Round 1 of the NRL season delivered plenty of excitement, with high-scoring affairs, standout individual performances, and dramatic finishes across Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane, and the Gold Coast.

The NRL season has begun once again on American soil, with Las Vegas hosting the opening fixtures for the third straight year. A record 45,719 fans packed into Allegiant Stadium to watch the first two matches of the 2026 campaign, with the remainder of Round 1 to be completed back in Australia next week.

Sunday afternoon in Brisbane, and my friends insisted it was finally time. After dipping my toes into AFL earlier this year, the other side of this country’s great sporting divide was calling. The Brisbane Broncos were hosting the Penrith Panthers in a Preliminary Final: a rematch of 2023’s Grand Final that had the whole city buzzing. Kick-off was set for 4:05 pm, the late-afternoon sun setting the perfect stage for a Queensland rugby league blockbuster.