Knights director of football Peter Parr finds positives for supporters in 'fair and reasonable' 2023 draw

The Knights open their campaign in New Zealand on March 3 against the Warriors at Wellington, which is one of multiple away trips they will make to less utilised venues including at Perth, Mudgee and Coffs Harbour.

The club's first home game is against NRL newcomers the Dolphins, who Knights captain Kalyn Ponga rejected earlier this year, in round three on Friday, March 17.

The first six matches shape as favourable encounters for under-pressure coach Adam O'Brien.

Newcastle also face the Tigers (round two), Raiders (round four), Sea Eagles (round five) and Warriors again at home (round six).

"At first glance, I would have thought it's fair and reasonable," Parr told the Newcastle Herald on Thursday.

"It's a difficult job putting the draw together. It's not a job I'd like to do, to try and placate 17 teams. Most people I've found that are critical of the NRL draw, usually do it with the benefit of hindsight.

"Who you play and where you play them, ultimately you don't have any control over that. You've just got to go and get on with it."

The draw confirmed Newcastle will miss out on Magic Round, one of three byes they'll have. The others are in round 14 and 19.

The Knights only play three teams from this year's top-eight twice next season; reigning premiers the Panthers, and the Sharks and Raiders.

Four of the club's games are on a Friday night, while the rest are either on a Saturday or Sunday - which Parr views as a win for fans given weekend matches are generally easier to attend.

It also provides a benefit for the team of few short turnarounds between games.

The new Knights boss said the draw should matter little for the coach and players.

"If we're relying on the draw to help us get some results, then we're looking in the wrong direction," he said.

"Every year ... some teams that are predicted to go well don't, and other teams that are predicted to struggle surprise people.

"I don't think you can really look at it from a football point of view.

"You just worry about yourself and get everything in place, particularly for the away games because we play at a number of different locations. We just have to make sure we're well prepared."

The Knights are set to make trips to Mudgee (Sea Eagles), Townsville, Coffs Harbour (Sharks) Canberra and Perth.

They played a pre-season game at Coffs in 1995 and last played a competition game at Perth in 1996.

Next year's match in Perth, against the Dolphins, is part of a double-header with Cronulla and Souths.

"We've got a real mixture of away venues," Parr said.

"I see that as a positive.

"It gives us an opportunity to grow the brand and represent Newcastle in all those different places."

Newcastle host traditional rivals Manly on a Sunday afternoon in round 13, and also play three consecutive home games against teams who pull a decent crowd up from Sydney in the Bulldogs, Rabbitohs and Sharks.

Those games come before the Knights conclude the regular season against St George Illawarra at Kogarah.

"One thing you always want to hope for from a draw is that it's user-friendly for your members," Parr said.

"We've got a number of Sunday games, including at the back end of the year.

"Some of the more popular teams we play, like Manly and the Roosters who have become rivals of this club, at home.

"We get to play Redcliffe in their first-ever away game, that's something we can look forward to.

"We'll be the first ones to get a look at them, outside of Queensland, in a competition game."

Knights CEO Philip Gardner reiterated calls for Newcastle to host Magic Round after the club was snubbed for the Brisbane showpiece.

"I don't know if that's economically feasible ... but we would love to have it," he told the Sydney Morning Herald.

"The economics of that make it very difficult because it's a bidding process.

"You would need the support of the NSW Government to do that, but certainly in Newcastle, at McDonald Jones Stadium, it would be a sellout."

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