The NRL is reportedly experimenting with artificial intelligence to map out next year's draw.
The Sydney Morning Herald revealed that the league hopes a new system will help tackle the increasingly complex scheduling demands.
Chairman of the Australian rugby league commission Peter V'landys lauded the flexibility of the new program.
"I’ve never seen anything quite like it, the variables that are in it," he said at the NRL/NRLW grand final breakfast.
"The broadcasters get a pick, the clubs get a pick, there’s the Magic Round, there’s Vegas, there’s all these different [factors]."
The AI system weighs travel, venue availability, and broadcast windows to produce a schedule far more efficiently than traditional processes used to create the draw.
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How has the NRL traditionally calculated the draw?
Previously, Optimal Planning Solutions handled the draw.
They used their software to balance broadcast requests, club preferences, and marquee events like Magic Round and State of Origin.
V'landys joked about the NRL's relationship with the Canadian-based firm, who also organise the fixtures in the NFL.
"I think it’s American now, so there’s a bit of a tariff on it, but that’s all right," he said.
How do other global sporting leagues decide on fixtures?
Leagues across the world are increasingly using AI for their scheduling.
Reports suggest that Fastbreak AI handles the NBA, NHL and MLS, streamlining their logistics in recent seasons.
In the UK, the Premier League partnered with Microsoft to integrate AI tools across digital platforms, giving fans instant stats and historical insights.
For the NRL, AI generated draws are a major step in the evolution of the sport, theoretically making life easier for staff in the league office.
When will the NRL 2026 draw be released?
While no official release date for the 2026 draw has been revealed, the NRL has historically opted for mid-November to make the announcement.
The draw for last season was released on November 21, and the two seasons prior came on November 13 and November 10.