Newcastle's predicted season-opener against Canberra next year was scheduled for a Thursday night because McDonald Jones Stadium is hosting a freestyle-motorcross event on the Saturday.
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In a draft fixtures list leaked to the media this week, the Knights were pencilled in to host the Raiders in the Thursday time slot which both clubs rarely feature in.
The Knights have played on a Thursday just seven times over the past 11 years, since it became a regular match day in 2013. The Raiders have played 11 Thursday games over the same period.
The allocation is understood to have drawn the ire of free-to-air broadcaster Channel Nine, according to Sydney media reports.
The match would be the first of the regular season played in Australia, coming after the double-header in Las Vegas which includes clashes between the Sydney Roosters and Brisbane Broncos, and Manly Sea Eagles and South Sydney Rabbitiohs.
The full NRL draw is set to be released next week.
The Knights' trials were formally announced on Friday. As part of the Pre-Season Challenge, Newcastle will take on Cronulla at Gosford's Industree Group Stadium from 1.45pm on Saturday, February 17.
A week later, they are scheduled to face the Storm in the same time slot, but the venue was listed as 'to be confirmed'.
The Storm hope to play the game in Fiji, after landing Fiji Airways as a sponsor.
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