sport news Find out if YOUR team is one of the biggest losers from the 2023 NRL draw trends now
Anthony Seibold has been handed a brutal start to his stint as Manly coach, with the Sea Eagles copping one of the most difficult draws of any club for next season - and the NRL has broken new ground with plans for an 18-team pre-season tournament to kick off the year's footy.
Still reeling from their nightmare end to 2022, Manly could have done with a friendly schedule to start their time under Seibold.
Instead, they will play 13 games against last year's top-eight teams, including facing Penrith, Parramatta and Cronulla twice.
Anthony Seibold (pictured) has been handed a brutal start to his stint as Manly coach, with the Sea Eagles copping one of the most difficult draws of any club for next season. They will play 13 games against last year's top-eight teams, including facing Penrith, Parramatta and Cronulla twice
Brisbane's draw also looks difficult for the 2023 season. With Kevin Walters in the final year of his contract, the Broncos face a league-high 14 matches against last year's finalists
In a further blow, they have been handed an early season bye in round two, when players are fresh.
Manly lost their final seven games last year, but will at least have Tom Trbojevic back fit for their opener against Canterbury on March 4, assuming all goes to plan.
Of all the NRL's sides, only Brisbane's draw looks more difficult.
With Kevin Walters in the final year of his contract, the Broncos face a league-high 14 matches against last year's finalists.
Commercially they have also taken a hit with fellow southeast Queensland club the Dolphins' entry to the competition, with their number of free-to-air games shrinking from 17 to 13.
The Sharks have enjoyed the rub of the green, with 10 games planned against last year's finalists and only one clash with Penrith and Parramatta
South Sydney are the other team to cop a particularly difficult run on the field.
The Rabbitohs have 12 matches against last year's finalists, the most of any team to feature in the top eight.
Conversely, it is Canberra and Cronulla who will be happiest with Thursday's outcome.
The Raiders play only eight matches against last year's finalists, only doubling up against Cronulla, with just one match against all other top-eight sides.
The Sharks have also
