NRL 2023 grand final ultimate guide: How to watch and stream

The NRL Grand Final is up on us. Here’s everything you need to know about the big game between the Panthers and Broncos.

With 27 regular rounds of the 2023 NRL season done and dusted, it’s time for the finals. Although the bottom nine season premiership hopes are dashed, the top eight will now battle it out across three weeks for a chance to win the 2023 NRL Premiership. Can competition favourites Penrith make it three in a row, or will another team take home the chocolates?

Whether you’re a Rugby League tragic or a newcomer to this incredible game, let’s break down how the NRL finals series works.

When and where is the 2023 NRL Grand Final start?

The highly anticipated NRL Grand Final for 2023 is set to kick off on Sunday, October 1st, at 7.30pm AEDT at Accor Stadium in Sydney.

It’s worth noting that this date also marks the beginning of daylight saving time in Australia, so don’t forget to adjust your clocks accordingly. Here are the local start times for the grand final:

2023 NRL grand final kick-off time:

Sydney and Melbourne: 7.30pm AEDT

Queensland: 6.30pm AEST

South Australia: 7.00pm ACDT

Western Australia: 4.30pm AWST

Northern Territory: 6.00pm ACST

Brian To'o of the Panthers celebrates after scoring a try. Picture: Brendon Thorne/Getty Images

How can I watch the NRL Grand Final live?

Fans can watch the NRL Grand Final on free-to-air TV on Channel 9 or via its digital streaming service 9Now.

You can also watch pre-game, halftime and post-game coverage on Fox League.

How do you get tickets to the NRL Grand Final?

Finals series tickets went on sale to the general public at 10am on Tuesday (September 5) at www.nrl.com/tickets.

Tickets for the Grand Final can be bought here.

Which teams made the 2023 NRL Finals Series?

The 2023 NRL Finals Series features the following teams:

(1) Penrith Panthers

(2) Brisbane Broncos

(3) Melbourne Storm

(4) New Zealand Warriors

(5) Newcastle Knights

(6) Cronulla Sharks

(7) Sydney Roosters

(8) Canberra Raiders.

Out of these eight teams, one hails from Queensland, one from New Zealand, one from the ACT, one from Victoria, and four from NSW.

Broncos star Adam Reynolds after a win against Melbourne Storm at Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane. Picture: Adam Head

How do the NRL finals work?

The NRL season comprises 27 regular rounds, with the top eight teams advancing to the finals. The finals span three weeks, followed by the grand final

Week one includes two qualifying final games and two elimination games. The winners of the qualifying rounds proceed directly to the preliminary finals in week three, while the losers get another chance in the semi-finals during week two.

This allows the week one qualifying teams a well-deserved break before the prelims.

The winners of the two elimination rounds advance to the semi-finals in week two, while the losing teams bid farewell to the competition.

Week three features two thrilling preliminary finals matches, with the victorious teams earning their spot in the NRL Grand Final.

How do you make the qualifying round of the NRL finals?

The qualifying games see the top four placed teams in the competition play each other to determine who makes the two preliminary finals games in week three.

The losing teams of these qualifying final matches will then get another chance in week two to make the preliminary round of the semi-finals against the winning teams of the elimination final matches in week one.

Winners of the elimination round matches play the winners of the qualifying final games from the opening weekend after switching sides of the draw, which prevents them from facing the team they faced in the first week of finals.

Which teams are in the 2023 NRL grand final?

As of week two, the remaining teams in the 2023 grand final are the Melbourne Storm, Sydney Roosters, New Zealand Warriors, Newcastle Knights, Penrith Panthers and the Brisbane Broncos.

The Broncos and the Panthers, having won their qualifying final in week one, eagerly await the results of the week two semi-final matches to determine who will compete in the preliminary final before the grand final on Sunday, October 1st.

Can I watch a replay of the 2023 NRL grand final?

If you can‘t catch the grand final live, you’re in luck. You can watch every NRL finals game leading up to the grand final live and ad-break free on Fox League.

To access this, you’ll need a subscription to either Foxtel Now, Foxtel iQ, or Kayo Sports.

Which team won the NRL grand final in 2022?

In 2022, the Penrith Panthers clinched the NRL grand final, defeating the Parramatta Eels with a score of 28 to 12.

It marked their fourth premiership victory, and they achieved the remarkable feat of back-to-back championships in the club‘s 56-year history. The question now looms: can they make it three in a row?

What NRL team has won the most grand finals?

The South Sydney Rabbitohs hold the record for the most grand final wins, boasting a remarkable 21 championships.

While they were the first Rugby League team to secure the New South Wales Rugby League Premiership in 1908, their sole NRL premiership victory since the inception of the National Rugby League in 1998 occurred in 2014, 43 years after their last triumph in 1971.

What NRL team has won the least rand final?

The West Tigers secured their only NRL grand final victory in 2005. However, the former Balmain Tigers clinched the New South Wales Rugby League grand final 11 times, with their first victory dating back to 1915.

Notably, the West Tigers, along with the Newcastle Knights, are the only clubs never to have lost a grand final in which they participated.

Has the NRL grand final always been played in Sydney?

Sydney has traditionally been the home of the NRL grand final due to the presence of most competition clubs in the city. However, unique circumstances have occasionally led to relocations.

In 2021, due to the COVID-19 lockdown in New South Wales, the NRL grand final took place at Lang Park in Brisbane. This marked the first grand final held in Queensland since the 1997 Super League grand final.

The 2020 and 2021 grand finals were also moved away from the Sydney Cricket Ground due to a stadium redevelopment plan for Stadium Australia, which has since been scrapped.

Before the formation of the NRL in 1998, the Rugby League grand final was held at the Sydney Cricket Ground and the Sydney Football Stadium (Allianz Stadium).

The inaugural NRL grand final in 1998 took place at the Sydney Football Stadium, with the Brisbane Broncos triumphing over the Canterbury Bulldogs.

What is the biggest crowd for an NRL grand final?

The 1999 NRL grand final between the Melbourne Storm and St. George-Illawarra Dragons achieved a remarkable milestone with a world-record attendance of 107,999 spectators at Stadium Australia.

What is the smallest crowd for an NRL grand final?

The 2021 NRL Grand Final between the Penrith Panthers and South Sydney Rabbitohs was held at Suncorp Stadium with a reported attendance of 39,322 people. Despite the smaller crowd, it was a closely contested match that saw Penrith emerge victorious with a score of 14 to 12.

What is the capacity of Accor Stadium?

Accor Stadium, where the 2023 NRL grand final will be held, has a seating capacity of approximately 84,000 in its rectangular configuration.

Originally built to accommodate around 115,000 spectators for the Sydney 2000 Summer Olympics Games, the stadium underwent reconfiguration in 2003 to favour movable seating.

The largest attendance recorded at a sporting event at Stadium Australia since its reconfiguration was during the 2014 NRL Grand Final, with an official attendance of 83,833.

Stay tuned for more updates as the NRL grand final draws nearer, and get ready for an action-packed showdown on October 1st, 2023, at Accor Stadium in Sydney.