The Canberra Raiders will get an early shot at finals revenge against the Newcastle Knights. Or so they thought.
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Canberra was set to start its 2024 NRL season against the Knights in Newcastle in a round one Thursday night blockbuster on March 7.
But Channel 9 has reportedly thrown their toys out of the cot as a result, preferring to open with Parramatta against Canterbury instead - two teams that failed to make the finals this year.
It led to the NRL cancelling a planned meeting with the Green Machine on Thursday afternoon where they were set to reveal to the club their home fixtures for next year.
It's unclear when the Raiders will now find out who they'll play and when - possibly as late as Sunday, with the draw set to be officially announced on Monday.
Anyone who watched the Raiders' pulsating - but heartbreaking - extra-time elimination final loss to the Knights would've been excited by the prospect of seeing them under Thursday night lights.
But not Channel 9 apparently, who have long thumbed their nose in the capital's direction.
They'd seemingly prefer to watch two disappointing Sydney teams go head-to-head instead.
The Raiders will springboard into whatever round one fixture they end up with off the back of a pre-season trial against the North Queensland Cowboys at Seiffert Oval on February 25.
It will be their final trial before they begin their season proper on the second weekend in March.
Traditionally that's the trial where Raiders coach Ricky Stuart will run out a near full-strength team - which will give an insight into who will replace Jack Wighton at five-eighth and who will be the fullback.
Both spots are up for grabs, Stuart telling The Canberra Times he would give his young players first crack at the key spine spots.
Recruit Kaeo Weekes and Ethan Strange will battle it out to wear the No.6 jersey, while Weekes, Xavier Savage and Chevy Stewart could fill the custodian role.
Weekes has set his sights on playing alongside Jamal Fogarty in the halves, although he can also play fullback - where he played most of his NRL and NSW Cup games for Manly before moving to Canberra.
The Raiders will also play a trial against Parramatta at Kogarah Oval the weekend before, as part of a doubleheader with the Charity Shield between South Sydney and St George Illawarra.
That could also double as a Wighton reunion, with the former Raiders star switching to the Rabbitohs next season.
The NRL's set to announce the full NRL pre-season schedule on Friday.
Canberra will begin their NRL campaign on the weekend of March 9-10, with the Rabbitohs, Sydney Roosters, Manly Sea Eagles and Brisbane Broncos set to kick off 2024 in Las Vegas the previous weekend.
It's the first time the Green Machine has hosted a trial at Seiffert since 2021, when they played the Roosters at the ground during the coronavirus pandemic.
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This year they travelled to Moruya and Belmore, while in 2022 they played at Leichhardt and Gosford.
The Raiders looked at several options, including Wagga Wagga, before settling on Seiffert - the ground where the Green Machine played home games when they first entered the competition back in 1982.
North Queensland reached out to the Raiders as they'll be doing a pre-season camp in the region in the lead-up to the game.
The Canberra Times revealed the Raiders have requested an Anzac Round match against the Cowboys - pitting the two military cities against each other on the commemorative round.
Tickets for the Seiffert trial will go on sale before Christmas.
Meanwhile, Canberra Raiders have bolstered their halves stocks by signing former South Sydney playmaker Troy Dargan on a development contract.
Dargan played two NRL games at five-eighth for the Rabbitohs during the 2020 season, but was released the following year.
He played six games at halfback for the Blacktown Sea Eagles in the NSW Cup this year before injuring his knee.
The 26-year-old can play either five-eighth or halfback and will add depth to Jamal Fogarty, Ethan Strange and Kaeo Weekes.
RAIDERS PRE-SEASON
February 17: Canberra Raiders v Parramatta Eels at Kogarah Oval, 5.55pm.
February 25: Canberra Raiders v North Queensland Cowboys at Seiffert Oval, 3pm.
NRL ROUND ONE
March 7: Canberra Raiders v Newcastle Knights at Newcastle.
March 8: New Zealand Warriors v Cronulla Sharks; Melbourne Storm v Penrith Panthers.
March 9: Parramatta Eels v Canterbury Bulldogs; Gold Coast Titans v St George Illawarra Dragons.
Wests Tigers bye.
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