St George Illawarra fans, who have been left thousands of dollars out of pocket, have vented their frustrations after Melbourne Storm decided to move their round 20 clash against the Dragons from Melbourne to New Zealand.

The NRL trumpeted the announcement of the draw in December with the opening 20 rounds seemingly locked in. But the Storm's decision for a cash grab has alienated some St George Illawarra fans who have already paid for accommodation and flights to travel south for the clash, which has been moved from AAMI Park to Napier, New Zealand.

NRL head of football Todd Greenberg boasted fans had certainty planning ahead when the draw for this season was announced last year.

"Fans should be looking at their own club calendars right now [and] planning their season," Greenberg said in December. "They've got great certainty to know where their clubs are playing between now and round 20."

Irene Broussos and her husband George made plans to travel to Melbourne to celebrate each other's 50th birthday with their two children just weeks after the draw had been confirmed.