The National Rugby League has today officially released the draw for the 2015 Telstra Premiership season. In what will be a big year for the Bulldogs where we celebrate our 80th Anniversary, there will be plenty of momentous matches throughout the year.
Whilst kicking off the season in a replay of last year’s Preliminary Final against the Penrith Panthers at Sportingbet Stadium, it will be the following week in Round 2 when the blue and whites face the Parramatta Eels in the first home match of the season at ANZ Stadium on Friday, 13 March.
Round 5 will see possibly the biggest regular season fixture take place with the annual Good Friday and Grand Final replay against the South Sydney Rabbitohs on Friday, 3 April.
There will be back to back home matches in Round 7 against the Sea-Eagles on Friday, 17 April and in Round 8 v Wests Tigers on Friday, 24 April.
The next home fixture will come in Round 10 when the Bulldogs take on the Roosters on Friday, 15 May in what will be the first of the Origin stand-down rounds. Round 15 will see the second match-up of the year against the Panthers at ANZ Stadium on Saturday, 20 June.
In what is a huge win for the Bulldogs faithful and in partnership with one of the host broadcasters, FOX Sports, Belmore Sports Ground will host a Monday night fixture against Melbourne Storm on Monday, 29 June.
Following Origin 3, the Bulldogs will face the Broncos at ANZ Stadium on Saturday, 11 July but this will be followed by the biggest occasion on the calendar when the Bulldogs play the official ‘Back to Belmore’ match against the Sharks in Round 20 to celebrate 80 years since the club’s entrance into the New South Wales Rugby League in 1935.
The regular season will round out with home matches against the Titans in Round 23 and the Warriors in Round 26, with the dates and times to be set later in the season.
As it stands today, Bulldogs members will also receive reciprocal rights to matches including Round 4 v Wests Tigers (Friday, 27 March), Round 6 v Dragons (Sunday, 12 April), Round 19 v Eels (Friday, 17 July) and Round 24 v Rabbitohs (Date TBC).
Full 2015 draw available here.