REVEALED | Titans handed unlucky draw to start the 2020 season

INCOMING Gold Coast Titans coach Justin Holbrook won’t be given an easy start to the 2020 NRL season, with the club confirmed to play both grand final teams and the minor premiers in the opening weeks.

The NRL released the full 2020 season draw, confirming the Titans will line up against grand finalists, the Canberra Raiders at GIO Stadium on Friday March 13 to kick off the new year.

The first clash at Cbus Super Stadium will be against the Parramatta Eels the following Sunday and they will remain at home the following week when they clash with big brother rivals, Brisbane.

It will then be tough back to back matches in Rounds 4 and 5, heading down to the SCG to take on defending premiers, the Sydney Roosters, before travelling to Melbourne to battle the minor premiers the following weekend.

It will make Holbrook’s arrival on the Coast just that much more difficult. The former St Helens mentor and English Super League’s Coach of the Year is already under immense pressure to lift the club in his first year at the helm after another horrible season for the Gold Coast which saw an average of just 11,587 spectators attend home games.

In some good news for the Titans, the side will have a lengthy stretch with little travel at the end of the season. They play Round 20 and 21 at home before heading  up the road to Suncorp Stadium in Round 22 before returning for their final two games of the year on the Gold Coast.

But those who plan on watching the Titans on free-to-air TV will have difficulty, with only two games set to be aired, Round 12 against the Bulldogs and Round 13 against the Cronulla Sharks.

BRIEF BREAKDOWN OF TITANS 2020 DRAW

TEAMS THEY PLAY TWICE

Raiders, Broncos, Storm, Sea Eagles, Tigers, Panthers, Cowboys, Warriors, Dragons.

TEAMS THEY PLAY ONCE

Eels, Roosters, Bulldogs, Sharks, Knights, Rabbitohs.

DAY BY DAY BREAKDOWN

Thursday – 1, Friday – 8, Saturday – 7, Sunday – 8.

FIVE DAY TURNAROUNDS

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HIGHLIGHTS OF FULL 2020 SEASON

• Magic Round becoming a three-day festival of footy to maximise the number of matches fans can watch at the stadium

• The Holden State of Origin series opening at the Adelaide Oval

• Less five-day turnarounds for players

• More than 20 intra Sydney rivalry matches played in family friendly weekend timeslots

• A national footprint for ANZAC round including matches in Sydney, Gold Coast, Townsville, Canberra, Newcastle, Darwin and Melbourne to complement the traditional matches

• The Grand Final re-match being played in Perth on the back of the record breaking success of State of Origin in Perth

• The final match at the current ANZ Stadium between two anchor tenants – the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs v South Sydney Rabbitohs

To see the draws for other NRL teams CLICK HERE.