Bradford Bulls are set for a rousing opening to their Valley Parade Super League adventure against reigning champions St Helens.

The televised showdown on Friday, March 2 will kick off the race for Grand Final glory in a repeat of last season's opener at Knowsley Road.

Bulls chairman Chris Caisley said: "It would be great to fill Valley Parade that night and that will be our aim. It is going to be a very special occasion."

The match will kick off at 8pm, as will all Friday-night games featured by Sky Sports.

The Bulls' first away game a fortnight later at Salford - which follows the quarter finals of the Challenge Cup - will also be screened.

Other highlights include four meetings with rivals Leeds Rhinos, starting with a visit to Headingley on Saturday, May 12.

Saturday will be the new night for the second televised game of the weekend and the Bulls have three more such dates in the first-half of the campaign - at Hull (April 21), Castleford (May 5) and St Helens (June 2).

In a slight change to last season's format routine, home and away fixtures will be supplemented by matches against opponents who finished in the same half of the table to take the total of games in the regular season to 28.

Super League chairman Caisley said: "The way the extra six games have been drawn will have an 'equalisation' effect as the regular season progresses and that will add greatly to the excitement."

The new season will mark a significant shift away from the game's traditional Sunday match day, with Wigan and St Helens joining Leeds in embracing Friday-night rugby.

The season will once more culminate in a top-five play-off series, with next year's Grand Final taking place at Old Trafford on Saturday October 13.