Then there were four. The NRL playoffs are down to the the final four clubs after South Sydney and Parramatta progressed to the preliminary finals.
The Eels will head to Townsville for a Friday night fixture against North Queensland while the Rabbitohs will tackle Penrith in the other grand final qualifier on Saturday night at Accor Stadium.
Souths will be aiming to exact revenge for last year’s two-point Grand Final loss to the Panthers while the Eels are aiming to make their first premiership decider since 2009.
The Cowboys, who qualified via a 32-30 extra-time win over Cronulla in week one of the finals, are looking to become just the fourth team in premiership history to rise from the bottom two to lifting the trophy in the space of a year.
Parramatta smashed Canberra 40-4 at CommBank Stadium on Friday in their Semi-Final before the Rabbitohs proved too strong, 38-12, in the other semi on Saturday at Allianz Stadium.
The Panthers vs Rabbitohs match at Accor Stadium is on Saturday, September 24 at 7.50pm with the Cowboys hosting their game against Parra at Townsville’s Queensland Country Bank Stadium on Friday, September 23 at 7.50pm.
Taylan May will miss Penrith’s NRL preliminary final after pleading guilty to a careless high tackle charge following the Panthers’ 27-8 defeat of Parramatta. The winger was sin-binned for his hit on Eels centre Will Penisini during the first half of Friday night’s game and was handed a category two charge.
South Sydney prop Tom Burgess is also banned after the fiery NRL elimination final defeat of the Sydney Roosters for his high shot on James Tedeco. Both players will be available if their team makes the Grand Finals.
NRL finals draw Week 3
Preliminary Final: Saturday, September 24 at 7.50pm (AEST), Accor Stadium
Penrith Panthers (1) v (7) South Sydney Rabbitohs
Preliminary Final: Friday, September 23 at 7.50pm (AEST), QCB Stadium
North Queensland Cowboys (3) v (4) Parramatta Eels
Tickets for Preliminary Finals will be on sale on Monday (September 19).
NRL finals Week 2
Semi-Final: Friday, September 16 at 7.50pm (AEST), CommBank Stadium
(4) Parramatta Eels 40 def (8) Canberra Raiders 4
Semi-Final: Saturday, September 17 at 8pm (AEST), Allianz Stadium
(7) South Sydney Rabbitohs 38 def (2) Cronulla 12
NRL finals Week 1
Qualifying Final: Friday, September 9 at 7.50pm (AEST), BlueBet Stadium
(1) Penrith Panthers 27 def (4) Parramatta Eels 8
Elimination Final: Saturday, September 10 at 5.40pm (AEST), AAMI Park
(8) Canberra Raiders 28 def (5) Melbourne Storm 20
Qualifying Final: Saturday, September 10 at 7.50pm (AEST), PointsBet Stadium
(3) North Queensland Cowboys 32 def Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks 30
Elimination Final: Sunday, September 11 at 4.05pm (EST), Allianz Stadium
(7) South Sydney Rabbitohs 30 def (6) Sydney Roosters 14
How the finals work
The eight teams are divided into two groups of four, the top four (1-4) and the bottom four (5-8), who play games among themselves in the first week of finals.
In the top four, first play fourth and second play third in qualifying finals. The higher-placed teams, first and second, have the right to host these finals in their home state.
One of the advantages given to teams in the top four is that they cannot be eliminated if they lose in the first week.
However, the winners of these finals have a bye in the second week and host a preliminary final in their home state in the third week.
Meanwhile, the losers of these finals must play again in the second week and, if they survive that, may have to travel interstate to play their opponent in the third week. So winning a qualifying final is a significant advantage.
First Qualifying Final: first ranked team hosts fourth ranked team
Second Qualifying Final: second ranked team hosts third ranked team
In the bottom four, fifth play eighth and sixth play seventh in elimination finals. Again, the higher-placed teams, fifth and sixth, have the right to host these finals in their home state.
