Momentum is everything when a team is building towards a run to the finals. The trouble is it can be snapped within weeks.
While some draws are far easier than others, each team will endure a tough stretch of fixtures over the course of the regular season that could define their finals or premiership hopes.
Here's where your club will be most tested in the year.
Cronulla Sharks
Rounds 19-23: Panthers [A] Rabbitohs [H] Dragons [H] Tigers [A] Sea Eagles [A]
Looking at the Sharks draw for 2022, they are lucky enough where they don't have a bunch of tough games consecutively.
Their toughest period is likely between Round 19-23, where the play Penrith, South Sydney and Manly. That being said, they also play the Tigers and Dragons in that period, who they'd be expected to beat.
See full season preview for the Sharks here
Sydney Roosters
Round 10-16: Eels (H), Panthers (H), Sharks (A), Raiders (A), Storm (H), Eels (A), Panthers (A)
A near two month stretch in the middle of the Origin period could be season-defining for the Tricolours. They'll play premiers Penrith twice along with the Eels, with clashes against the Storm, Sharks and Raiders tossed in there as well. Only two of those games will realistically be at home as well, with the round 10 clash against Parramatta during Magic Round.
See full season preview for the Roosters here
Wests Tigers
Round 1-7: Storm [H], Knights [A], Warriors [H], Titans [A], Sharks [A], Eels [A], Rabbitohs [H]
As perhaps the side under the most pressure heading into 2022, all eyes will be on how the Tigers fare to start the season.
Michael Maguire's side face the equal least number of games against teams from last season's top eight, but their first seven rounds feature five of those sides.
Luckily, they'll only be forced to take on the Storm, Panthers, Roosters once all year while after the first two months, their draw is far more forgiving.
Chasing their first finals appearance in over a decade, the Tigers' fate will be tested early on but it will equally prove just how up to the task Maguire is as a coach after almost facing the sack this season.
See full season preview for the Tigers here
Penrith Panthers
Rounds 20-23: Eels [A] Raiders [A] Storm [H] Rabbitohs [A]
For a side that won the competition last year, it's going to be difficult to find a really tough period of the draw. After all, nobody finished ahead of them in 2021.
Penrith will face one tricky run at the end of the season however, when they take on three clubs that troubled them last year.
An away trip to face Parramatta in Round 20 will be a rematch from their dramatic and controversial semi-final, while they will also take on recent rivals Melbourne in Round 22.
Penrith will also face grand finalists South Sydney in Round 23, as well as a tough away game against the Raiders during this four-week stretch.
See full season preview for the Panthers here
Melbourne Storm
Round 14-19: Roosters [A], Broncos [H], Sea Eagles [A], Sharks [A], Raiders [H], Rabbitohs [A]
A few difficult road trips coming out of the Origin period could have huge bearing on where Melbourne finish up at the end of the regular season. With several of their big names in line for a state call-up this year, the side's depth could be tested with an away game against the Roosters in round 14, with subsequent trips to Sydney to play the Sea Eagles, Sharks and Rabbitohs to follow.
See full season preview for the Storm here
Manly Sea Eagles
Rounds 7-12: Sharks [A], Rabbitohs [A], Tigers [H], Broncos [Magic Round], Eels [A], Storm [A]
Barring a round nine clash against the Tigers to break it up, the Sea Eagles face a difficult stretch of games on the edge of the representative period that includes away trips to Cronulla, South Sydney, Parramatta and the Storm, plus a 'home game' for Magic Round against Brisbane.
See full season preview for the Sea Eagles here
South Sydney Rabbitohs
Round 2-4: Storm [A], Roosters [H], Panthers [A]
The start to the season will provide Demetriou the perfect yardstick of where his side is compared to last season, with South Sydney to face the premiers from the last three years in the Panthers, Storm and Roosters in the opening month.
See full season preview for the Rabbitohs here
Parramatta Eels
Rounds 20-25: Panthers [H] Sea Eagles [A] Rabbitohs [H] Bulldogs [H] Broncos [A] Storm [H]
Parramatta will want to have a good start and middle of the season, because their run home isn't going to be easy at all.
In the final six rounds, they will play the entire top four from last season - including an away trip to Brookvale Oval - in what promises to be a highly-challenging period.
