Home: 2011: no game v Cronulla, St. George, Gold Coast 2012: no game v Cronulla, Cowboys, Souths Away: 2011: no game v Canberra, Tigers, Warriors 2012: no game v Canberra, Tigers, Melbourne Home & Away stats: * 2nd year in a row no Cronulla home - bit odd * 4th year in a row no Canberra away - totally bizarre * 2nd year in a row no Tigers away - appalling no Leichhardt classic game and huge crowd misses out once again * 2nd year in a row no home game in 1st rd or last rd * Assuming rd 2 Tigers home is at Gosford - that means no Brookie home until rd 6 - why is something actually happening at Brookie??? * In 2012 no Melbourne away - that's a pretty fortunate one! (and perhaps not going to NZ in 2011 wasn't bad either in hindsight). In Aug we play consecutive home games v Newc and Bris - logic says huge chance either Newc goes to Gosford or Bris goes to Suncorp - but that would mean that after July only 1 remaining Brookie game for rest of season! In 2011 we had 3 Brookie games in Aug. Home games per month: 2011: Mar-1, Apr-2, May-1, Jun-2, July-1, Aug-3 (total 10 - plus May in Bris, July in Gosford) 2012: Mar-0?, Apr-2, May-2, June-2, July-3, Aug-1? (total 10? - plus Mar in Gosford?, Aug in Gosford or Bris?) Summary: Assuming the Aug guess above is correct, I'd be very happy to have 5 Brookie home games in mid winter June-July (2 more than 2011), although it could mean a very odd situation of just 1 Brookie home game in Aug which would be a very tough run home (compared to 3 Brookie home games in Aug 2011). But surely the oddest part of the draw is that the 2011 Premiers do not run onto their Brookie home ground until rd 6 - why?????
http://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/nrl/five-of-next-seasons-first-eight-games-in-melbourne/story-e6frfgbo-1226186675471 MELBOURNE Storm has been presented with what appears to be a comfortable introduction to the 2012 NRL season. The club does not meet a final eight side from last season until the fifth round - Newcastle Knights - with five of its first eight matches at home.
