Beautiful one day, perfect the next. Ricky Stuart and his Canberra Raiders better pack the sunscreen for a two-week Queensland holiday to start their 2023 NRL campaign.
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The Green Machine's set to begin next season on the road for their opening two rounds - the first time that's happened since 2014.
The news comes as Raiders five-eighth Jack Wighton's set to start in the centres for Australia in their Rugby League World Cup semi-final against the New Zealand Kiwis in Leeds on Saturday.
Wighton and Latrell Mitchell were the two centres Kangaroos coach Mal Meninga named in his 19-man squad on Wednesday, with Valentine Holmes set to start on the wing.
The Raiders will face the North Queensland Cowboys in Townsville in round one on March 4 before then returning to the Banana State to face the Redcliffe Dolphins the following week.
That pits Stuart against Dolphins coach Wayne Bennett in the second week of the season, with the Green Machine to become the second team to face the NRL new boys after they take on the Sydney Roosters in the season opener.
It will be the fifth time in history the Raiders have opened their season with two away games.
That avoids a clash with the Canberra Day long weekend, when Canberra Racing's Black Opal Carnival's on and the ACT Brumbies host the Queensland Reds on March 11.
Given the Raiders have never started an NRL season with three away games, it points towards their fans having to wait until round three before they can see their team play at Canberra Stadium.
The Brumbies were also at home that weekend, playing Moana Pasifika on March 18 - which would limit the availability of Canberra Stadium to either the Friday night or the Sunday.
Canberra will reportedly renew their spicy rivalry with reigning premiers Penrith Panthers in round five.
The rivalry of the early 1990s has been renewed in recent years, with several heated incidents sparking up between the two clubs.
That's largely centered around Penrith duo Stephen Crichton and Jarome Luai in several melees.
Crichton infamously pulled Raiders and New Zealand prop Joe Tapine into a Panthers try celebration while the Kiwis powerhouse was quietly waiting on the sidelines to come on last year.
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The Raiders' Wagga Wagga home game will once again be separated from the Wagga Gold Cup Carnival, hopefully making accommodation a bit easier for Raiders fans to find in the Riverina city.
NRL Magic Round looks set to be held in Brisbane in round 10 on the weekend of May 5-7 - with the Wagga Town Plate on May 4 and the Wagga Gold Cup the following day.
In the past the Raiders have played their home game there that weekend.
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