2017 Draw released

Melbourne Storm welcomes the release of the 2017 Telstra NRL Premiership Draw today, with a number of highlights for members and fans.

“It is a very balanced draw, there is a lot in there for our members with a number of big teams coming down to Melbourne in some good timeslots,” Storm CEO Dave Donaghy said.

“Our first home game of the season is a Thursday night blockbuster against the Broncos and we will again host the Warriors on ANZAC Day. Our Double Header at Suncorp Stadium which was a huge sell-out and a success this year, will be back in 2017.

“We have certainly looked at it in the right spirit and look forward to attracting big crowds at AAMI Park.”

Highlights of the 2017 Draw:

• Six games in prime time slots – four Friday nights, two Thursdays
• 11 home games at AAMI Park starting with a Round 3 Thursday night blockbuster against the Brisbane Broncos
• Grand Final re-match against Cronulla at AAMI Park in Round 6
• Must-see ANZAC Day clash against the Warriors at AAMI Park.
• NRL Double Header returns with Storm to play the Titans at Suncorp Stadium in Round 10
• Round 25 & 26 – Back-to-back home games at AAMI Park to end the season including a Preliminary Final re-match against the Raiders with no AFL in town
• Storm will travel to most parts of Australia in 2017 including new markets South Australia and Western Australia

2017 Membership is now on sale! Join our team today!

Melbourne will kick-off the season in prime time with consecutive Friday night games against the Bulldogs (March 10) at Belmore and Warriors (March 10) at Mt Smart Stadium.

Storm will also have an increased presence on free-to-air television and will look to further develop relationships with the NRL’s host broadcasters.

“We’ve got a wonderful relationship with Fox Sports and of course they have got the simulcast for all the games next year,” Donaghy said.

“It is great that we have a few more games on Channel Nine this year. We have got six free-to-air Nine games in the first 20 weeks which is a significant improvement on where we were in 2016.

“We are looking forward to working with Nine to push our game and our Club into that Melbourne market. It is a good opportunity for us to promote the matchday experience and the wonderful spectacle that is watching a game at AAMI Park.”

The Club’s Thursday night home game opener against the Broncos falls a week before the AFL season starts.

For the eighth time the traditional ANZAC Day clash against Trans-Tasman rivals the Warriors returns to AAMI Park in Round 8, a game that traditionally sells-out early.

It will be a difficult early season test for Craig Bellamy’s side who play four of their first six games against teams who made the finals in 2016.

Melbourne fans will be able to ride the wave of excitement at the back end of the season with four of the last six games at AAMI Park, including back-to-back home games to once again end the season.

Storm will play the following teams twice during the season; Warriors, Broncos, Sharks, Sea Eagles, Rabbitohs, Knights, Cowboys, Roosters, Raiders.

The team will experience just one five-day break in 2017, leading into the Round 9 trip against the Dragons.

The Representative Round will fall between Round 9 and 10 while Storm will also have two byes in Rounds 12 and 19. The dates for the 2017 State of Origin Series are; Game I - May 31, Game II - June 21, Game III - July 12, with Storm’s selected Origin players to only miss one game during this period.

2017 MELBOURNE STORM FIXTURE