2023 NRL finals series

Last updated
2023 NRL finals series
Duration8 September 2023 – 1 October 2023
Teams8
Minor premiers Penrith Panthers square flag icon with 2020 colours.svg Penrith Panthers
Matches played9
Highest attendance81,947, Penrith v Brisbane, Grand Final
Lowest attendance12,557, Cronulla-Sutherland v Sydney, Second Elimination Final
Average attendance36,582
Attendance329,242
Broadcast partners Nine Network
Fox League

The 2023 National Rugby League finals series was a tournament staged to determine the winner of the 2023 Telstra Premiership season. The series was played over four weekends in September and October, culminating in the 2023 NRL Grand Final on 1 October 2023 won by the Penrith Panthers. [1]

Contents

The top eight teams from the 2023 NRL season qualified for the finals series. The NRL finals series have been continuously played under this format since 2012.

Qualification

Ladder

PosTeamPldWDLBPFPAPDPts
1 Penrith Panthers square flag icon with 2020 colours.svg Penrith Panthers (P)2418063645312+33342
2 Brisbane colours.svg Brisbane Broncos 2418063639425+21442
3 Melbourne colours.svg Melbourne Storm 2416083627459+16838
4 Auckland colours.svg New Zealand Warriors 2416083572448+12438
5 Newcastle colours.svg Newcastle Knights 2414193626451+17535
6 Cronulla colours.svg Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks 24140103619497+12234
7 Eastern Suburbs colours.svg Sydney Roosters 24130113472496−2432
8 Canberra colours.svg Canberra Raiders 24130113486623−13732
9 South Sydney colours.svg South Sydney Rabbitohs 24120123564505+5930
10 Parramatta colours.svg Parramatta Eels 24120123587574+1330
11 North Queensland colours.svg North Queensland Cowboys 24120123546542+430
12 Manly Sea Eagles colours.svg Manly Warringah Sea Eagles 24111123545539+629
13 Dolphins colours.png Dolphins 2490153520631−11124
14 Gold Coast Titans colours.svg Gold Coast Titans 2490153527653−12624
15 Canterbury colours.svg Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs 2470173438769−33120
16 St. George colours.svg St. George Illawarra Dragons 2450193474673−19916
17 Wests Tigers colours.svg Wests Tigers 2440203385675−29014

Finals structure

The system used for the 2023 NRL finals series is a final eight system. The top four teams in the eight receive the "double chance" when they play in week-one qualifying finals, such that if a top-four team loses in the first week it still remains in the finals, playing a semi-final the next week against the winner of an elimination final. The bottom four of the eight play knock-out games – only the winners survive and move on to the next week. Home ground advantage goes to the team with the higher ladder position in the first two weeks and to the qualifying final winners in the third week.

In the second week, the winners of the qualifying finals receive a bye to the third week. The losers of the qualifying final plays the elimination finals winners in a semi-final. In the third week, the winners of the semi-finals from week two play the winners of the qualifying finals in the first week. The winners of those matches move on to the Grand Final. [2]

Venues

A total of seven different venues hosted matches throughout the finals series. [3]

VenueCapacityMatches HostedHome Team
AAMI Park 30,0001 Melbourne colours.svg Melbourne Storm
Accor Stadium 82,5002 Penrith Panthers square flag icon with 2020 colours.svg Penrith Panthers; Grand Final
BlueBet Stadium 22,5001 Penrith Panthers square flag icon with 2020 colours.svg Penrith Panthers
Go Media Stadium 30,0001 Auckland colours.svg New Zealand Warriors
McDonald Jones Stadium 30,0001 Newcastle colours.svg Newcastle Knights
PointsBet Stadium 12,5001 Cronulla colours.svg Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks
Suncorp Stadium 52,5002 Brisbane colours.svg Brisbane Broncos

Fixtures

Nine matches were played across four weeks of the finals series.

HomeScoreAwayMatch Information
Date and time (Local)VenueRefereeCrowd
Qualifying and Elimination Finals
Brisbane colours.svg Brisbane Broncos 26–0 Melbourne colours.svg Melbourne Storm 8 September, 7:50 pm Suncorp Stadium Grant Atkins50,157
Penrith Panthers square flag icon with 2020 colours.svg Penrith Panthers 32–6 Auckland colours.svg New Zealand Warriors 9 September, 4:05 pm BlueBet Stadium Adam Gee21,525
Cronulla colours.svg Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks 12–13 Eastern Suburbs colours.svg Sydney Roosters 9 September, 7:50 pm PointsBet Stadium Gerard Sutton12,557
Newcastle colours.svg Newcastle Knights 30–28 Canberra colours.svg Canberra Raiders 10 September, 4:05 pm McDonald Jones Stadium Ashley Klein29,548
Semi Finals
Melbourne colours.svg Melbourne Storm 18–13 Eastern Suburbs colours.svg Sydney Roosters 15 September, 7:50 pm AAMI Park Ashley Klein19,534
Auckland colours.svg New Zealand Warriors 40–10 Newcastle colours.svg Newcastle Knights 16 September, 6:05 pm Go Media Stadium Adam Gee26,083
Preliminary Finals
Penrith Panthers square flag icon with 2020 colours.svg Penrith Panthers 38–4 Melbourne colours.svg Melbourne Storm 22 September, 7:50 pm Accor Stadium Adam Gee35,578
Brisbane colours.svg Brisbane Broncos 42–12 Auckland colours.svg New Zealand Warriors 23 September, 7:50 pm Suncorp Stadium Gerard Sutton52,273

