After announcing in recent weeks the 2015 draw would be one of the most fan-friendly draws created, Monday's unveiling of the fixtures was all a bit of a let down.

The Brisbane Broncos and South Sydney Rabbitohs are dominating Friday night timeslots again and it seems incredibly ironic the Penrith Panthers, a team which captivated last season and caught the attention of all rugby league fans, has been handed a favourable draw.

Of course the teams which had the most success last year are going to be given more air time, and justifiably so, while one of the Friday night matches will always be one featuring a Queensland team.

But in recent seasons the North Queensland Cowboys, and to a lesser extent the Gold Coast Titans, have had just as much, if not more, success than the Broncos. Surely they can bump the Brisbane side from their Friday night throne for a few weeks?

But, as always, the game is run by money and despite it being "the draw for the fans" it seems that only applies to the fans of a few certain teams.

As a Parramatta supporter I obviously feel a little stronger about this topic than most but for the second consecutive year the Eels have been drawn to play every interstate team away from home, including three matches in a row played at Townsville, the Gold Coast and Darwin.

How this set of fixtures is for the Parramatta fans is beyond me as again the Eels faithful will be unable to see the likes of Johnathon Thurston, Billy Slater, Shaun Johnson and Sam Thaiday playing live at Parramatta Stadium, unless it occurs in the finals (and here's hoping!).

While there are plenty of questions needing to be asked after the draw there are also some positives.

The fact the Bulldogs are taking matches back to Belmore is fantastic while the lesser matches around State of Origin time is hugely beneficial for clubs and players.

Televised matches on Sunday afternoons will now also be shown live while for fans of the game here at Dubbo the biggest point of interest is the fact the round five match between the Manly Sea Eagles and Canberra Raiders is to be held at a venue currently to be confirmed.

It's no secret at all that we want that match played here.

And judging by some of Manly's crowds last year, and nearly every one of the Raiders' crowds, it seems extremely conceivable a match at our very own Apex Oval would draw a bigger crowd than Brookvale or any other ground in Sydney.

As a fan of the game the 2015 fixtures didn't excite me too much but it will be a whole lot better if I get to sit in the stands at Apex Oval on April 4 and watch some top-class NRL.