabbitohs, Storm, Roosters, Eels and Cowboys are the five top eight teams the Panthers have to play twice.
The threat of the breakaway league is “rubbish” | 02:32
TIGERS (14th)
Matches played against –
The first eight: 12
The first four: 5
bottom eight: 11
The bottom four: 5
Who do they play twice: Canberra, Newcastle, Manly, North Queensland, St George Illawarra, Melbourne, South Sydney, Gold Coast Titans
analysis: The Tigers have an even match ratio with 12 against the top eight teams and 11 against the bottom eight teams. However, they have the second fewest draws against top four teams with five and the second fewest draws against top four teams (5). The Tigers play four of the top eight teams twice in the Raiders, Cowboys, Storm and Rabbitohs.
SEA EAGLES (15th)
Matches played against –
The first eight: 13
The first four: 7
bottom eight: 10
The bottom four: 6
Who do they play twice: Canterbury, Cronulla, Newcastle, Penrith, Parramatta, Sydney Roosters, Wests Tigers, Melbourne
analysis: The Sea Eagles have a tough road under new coach Anthony Seibold, with the second-most games against the top eight teams with 13, while playing the second fewest games against the bottom eight teams (10). Manly also play top eight teams twice in the Sharks, Panthers, Eels, Roosters and Storm.
New Manly manager Anthony Seibold has a big…