NRL.com provides comprehensive breakdown of how the 2015 NRL draw affects your team and the make-or-break moments to look forward to next year.
• After two favourable draws in the past couple of years, the league's biggest improvers will have a far more difficult job reaching the heights of 2014. The Panthers kick off the new year hosting the side that ended their premiership run in the Bulldogs, one of two games against the 2014 grand finalists and six altogether broadcast on Channel Nine.
• Home-and-away games against top four elitists South Sydney, the Roosters and Manly also await a team that will now have a big target on their backs following their recent success.
• An early trip to Bathurst for a 'home' game against the Titans comes up in Round 2 but they won't return home to Sportingbet until they host the Cowboys in Round 5 as part of three games across the league on an Easter Monday rugby league smorgasbord.
• The schedule does lighten up around Origin time, when their two byes sit on Origin duty weekends before they meet a Rabbitohs side minus Greg Inglis et al in Round 17. Of course, the Panthers could be minus Matt Moylan and Josh Mansour if they earn Blues call-ups.
• If Ivan Cleary can negotiate his team through a make-or-break month after Origin – a test that includes games against the Roosters, Manly and a re-match against a full-strength Rabbitohs side – then they'll eye off a run home against the Eels (A), Warriors (H), Dragons (A), Raiders (A) and Knights (H).
• The Panthers will be one of the most widely travelled teams in 2015 with games in Bathurst, Newcastle, Canberra, Gold Coast, Darwin, Brisbane, Melbourne and Wollongong.