The reprieve will come in Rounds 23 and 24 when they take on Canterbury and Brisbane, and they will need to make sure they collect four points there.
See full season preview for the Eels here
St. George Illawarra Dragons
Round 2-7: Panthers [H], Sharks [H], Eels [A], Rabbitohs [A], Knights [H], Roosters [H]
Griffin's side have been handed one of the softest draws of all the teams that missed the top eight in 2021 overall next season, but will be made to work early.
A difficult six weeks stretch where the Red V will take on five teams that played finals this year - including premiers Penrith - at the start of the year could be season-defining as Griffin looks to lead his side to their first finals campaign in four years.
See full season preview for the Dragons here
Canberra Raiders
Rounds 1-7: Sharks [H] Cowboys [A] Titans [H] Sea Eagles [A] Storm [H] Cowboys [H] Panthers [A]
The start of the season will be rather tricky for Canberra, as they are set to take on three out of the top four sides from last season - and they'll have to travel for two of them.
After opening the season against the new-look Sharks, Canberra will also face the Titans - who made the finals last year - before a four-week run where they play Manly, Melbourne and Penrith.
The slight reprieve in those first seven rounds is the fact they play the Cowboys twice, who are expected to struggle this season - but the other five games are going to prove extremely tough.
See full season preview for the Raiders here
Gold Coast Titans
Rounds 5-9: Eels [H] Manly [A] Cowboys [A] Panthers [H] Roosters [A]
The toughest period of the season for the Titans comes rather early in their campaign.
In a five-week span, they play four sides from the top eight last year - headlined by a clash at home against defending premiers Penrith.
The only reprieve during that five-week period is their game against the Cowboys, but an away trip to Townsville is never an easy game, regardless of how the side are travelling.
See full season preview for the Titans here
Newcastle Knights
Round 1-8: Roosters [A], Tigers [H], Panthers [A], Sharks [A], Sea Eagles [H], Dragons [A], Eels [H], Storm [H]
Arguably one of the toughest openings to the season of any team in 2022, with away trips to the Roosters, Panthers and Sharks and tough clashes against the Sea Eagles and Storm at home in there as well. If they can win more than they lose over the opening two months of the season it'll be worth celebrating for Knights fans.
See full season preview for the Knights here
Brisbane Broncos
Rounds 5-10: Roosters [H] Panthers [A] Bulldogs [H] Sharks [H] Rabbitohs [A] Sea Eagles [A]
Starting with a home game against the Roosters, they will then be forced into away games against three of the top four teams from last season in Penrith, South Sydney and Manly. That is rough.
In the other two games in that period, Brisbane will meet a new-look Bulldogs outfit, as well as the Sharks, who many are expecting to improve rapidly in 2022.
See full season preview for the Broncos here
Canterbury Bulldogs
Round 3-8: Sea Eagles [A], Storm [A], Panthers [H], Rabbitohs [A], Broncos [A] and Roosters [H]
After games against the Cowboys and Broncos to start, Canterbury will go on a tough six-week stretch that starts with an away trip to Manly and is followed by clashes with the Storm, Panthers, Rabbitohs, Broncos and Roosters. Talk about a test of character to start the year.
See full season preview for the Bulldogs here
New Zealand Warriors
Rounds 6-10: Roosters [A] Storm [A] Raiders [H] Sharks [A] Rabbitohs [H]
This five-week period for the Warriors is going to be extremely tough - but the bonus is they are getting it out of the way rather early.
Starting with two away trips against the competition heavyweights Roosters and Storm, Nathan Brown's men will be hard-pressed finding a victory there.
They'll play two bottom-eight sides from last year in Canberra and Cronulla in the fortnight after that, but both sides are expected to improve in 2022, before finishing their tough stretch with a clash against South Sydney.
If the Warriors can escape this period with more than one win, it would be a massive result for them.
See full season preview for the Warriors here
North Queensland Cowboys
Round 11-15: Storm [H], Panthers [A], Titans [A], Dragons [H], Sea Eagles [A]
The Cowboys have a softer draw compared to many of the other sides that missed the finals in 2021, but their season could hinge on a difficult month-long stretch in the middle of the year.
See full season preview for the Cowboys here
