The Canberra Raiders' prospects of opening the 2026 NRL season at Canberra Stadium have significantly improved, thanks to the Matildas hosting the Women's Asia Cup. The tournament will be held from March 2 to March 21 at venues on the Gold Coast, Parramatta, and Sydney Olympic Park, forcing several teams to start their campaigns on the road.
According to the NRL draw, South Sydney, Parramatta, Penrith, Canterbury, and the Gold Coast will all begin away due to the Asia Cup. With two NRL games scheduled in Las Vegas on February 28—featuring Canterbury vs. St George Illawarra and Newcastle vs. North Queensland—the remainder of round one will commence in early March.
The Melbourne Storm are expected to host the opening Australian game on Thursday, March 5, while the Brisbane Broncos will start their premiership defence at Lang Park the following night. This scenario gives the Raiders a 57 percent chance of playing at home in round one, a stark contrast to their historical average of less than 29 percent.
Historically, the Raiders have started the season at Canberra Stadium only eight times in the NRL era, with 19 away games and one bye. The team endured a stretch from 2001 to 2010 without a home round-one match, though they had a bye in 2005. In recent years, three of the past six seasons have kicked off in Canberra.
The last true home opener for the Raiders was against the Cronulla Sharks in 2022, following an unprecedented three-year run of home starts. The Cowboys have been the most common round-one opponent, but they will be in Las Vegas next year, potentially further boosting the Raiders' chances of a home game.
