We love the mighty Canberra Raiders
Whether the Canberra Raiders have a rails run to the NRL finals or not depends on who you talk to, so if you were to ask Ricky Stuart?
The Raiders coach will tell you the fixture is a calendar of events, not a crystal ball. He'll tell you that in 20 years as an NRL coach, he's never had an easy season.
So let's break down Canberra's 2024 fixture, find the games to watch and pick out the pressure points.
Despite Channel 9's request, the NRL has confirmed that the Knights and Raiders will indeed kick off the 2024 season with a Thursday night game, as originally scheduled.
This decision comes after Nine reportedly voiced concerns about the TV appeal of the initial fixture.
The season will commence with two games in Las Vegas, marking the start of an exciting experiment for the league.
However, the drama surrounding the Thursday night fixture caused some uncertainty, with reports suggesting that the NRL was considering a last-minute switch in response to Channel 9's request.
The Knights and Raiders will play the first Thursday night game of the 2024 season despite Channel 9 reportedly asking the NRL for a last-minute draw change. It was first reported by News Corp last week that Nine had voiced concerns with the NRL about the prospect of Newcastle and Canberra playing the Thursday night game, with the free-to-air broadcast partner seeking a switch to a more TV-friendly fixture.
Nine reportedly requested the match be changed to Canterbury v Parramatta. The Round 1 Thursday night clash will be the first game of the season on home soil, with the opening two fixtures to be played in Las Vegas.