Ben Hunt will take on his former teammates when the Dragons kick-off the 2018 season against Brisbane at UOW Jubilee Oval on Thursday, March 8.
Adding extra rivalry to the clash, Wayne Bennett will return to the stadium where he lifted the Provan-Summons trophy after coaching the Dragons to premiership glory in 2010.
Former Shark, Jack Bird will also play his first game for the Broncos in the round one clash.
Cronulla will travel to Townsville to kick-start their 2018 campaign with a Friday night clash against this year’s fairytale team, the Cowboys.
In a mouth-watering clash, Cronulla will be seeking revenge after North Queensland ended their 2017 finals campaign, thanks to a golden point field goal from Michael Morgan.
It will also be co-captain, Johnathan Thurston’s 300th game, making the task more difficult for the Sharks.
Fans will only have to wait to round two for the next chapter of the Cronulla and St George Illawarra rivalry at Southern Cross Stadium on a Thursday night.
The famous clash will be even more explosive with the added factor of Josh Dugan lining up for Cronulla against his former club.
It will only be a month before the second derby of the season with the Dragons hosting Cronulla in round six on a Friday night at Win Stadium.
In a season-defining month for the Red V, the Dragons will travel to New Zealand in round seven, before a five-day turnaround for the traditional Anzac Day clash in round eight and a match up against the premiers at Kogarah in round nine.
For Cronulla, they will host a replay of the 2016 grand final against the Storm on Good Friday in round four.
The Sharks play the Cowboys, Brisbane and Melbourne twice this season which will be pivotal to how Paul Gallen’s team will fair in 2018.
The Dragons will also take a game to Mudgee’s Glen Willow Stadium in round 11 against Canberra on Sunday, May 20.