As the name suggests, the loser of these finals will be eliminated from the finals series. The winners go on to play the losers of the qualifying finals in semi-finals in the second week.
First Elimination Final: fifth ranked team hosts eighth ranked team
Second Elimination Final: sixth ranked team hosts seventh ranked team
These four games are played across four time-slots: Friday night, Saturday afternoon, Saturday night, and Sunday afternoon.
(Photo by Mark Metcalfe/Getty Images)
The second week
In the second week of the finals series two semi-finals are played between the two teams that lost the qualifying finals and the two teams that won the elimination finals.
The teams that won the qualifying finals have a week off, while the teams that lost the elimination finals are out of the running.
The teams that lose these semi-finals will also be eliminated, while the teams that win will go through to face the qualifying final winners in preliminary finals in week three.
The finals series is organised so that the loser of first versus fourth will play the winner of fifth versus eighth, and the loser of second versus third will play the winner of sixth versus seventh.
The losing qualifying final teams are given the right to host these matches in their home state. These games are played across two time-slots: Friday night and Saturday night.
First Semi-final: loser of First Qualifying Final hosts winner of First Elimination Final
Second Semi-final: loser of Second Qualifying Final hosts winner of Second Elimination Final
(Photo by Cameron Spencer/Getty Images)
The third week
In the third week the winners of the qualifying finals from the first week play the winners of the semi-finals from the second weeks in preliminary finals.
These preliminary finals determine who enters the grand final. The teams who win preliminary finals are through to the grand final, the teams who lose them are eliminated from the finals series.
There are a wide variety of potential preliminary final combinations available depending on how the first two weeks of the finals series pan out.
The winner of the first qualifying final plays the winner of the second semi-final, and the winner of the second qualifying final plays the winner of the first semi-final. This guarantees that it is not possible for any two teams to meet twice in the first three weeks of finals.
The qualifying final winners not only have had a week off as a bye, but also get to host these games in their home state, giving them a significant advantage. These games are played across two time-slots: Friday night and Saturday night.
First Preliminary Final: winner of First Qualifying Final hosts winner of Second Semi-Final
Second Preliminary Final: winner of Second Qualifying Final hosts winner of First Semi-Final
(Photo by Chris Hyde/Getty Images)
The fourth week
In the fourth week of finals, the two teams that won the preliminary finals play each other in the grand final. The winner of this match is declared the year’s premiership team.
The grand final could theoretically be between any two teams in the finals series, except for those that play elimination finals against each other in the first week and cannot possibly both progress.
Although one team will be listed first as the ‘home’ team, this fixture does not change venue regardless of the home state of the teams involved.
It has been played every year at ANZ Stadium since it was constructed in 1999, but is being played in Brisbane in 2021. It is currently played on a Sunday evening time-slot.
Grand Final: winner of First Preliminary Final meets winner of Second Preliminary Final
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steveng
Roar Rookie
:laughing: :laughing: :laughing: come on Jeny, the usual nonsense from all of you ugg booted mountain dwellers! If Trell would have played in that GF the Bunnies would have won, as Walker wouldn't have had to throw that desperate pass as Trell would have been there and it would have been a certain try. Anyway, hopefully "we will meet again" as the saying goes :thumbup:
Griffo 09
Roar Rookie
The team that wins the Friday night QF will generally play the Saturday night PF and the team that wins the Saturday night QF will generally play the Friday night PF. This is to allow consistent turnaround for their opponents, i.e. 7 days for Parramatta and 6 days for Canberra, with 7 days for the winner taking on North Queensland, and 7 days for Cronulla and 6 days for South Sydney, with 7 days for the winner taking on Penrith. To keep those breaks consistent and have Penrith playing the Friday night PF, they would have had to play the Saturday night QF.
JennyFromPenny
Guest
The team with the largest membership base in the NRL are currently in hiding this week. Where are they all ? Can't be blamed for thinking they are unified in also being the most fickle.
