Rugby league-starved Raiders fans would have been delighted at the unveiling of next year's NRL draw.
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After just 16 matches in the nation's capital over the past two Covid-hit seasons, several of which were played before significantly limited crowds, Canberra is back to hosting a full card of 11 games in 2022.
Six of those will be played during the afternoon to help soften the blow of Canberra's icy winter nights, including clashes with well-supported clubs Parramatta and St George-Illawarra.
A Friday night assignment against the Cronulla Sharks begins proceedings - just the third time in the NRL era that the Raiders will begin their campaign on a Friday evening having done so most recently against the Gold Coast in 2020.
Canberra has also been awarded eight free-to-air games in 2022, which is an increase on the seven from this season. Five of the free-to-air games are away matches.
Wagga blockbuster
Canberra's 12th home game this year will be played in Wagga Wagga again, and the people of the Riverina are in for a treat with the heavy hitting Melbourne Storm coming to town.
The NRL has also shifted the match to earlier in the season, avoiding a clash with the regional city's two-day Wagga Gold Cup horse racing carnival.
It's one of three regional NSW games the Raiders will play in 2022. A round-four clash against the Manly Sea Eagles will be played in Mudgee, while Canberra tackles beaten grand finalists South Sydney in round 11 at Dubbo.
Early challenge for new signing
New halfback Jamal Fogarty doesn't have to wait long before squaring off against his old Gold Coast teammates.
Fogarty's Raiders host the Titans in round three at Canberra Stadium, and the 27-year-old would have already circled the date in his calendar.
It's a game Raiders coach Ricky Stuart will also be looking forward to, after the Gold Coast made a mess of Canberra with a 44-6 drubbing in the capital when the sides last met in July.
Fast start, big finish
The Raiders have been given every chance to hit the ground running next season, with games against Cronulla, North Queensland, Gold Coast and Manly populating their opening month.
Cronulla and the Cowboys missed the finals entirely in 2021, while the Gold Coast only scraped in by the skin of their teeth.
Manly poses a much tougher assignment having gone through to the preliminary final, but Stuart's Raiders will fancy themselves at Mudgee against the Sea Eagles after downing Des Hasler's side at Brookvale Oval in round 17 this year.
The Green Machine also has a manageable looking final month of the regular season, with games against the Dragons, Newcastle, Manly and the Wests Tigers to close out 2022.
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Logistical leverage
Perhaps the best element of this fixture for Stuart is the spacing of Canberra's games throughout 2022 - definitely a welcome change.
There's only one five-day turnaround, and that comes early on between rounds five and six where the Storm clash in Wagga precedes a Thursday night home contest against the Cowboys.
Stuart's men have five games outside of the ACT and NSW next season, four of which will be played in Queensland across the opening 14 rounds.
Then follows a round 18 Sunday afternoon blockbuster against the Storm in Melborne.
The Raiders also avoided a trip across the Tasman, with their only clash against the New Zealand Warriors coming in round 19 at Canberra Stadium.
Contrast that with 17 matches away from Canberra in 2021, including the final stint of the season in south-east Queensland.
James Buckley
James is a Queanbeyan boy enjoying his second stint at the Canberra Times, more than eight years on from his first. In between he's traveled the world, and spent time covering sport in Sydney.
James is a Queanbeyan boy enjoying his second stint at the Canberra Times, more than eight years on from his first. In between he's traveled the world, and spent time covering sport in Sydney.
