TAKEAWAYS FROM THE 2022 DRAW

1 Life on the road

This will be the heaviest road schedule coach Ty Williams has navigated since first stepping into the role in 2017. Six of their first eight games are away from home, with trips to Ipswich, grand finalists Wynnum-Manly and rivals Mackay. Williams isn’t put off by the schedule – they lost just once away from home in the 2021 season.

2 Bring on the Hawks

The first home game will be a corker, with Townsville Blackhawks the first team to visit Cairns. The clubs split their fixtures in 2021, both ending at 30-26, but the Pride have not yet beaten the Blackhawks at Barlow Park. If the weather is kind, there should be an outstanding crowd for this clash.

3 Saturday night fever

Get used to watching (or reading about) the Pride playing on a Saturday. The Pride is scheduled to play just once on a Sunday – a trip to Brisbane Tigers – with their other 18 games set to kick off between 3pm and 8pm on Saturdays. Same-day travel and flight availability is a key reason, but that schedule provides plenty of clarity to fans.

4 There are no easy games

The Pride will face the other clubs who finished in the bottom six just six times next year. Northern Pride (9th) will face the Jets (13th) twice, then Hunters (10th), Tigers (11th), Mackay (12th), and Capras (14th) once each.

That leaves 13 games against teams in the top eight (but only once against the premiers, Norths). It's a challenge the players will relish.

5 Run home at home

The Pride play just two games in Brisbane and another in Townsville in the final 12 rounds of the season, with every other fixture in FNQ. One of their away games between rounds 9 and 20 will be played in Tully (thanks, Souths Logan), and while Townsville isn’t too far, the up-to five-hour bus trip can still be punishing.

The favourable run home gives the Pride every advantage they need to make the finals.