Ultimate guide to the 2023 NRL finals: Everything you need to know
Brisbane may be the only Queensland NRL team left in the running for glory but interest in the finals can hardly be greater. EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW
QLD News
Don't miss out on the headlines from QLD News. Followed categories will be added to My News.
So it all comes down to this.
Queensland’s sole NRL finals team, Brisbane Broncos, line up against two-time champions Penrith Panthers in the grand final.
This is everything you need to know about the 2023 NRL finals >>>
WHICH TEAMS MADE THE 2023 NRL FINALS SERIES?
Minor premier Penrith Panthers, Brisbane Broncos, Melbourne Storm, New Zealand Warriors, Newcastle Knights, Cronulla Sharks, Sydney Roosters and Canberra Raiders.
There was one team from Queensland, one from New Zealand, one from the ACT, one from Victoria and four from NSW.
The Sharks and Raiders were eliminated on the opening weekend. The Knights and Roosters were eliminated in the second week of finals.
The Storm and Warriors were then eliminated in the preliminary finals.
Stay up to date with all the news here.
HOW DO THE NRL FINALS WORK?
The top eight teams (out of 17 in the NRL) at the end of the 27 regular season rounds make the finals.
In week one of finals the first-placed team (Panthers) hosted fourth place (Warriors), with Penrith winning.
Second-placed Broncos hosted third-placed Storm and won 26-0. The winner of each game gets a week off.
The losers will now play the winners of the remaining games among the bottom four teams in the finals.
On the first week of finals fifth-placed Knights hosted eighth-placed Raiders, with the loser, Canberra, eliminated.
Meanwhile sixth-placed Sharks hosted seventh-placed Roosters, with Cronulla eliminated 13-12.
The winners of these two matches play the losers of the 1v4 and 2v3 games in the second week of finals.
The losers from these two games (in 2023 Roosters and Knights) are eliminated.
The winners (Warriors and Storm) switched sides of the draw (meaning they can’t play the same team they played in the first week of finals) and go on to play the winners of the 1v4 and 2v3 games from the first weekend.
WHEN AND WHERE IS THE NRL GRAND FINAL?
The NRL finals series runs from September 8 until October 1.
The NRL grand final is at Sydney’s Accor Stadium on Sunday, October 1, which is the first day of daylight savings in Australia.
This means the game will kick off at:
■ 7:30 pm AEDT for Sydney and Melbourne
■ 6:30 pm AEST for Queensland
■ 7:00 pm ACDT for South Australia
■ 4:30 pm AWST for Western Australia
■ 6:00 pm ACST for the Northern Territory
The match will be shown live on Channel 9. The game will also be available on Kayo Sports at approximately 10pm AEDT.
HOW DO YOU GET TICKETS TO THE NRL GRAND FINAL?
All finals series tickets went on sale to general public at 10am on Tuesday (September 5) at www.nrl.com/tickets.
Tickets can be bought here.
Broncos memberships for 2024 are available here.
Benefits include discounted tickets to home game, access to the Broncos Members Bar at Suncorp Stadium, special food and beverage offers, and a 10 per cent discount at the team store.
Broncos jerseys cost $170 from the club store.
CAN THE BRONCOS WIN THE NRL GRAND FINAL?
The Panthers will start as slight favourites to claim a third title, in part because of their experience in big matches in recent seasons.
However Brisbane has impressed throughout 2023 and comfortably dispatched the Warriors in the preliminary final.
The Broncos haven’t won a title since 2006, while the Panthers have won four, including the past two.
To read the complete history of the Broncos, including how they came up with their name, go here.
WHO ARE SOME OF THE STAR BRONCOS PLAYERS TO WATCH?
Reece Walsh is the name on everyone’s lips, in part due to his comical forward pass that wasn’t.
Payne Haas and Pat Carrigan were among the stars in the victory over the Storm and Warriors, making strong metres up front.
Skipper Adam Reynolds again shapes as a key man after steering his side around the park throughout the finals.
Jordan Riki also impressed and has enjoyed a breakout year for the club.
Meanwhile cult hero Tom Flegler will start in the front-row, three weeks after captaining the club for the first time in what was his final regular-season match before joining the Dolphins in 2024.
Big crowds have flocked to recent open sessions, with hype building ahead of the Broncos’ biggest finals campaign since its ill-fated run of 2015.
WHO WILL QUEENSLAND BE GOING FOR IN THE NRL FINALS?
The North Queensland Cowboys, Gold Coast Titans and Dolphins all failed to make the finals – leaving the Broncos as Queensland’s sole finals hope.
As the oldest of the quartet of clubs, many Queenslanders have long held a soft spot for the Broncos.
While not unanimous, there is little doubt many in the state would barrack for the sole remaining Queensland side.
‘Qld doesn’t want daylight savings – the debate is done and dusted’
It’s the annual daylight saving debate, fresh with an Olympic twist. HAVE YOUR SAY
Who’s the barefoot bloke and where’s his hi-vis, mum?
The usual hype over an election date surprise hasn’t happened in this first fixed four-year term and there’s been few stunts. Expect the pace to increase into week two.