The Penrith Panthers will meet the Gold Coast Titans at Carrington Park for a Round 2 clash on Saturday, March 14.

First grade will kick-off at the family-friendly time of 4.30pm.

Next year’s match, the second of five to be played at Carrington Park under a five-year deal between the Panthers and Bathurst Regional Council, was revealed when the NRL released its 2015 draw yesterday.

This year the Panthers played the Cronulla Sharks on July 26 in front of a hardy crowd of 8824.

Mayor Gary Rush yesterday welcomed the draw’s release, saying council had pushed to host an earlier match next year.

“You can never guarantee these things, but potentially that time of year will suit us better weather-wise,” Cr Rush said.

“We also wanted to get the match in before Proclamation Day because the Penrith Panthers are going to have a jumper which will be a one-off around the bicentenary so the opportunity to provide that sort of exposure prior to Bathurst’s 200th birthday was a key aim of our plans.

“Last year’s match was played at Carrington Park in July so having the next game in March means that Bathurst’s rugby league fans have the chance to enjoy two NRL matches in their home town within 12 months of each other.”

Cr Rush said the Titans boasted some big-name attractions, including Taylor, Myles, former Orange product Daniel Mortimer and the “dynamic” William Zillman.

The Panthers are also riding high after a top-four finish in the 2014 season.

Council has not confirmed how much it paid to host the five NRL matches, but the Western Advocate understands it is at least $250,000 a year.

Council has also begun a program of works to upgrade seating in the Carrington Park grandstand to improve the comfort of patrons, along with the installation of a new drainage system beneath the Carrington Park field to avoid a repeat of this year’s slippery playing surface.

No information has been made available yet on when tickets for the March 14 clash will go on sale.