# 2023 NRL Pre-season Challenge

The 2023 NRL Pre-season Challenge was played between the 9th and 19th February 2023, before a 11-day lead up until the beginning of the 2023 NRL season.

## Background

The 2023 pre-season saw the introduction of the inaugural Pre-season Challenge, with bonus points rewarding teams for scoring tries, making line breaks and offloading.
As the 2023 World Club Challenge was hosted in Australia, the competition was incorporated into the final week of the Pre-season Challenge, which also resulted in St Helens participating in the NRL Pre-season Challenge in both weeks.

## Standings

The winner of the Pre-season Challenge would receive $100,000 AUD. Only matches in the second and third week of the pre-season counted towards the standings, excluding the All Stars match.
Twelve competition points are awarded for a win and six for a draw. One bonus competition point is awarded for each of the following: 5 or more tries, 5 or more line breaks, and 10 or more offloads.
Key to colours in table :
* Winners of 2023 NRL Pre-season Challenge
2023 NRL Pre-season Challenge :
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | BP | PF | PA | PD | Pts |
| 1 | Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 58 | 44 | +14 | 29 |
| 2 | Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 64 | 32 | +32 | 28 |
| 3 | St Helens | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 42 | 30 | +12 | 21$^1$ |
| 4 | Gold Coast Titans | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 64 | 40 | +24 | 21 |
| 5 | Brisbane Broncos | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 44 | 42 | +2 | 20 |
| 6 | Penrith Panthers | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 34 | 26 | +6 | 19$^1$ |
| 7 | Melbourne Storm | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 48 | 38 | +10 | 16 |
| 8 | Parramatta Eels | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 52 | 36 | +16 | 15 |
| 9 | South Sydney Rabbitohs | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 70 | 54 | +16 | 15 |
| 10 | Sydney Roosters | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 48 | 52 | -4 | 15 |
| 11 | Wests Tigers | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 48 | 52 | -4 | 15 |
| 12 | New Zealand Warriors | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 54 | 36 | +18 | 14 |
| 13 | Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 50 | 54 | -4 | 14 |
| 14 | Dolphins | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 38 | 62 | -24 | 9 |
| 15 | North Queensland Cowboys | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 40 | 42 | -2 | 6 |
| 16 | St. George Illawarra Dragons | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 42 | 72 | -30 | 2 |
| 17 | Newcastle Knights | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 30 | 64 | -34 | 2 |
| 18 | Canberra Raiders | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 22 | 70 | -48 | 1 |
Notes: $^1$ St Helens and Penrith each received six NRL Pre-season Challenge competition points for 'drawing' the 2023 World Club Challenge match that was won by St Helens in golden point extra time.

## Fixtures
### First week

* 9 February 2023 18:00 NZDT (UTC+13:00)
| New Zealand Warriors | 48–12 | Wests Tigers |
| | Report | |
* Mt Smart Stadium, Auckland Attendance: 4,000 Referee: Belinda Sharpe
* 10 February 2023 17:55 AEDT (UTC+11:00)
| Newcastle Knights | 16–28 | Cronulla Sutherland Sharks |
| | Report | |
* Industree Group Stadium, Gosford Attendance: 9,807 Referee: Kasey Badger
* 10 February 2023 20:00 AEDT (UTC+11:00)
| South Sydney Rabbitohs | 28–30 | Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles |
| | Report | |
* Industree Group Stadium, Gosford Attendance: 9,807 Referee: Todd Smith
* 11 February 2023 18:00 AEDT (UTC+11:00)
| Penrith Panthers | 22–16 | Parramatta Eels |
| | Report | |
* Bluebet Stadium, Sydney Attendance: 3,525 Referee: Wyatt Raymond
* 11 February 2023 20:05 AEDT (UTC+11:00)
| St George Illawarra Dragons | 18–30 | St Helens |
| | Report | |
* WIN Stadium, Wollongong Attendance: 6,463 Referee: Liam Kennedy
* 12 February 2023 13:50 AEDT (UTC+11:00)
| Melbourne Storm | 24–32 | Sydney Roosters |
| | Report | |
* GMHBA Stadium, Geelong Attendance: 7,857 Referee: Chris Sutton
* 12 February 2023 15:55 AEDT (UTC+11:00)
| Canberra Raiders | 18–34 | Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs |
| | Report | |
* Ack Weyman Oval, Moruya Attendance: 4,535 Referee: Peter Gough
* 12 February 2023 18:00 AEST (UTC+10:00)
| North Queensland Cowboys | 22–22 | Dolphins |
| | Report | |
* Barlow Park, Cairns Attendance: 6,922 Referee: Ziggy Przeklasa-Adamski
* 12 February 2023 20:05 AEST (UTC+10:00)
| Brisbane Broncos | 24–24 | Gold Coast Titans |
| | Report | |
* Sunshine Coast Stadium, Sunshine Coast Referee: Darian Furner

### Second week

* 17 February 2023 17:55 AEDT (UTC+11:00)
| Newcastle Knights | 14–36 | Parramatta Eels |
| | Report | |
* Industree Group Stadium, Gosford Attendance: 10,744 Referee: Grant Atkins
* 17 February 2023 20:00 AEDT (UTC+11:00)
| Sydney Roosters | 16–28 | Manly Warringah Sea Eagles |
| | Report | |
* Industree Group Stadium, Gosford Attendance: 10,744 Referee: Chris Butler
* 18 February 2023 16:20 AEDT (UTC+11:00)
| St George Illawarra Dragons | 24–42 | South Sydney Rabbitohs |
| | Report | |
* Glen Willow Oval, Mudgee Attendance: 8,317 Referee: Peter Gough
* 18 February 2023 18:50 AEDT (UTC+11:00)
| Penrith Panthers | 12–13 | St Helens |
| | Report | |
* Bluebet Stadium, Sydney Attendance: 13,873 Referee: Ashley Klein
* 18 February 2023 19:55 AEST (UTC+10:00)
| Brisbane Broncos | 20–18 | North Queensland Cowboys |
| | Report | |
* Sunshine Coast Stadium, Sunshine Coast Attendance: 4,605 Referee: Todd Smith
* 19 February 2023 14:50 NZDT (UTC+13:00)
| New Zealand Warriors | 6–24 | Melbourne Storm |
| | Report | |
* Orangetheory Stadium, Christchurch Attendance: 12,000 Referee: Ziggy Przeklasa-Adamski
* 19 February 2023 14:55 AEDT (UTC+11:00)
| Wests Tigers | 36–4 | Canberra Raiders |
| | Report | |
* Belmore Sports Ground, Sydney Attendance: 7,801 Referee: Ben Cummins
* 19 February 2023 17:00 AEDT (UTC+11:00)
| Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs | 16–36 | Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks |
| | Report | |
* Belmore Sports Ground, Sydney Attendance: 7,801 Referee: Liam Kennedy
* 19 February 2023 19:05 AEST (UTC+10:00)
| Dolphins | 16–40 | Gold Coast Titans |
| | Report | |
* Kayo Stadium, Brisbane Attendance: 7,206 Referee: Adam Gee