Perth Wildcats are confident their members will embrace the NBL’s new look fixture with the club having three Thursday night matches and one Monday evening clash throughout the 2022/23 season.

The Wildcats will be attempting to rebound from missing the finals for the first time since 1986 and will open their season against Brisbane on Sunday October 2.

The NBL has also set up a potentially dramatic finish to the year.

The Wildcats will play the final match of the regular season at home against the Sydney Kings in a match which has the potential to shape the play-offs.

Perth fans have shown a preference for playing home games on Friday nights and the club still has six of those. While they bookend the season on Sundays, they are the only afternoon matches at RAC Arena.

Newly-installed commercial head Sam Fotu said the Wildcats were on track to again have 12,000 members and he believes they will enjoy the home schedule.

“Those six Friday night games are blockbusters and are all back to 6.30pm because we’re starting the season in October again,” he said.

“I know we have a lot of regional spectators that come up and it’s going to be difficult for them to make it up for the Thursday games.

“But I think with the changes to the team and some signings that will be coming up shortly, I do think people will be keen to see what the team looks like after last year. People are keen to see how this team will perform.

“And only having two day games is incredible for the family balance. It means those who are involved in sport can still enjoy their basketball and that’s a huge positive from this schedule. The whole fixture does appear a bit more normal again after COVID and I think fans will appreciate that.”

Fotu said the expansion of the NBL to include Tasmania last season and widespread belief that more teams will be added means the league will have no option other than to schedule more non-weekend games.

The NBL season will begin on October 1 and the New Zealand Breakers will end 489 days without a match in their home country by hosting Tasmania on October 7.

Games will be played on Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, Boxing Day, New Year’s Eve, New Year’s Day and Australia Day.

The Wildcats will play against Illawarra in New South Wales as the first of the two New Year’s Eve games.

The team faces several daunting road trips. They play successive games in Brisbane, New Zealand and Adelaide from December 1-9 and then have a stretch from Brisbane to Illawarra to New Zealand and Sydney from December 27 to January 7.

“I know the team has been looking at what that will look like from a peak performance point of view,” Fotu said.

“They’re key priorities for John Rillie, Danny Mills and the team heading into the season.”

PERTH WILDCATS’ FIXTURE

Sun Oct 2 v Brisbane Bullets - 1pm at RAC Arena

Sat Oct 8 v Illawarra Hawks – 5pm at RAC Arena

Mon Oct 10 v Cairns Taipans – 4.30pm at Cairns Convention Centre

Fri Oct 14 v Melbourne United – 6.30pm at RAC Arena

Sat Oct 22 v Tasmania JackJumpers – 5pm at MyState Bank Arena

Fri Oct 28 v South East Melbourne Phoenix – 6.30pm at RAC Arena

Mon Oct 31 v Melbourne United – 4.30pm at John Cain Arena

Thurs Nov 3 v Tasmania JackJumpers – 6.30pm at RAC Arena

Sat Nov 5 v Adelaide 36ers – 5pm at Adelaide Entertainment Centre

Thurs Nov 17 v South East Melbourne Phoenix – 6.30pm at RAC Arena

Thurs Nov 24 v Adelaide 36ers – 6.30pm at RAC Arena

Thurs Dec 1 v Brisbane Bullets – 4.30pm at Nissan Arena

Sat Dec 3 v New Zealand Breakers – 2.30pm at Spark Arena

Fri Dec 9 v Adelaide 36ers – 4.30pm at Adelaide Entertainment Centre

Mon Dec 12 v Melbourne United – 6.30pm at RAC Arena

Fri Dec 16 v New Zealand Breakers – 6.30pm at RAC Arena

Tues Dec 20 v Cairns Taipans – 4.30pm at Cairns Convention Centre

Tues Dec 27 v Brisbane Bullets – 4.30pm at Nissan Arena

Sat Dec 31 v Illawarra Hawks – 2.30pm at WIN Entertainment Centre

Wed Jan 4 v New Zealand Breakers – 2.30pm at TSB Stadium

Sat Jan 7 v Sydney Kings – 5pm at Qudos Bank Arena

Sat Jan 14 v Adelaide 36ers – 5pm at RAC Arena

Fri Jan 20 v Sydney Kings – 6.30pm at RAC Arena

Sun Jan 22 v South East Melbourne Phoenix – 11am at State Basketball Centre

Fri Jan 27 v Illawarra Hawks – 6.30pm at RAC Arena

Sun Jan 29 v Tasmania JackJumpers – 11am at MyState Bank Arena

Fri Feb 3 v Cairns Taipans – 6.30pm at RAC Arena

Sun Feb 5 v Sydney Kings – 1pm at RAC Arena