The season started in New Zealand with the annual Auckland Nines, which was followed by the Rugby League All Stars Match, returning after a one-year hiatus, and the World Club Series.

[2] The season launched with a gala event at the Queens Wharf, Auckland on 29 January attended by a selection of the code's stars including Shaun Johnson and Greg Inglis.

The launch commercial takes members and supporters on a journey from the outback plains of Western Queensland to an inner city boot camp in Sydney and features more than fifty NRL club members and fans in a range of scenarios that include a rendition of a Haka on a Sydney train and a focus on Greg Inglis' trademark Goanna post-try celebration.

This change was to allow the Nine Network to show the match live into New South Wales and Queensland, and use it as a lead-in to their respective 6:00 pm news bulletins.

Bold – Opposition's Home game X – Bye Opponent for round listed above margin [10] [11] A new record was set for overall attendance in Week 1 of the Finals with a combined total of 131,794.