In a blow for Raiders fans, Canberra have been snubbed from the 2026 Magic Round, with the NRL handing the minor premiers the bye. The Raiders will be the only team to miss the marquee event when Suncorp Stadium hosts all eight matches from 15 to 17 May.
The Raiders have won their previous five Magic Round matches, including last year’s memorable golden-point thriller over the Storm.
Canberra’s omission comes after Manly were given the bye at the party weekend this year, while St George Illawarra sat it out in 2024 and Newcastle in 2023.
Women’s Magic Round will then move from Newcastle to Wagga Wagga next season on August 1 and 2, with the marquee weekend a travelling roadshow around regional NSW.
Meanwhile, the NRL has put arguably the biggest game of Magic Round – Cronulla versus Canterbury at 6pm on the Friday night – after women’s State of Origin II kicks off the event the previous night.
South Sydney and Dolphins will meet in the other Friday night game, after also being slated to face each other at Suncorp Stadium in round one.
Manly and Wests Tigers will open the Saturday fixtures before Sydney Roosters recruit Reece Robson faces off against his old club North Queensland.
Parramatta and Melbourne close out the Saturday night before Gold Coast play Newcastle, the Warriors face Brisbane, and Penrith challenging St George Illawarra on the Sunday.
The scheduling of Brisbane and Penrith on the final day of Magic Round has the potential to cause headaches for State of Origin coaches, given both sides will likely enter camp on that night or the following morning.
The move of women’s Magic Round from Newcastle to Wagga Wagga comes after the NSW government indicated last year the event could shift around the state.
The 10,000-person capacity Geohex Park in Wagga Wagga hosted the most recent of its four NRL games in 2023, along with City-Country in 2015.
MEN’S MAGIC ROUND (May 15-17)
FRIDAY:
Cronulla v Canterbury
South Sydney v Dolphins
SATURDAY:
Wests Tigers v Manly
Sydney Roosters v North Queensland
Parramatta v Melbourne
SUNDAY:
Gold Coast v Newcastle
Warriors v Brisbane
Penrith v St George Illawarra
WOMEN’S MAGIC ROUND (August 1-2):
SATURDAY:
Cronulla v Wests Tigers
St George Illawarra v Sydney Roosters
Canberra v North Queensland
SUNDAY:
Canterbury v Brisbane
Warriors v Gold Coast
Parramatta v Newcastle
