NEWCASTLE Knights chief executive Phil Gardner has declared fans will be the winners after the release of the NRL's landmark schedule for season 2022.
As well as playing host to glamour teams Penrith, Melbourne, South Sydney, Sydney Roosters and Manly on home turf, the Novocastrian faithful will also for the first time have an NRLW side to support.
The NRLW Knights will feature in at least two showpiece occasions next year.
They will kick off the season on Sunday, February 27, when they take on Parramatta in an historic triple-header at McDonald Jones Stadium.
St George Illawarra tackle Gold Coast and defending champions Brisbane face the Roosters in the first two games, before the Knights and Eels clash at 3.50pm.
Less than a month later, Newcastle's women's and men's teams will stage a home-ground double-header, on Sunday, March 20.
The women will play the Dragons from 1.45pm, then Newcastle's men take on Wests Tigers at 4.05pm.
Gardner expects that eventually it will become the norm for all NRLW teams to play curtain-raisers before their male counterparts.
"The scheduling for next year has been difficult, because the NRLW season is so short," Gardner said.
"But I think once the NRLW expands to eight teams, we should be able to align it so the women and the men regularly play on the same day."
Gardner said from a crowd-pulling perspective, the Knights have been allocated "one of the best draws this club has had for many, many years."
Reigning premiers Penrith will play in Newcastle for the first time since 2019 in a round-14 blockbuster.
Likewise, neither Melbourne nor the Rabbitohs have played against the Knights in Newcastle since 2018.
"We've got all the marquee teams that we wanted coming here," Gardner said.
"Penrith, Souths, the Roosters, Melbourne, Manly ... they're games that the fans will be looking forward to, in particular.
"And we've got seven Sunday-afternoon games, which has always been our preferred time slot."
From a footballing perspective, Gardner said the Knights were relieved that they haven't been allocated "any really bad turnarounds" between games.
There were suggestions that the Knights received a favourable draw in 2021, but there will be no such luxury next year.
The nine teams the Knights will play twice include title-holders Penrith, the Roosters and Manly, all of whom are expected to feature prominently at the business end of proceedings.
The traditional Old Boys Day game, one of the highlights of any Knights season, will return to the final regular-season round against Cronulla, on Sunday, September 4.
Meanwhile, Newcastle officials are still working through the process of granting veteran Mitchell Pearce a release that would allow him to join Catalans Dragons in Super League.
The Knights announced on Tuesday that fringe first-graders Phoenix Crossland, Chad Randall and Jack Johns have all re-signed with the club for 2022.
KNIGHTS' SCHEDULE 2022
NRL MEN
Rd 1 v Roosters (a)
Rd 2 v Tigers (h)
Rd 3 v Panthers (a)
Rd 4 v Sharks (a)
Rd 5 v Sea Eagles (h)
Rd 6 v Dragons (a)
Rd 7 v Eels (h)
Rd 8 v Storm (h)
Rd 9 v Cowboys (a)
Rd 10 v Bulldogs (a)
Rd 11 v Broncos (h)
Rd 12 v Warriors (a)
Rd 13 v Bye
Rd 14 v Panthers (h)
Rd 15 v Raiders (a)
Rd 16 v Titans (h)
Rd 17 v Rabbitohs (h)
Rd 18 v Sea Eagles (a)
Rd 19 v Roosters (h)
Rd 20 v Bulldogs (h)
Rd 21 v Tigers (a)
Rd 22 v Broncos (a)
Rd 23 v Raiders (h)
Rd 24 v Titans (a)
Rd 25 v Sharks (h)
NRL WOMEN
Rd 1 v Eels (h)
Rd 2 v Broncos (a)
Rd 3 v Roosters (a)
Rd 4 v Dragons (h)
Rd 5 v Titans (a)
