The North Queensland Toyota Cowboys NRL team will kick off the 2023 season with a Saturday afternoon blockbuster against the Canberra Raiders at Queensland Country Bank Stadium.
Of North Queensland’s 12 home fixtures, eight are on the preferred Saturday slot, including a rare 3pm showdown with arch-rivals Brisbane in Round 23.
>>> Cowboys full 2023 NRL draw
New Queensland foes the Dolphins travel north for the first time for a primetime 8pm Friday clash in Round 6.
Other home game highlights include XXXX Derby rivals the Gold Coast in Round 4, a Sunday afternoon clash with Melbourne in Round 14 and a Saturday night battle with Parramatta in Round 21.
Away fixtures of note include an early season trip to Brisbane to face the Broncos in Round 2, North Queensland’s first visit to New Zealand to face the Warriors since 2019 in Round 7, a Magic Round showdown with the Roosters in Round 10 and a regular season finale blockbuster against the Panthers in Round 27.
The Cowboys will play 11 free-to-air games in 2023, up from five in 2022.
North Queensland’s two trial games for 2023 have also been announced today. The Cowboys’ first outing is set down for Sunday, February 12 at Barlow Park in Cairns against the Dolphins. North Queensland will complete the pre-season with a second and final trial against the Broncos on Saturday, February 18 at Sunshine Coast Stadium.
>>> Cowboys full 2023 NRL draw
>>> Download a PDF version of the draw
Full draw breakdown (home games in brackets):
Thursday: 2 (1)
Friday: 5 (2)
Saturday: 13 (8)
Sunday: 4 (1)
