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.
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 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.