JennyFromPenny
Guest
Latrell's absence was meant to be the reason why Penrith took the GF, yet he' still not ever beaten them playing for Souths. Lost 5 out of 5. Surely, one of those games, he was up for, to make a difference, but no. He wasn't the difference. Need to get that through the planks of wood.
JennyFromPenny
Guest
The Friday prelim is usually reserved for team #1, which is usually the Storm. Now that it's the Panthers, treat them like a team #7. We even played the Saturday second fiddle in 2020, also as the Minor Premier, so that Storm could retain their Friday. Can someone remind the NRL, the Storm are all on benders atm? - minus Munster and Smith, we think, but have some doubt.
manu
Guest
To easy Eels can beat raiders for another final in this week for the nrl, let`s go Eels
manu
Guest
Eels is going to make it into the last final for the NRL in 2022
Tim J
Roar Rookie
Exactly Dutski, shame that it doesn’t always pan out this way.. :thumbup:
Tim J
Roar Rookie
Great Scorpion song Tony.. :stoked:
Tim J
Roar Rookie
With the Storm ending with still air, this is an open finals now. Even with my Panthers having another great season, it is not guaranteed for them to win with others now starting to up their gears. It could come down to squad depth as well as the bench, that proves pivotal this season.
Griffo 09
Roar Rookie
You need to update the schedule for the preliminary finals. Cowboys to play Friday night and Panthers Saturday night.
Mon
Guest
Nope. They potentially avoid Penrith till the GF qualifier.
Griffo 09
Roar Rookie
You couldn't be confident in the Storm, the way they've been playing lately but the Raiders have been beating up some ordinary teams. I think the Roosters have been better than Souths in the run home, but without Manu, who knows? Souths could win but I don't see them being good enough to go all the way. Penrith v Parramatta is an interesting one. Parramatta with all the momentum but I think the rest will pay off for the Panthers, this week. As for how Penrith would go in a Preliminary Final with their team a bit underdone, they could be vulnerable to an upset In the Sharks v Cowboys match, I'm tipping a Chad Townsend masterclass to get the Cowboys home. His kicking was on point on Saturday night and he knows that ground.
Griffo 09
Roar Rookie
Fair enough. I just thought that if you didn't rate the Sharks that highly, you couldn't be sure they would be able to knock-off the Cowboys. It just seems to me that they have one of the better records against the top 8, as well as having done numbers on Parramatta and Melbourne, two teams that, as you say, have been able to pull out the big game when it mattered, and that perhaps you're not paying them their due. But we shall see.
matth
Roar Guru
I thought they were in with Penrith and Parramatta?
Mon
Guest
They’re not in the hard side of the draw. What are you talking about? Win and face one of either Cows or Sharks. Easier propositions without doubt.
DP Schaefer
Roar Rookie
?? Don't see how you get that. IMO Cows aren't ready and will lose out to anyone in that 8. Doesn't mean the team who beats them will go far after. I wouldn't say Raiders or Sharks aren't ready or otherwise, but they'll give an honesty account of themselves and push the favourites. I see Cows as the least threat in the whole group.
steveng
Roar Rookie
All I can say is that we Bunnies can't have a revenge GF against the Panthers as we will have revenge in the Prelim-finals, and we will win the GF against either the Storm or Sharks. Go You Bunnies :thumbup: :stoked: :laughing:
Smiffy
Roar Rookie
As a Parra fan thinking we will lose this weeks final, 3 in a row was great, 4 is just too much for us given our season. But then that means we just need 3 in a row again and that's something we can achieve.
Albo
Roar Rookie
Like the Panthers at home Friday night. Fresh and with full squad ready to fire. Raiders & Storm a coin toss for mine. Storm need Hughes back and the packs will decide the rest. Sharks & Cowboys another coin toss for mine. Home ground advantage might decide it ? Roosters & Souths another coin toss . Going for Souths assuming Murray & Cook are back, and Manu & Tupou being out for the Chooks.