† Match decided in extra time.

Chart

Qualifying and elimination finalsSemi-finalsPreliminary finalsGrand final
9 September – Sydney
1 Penrith Panthers square flag icon with 2020 colours.svg Penrith 32
4 Auckland colours.svg New Zealand 616 September – Auckland
Auckland colours.svg New Zealand 40
10 September – Newcastle Newcastle colours.svg Newcastle 1022 September – Sydney
5 Newcastle colours.svg Newcastle 30 Penrith Panthers square flag icon with 2020 colours.svg Penrith 38
8 Canberra colours.svg Canberra 28 Melbourne colours.svg Melbourne 41 October – Sydney
Penrith Panthers square flag icon with 2020 colours.svg Penrith 26
9 September – Sydney 23 September – Brisbane Brisbane colours.svg Brisbane 24
6 Cronulla colours.svg Cronulla-Sutherland 12 Brisbane colours.svg Brisbane 42
7 Eastern Suburbs colours.svg Sydney 1315 September – Melbourne Auckland colours.svg New Zealand 12
Melbourne colours.svg Melbourne 18
8 September – Brisbane Eastern Suburbs colours.svg Sydney 13
2 Brisbane colours.svg Brisbane 26
3 Melbourne colours.svg Melbourne 0

Matches

First Week: Qualifying and Elimination Finals

Second Qualifying Final
8 September 2023
19:50 AEST (UTC+10)
Brisbane Broncos Brisbane colours.svg 26 – 0 Melbourne colours.svg Melbourne Storm
Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane
Attendance: 50,197 [4]
Referee: Grant Atkins
First Qualifying Final
9 September 2023
16:05 AEST (UTC+10)
Penrith Panthers Penrith Panthers square flag icon with 2020 colours.svg 32 – 6 Auckland colours.svg New Zealand Warriors
BlueBet Stadium, Sydney
Attendance: 21,525 [5]
Referee: Adam Gee
Second Elimination Final
9 September 2023
19:50 AEST (UTC+10)
Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks Cronulla colours.svg 12 – 13 Eastern Suburbs colours.svg Sydney Roosters
PointsBet Stadium, Sydney
Attendance: 12,557 [6]
Referee: Gerard Sutton
First Elimination Final
10 September 2023
16:05 AEST (UTC+10)
Newcastle Knights Newcastle colours.svg 30 – 28 Canberra colours.svg Canberra Raiders
McDonald Jones Stadium, Newcastle
Attendance: 29,548 [7]
Referee: Ashley Klein

Second Week: Semi Finals

Second Semi Final
15 September 2023
16:05 AEST (UTC+10)
Melbourne Storm Melbourne colours.svg 18 – 13 Eastern Suburbs colours.svg Sydney Roosters
AAMI Park, Melbourne
Attendance: 19,534 [8]
Referee: Ashley Klein
First Semi Final
10 September 2023
16:05 AEST (UTC+10)
New Zealand Warriors Auckland colours.svg 40 – 10 Newcastle colours.svg Newcastle Knights
Go Media Stadium, Auckland
Attendance: 26,083 [9]
Referee: Adam Gee

Third Week: Preliminary Finals

First Preliminary Final
22 September 2023
16:05 AEST (UTC+10)
Penrith Panthers Penrith Panthers square flag icon with 2020 colours.svg 38 – 4 Melbourne colours.svg Melbourne Storm
Accor Stadium, Sydney
Attendance: 35,578 [10]
Referee: Adam Gee
Second Preliminary Final
23 September 2023
19:50 AEST (UTC+10)
Brisbane Broncos Brisbane colours.svg 42 – 12 Auckland colours.svg New Zealand Warriors
Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane
Attendance: 52,273 [11]
Referee: Gerard Sutton

Grand final

2023 NRL Grand Final
1 October 2023
19:30 AEDT
Penrith Panthers Penrith Panthers square flag icon with 2020 colours.svg 26–24 Brisbane colours.svg Brisbane Broncos
Tries:4
Kenny Ru ball.svg 17'
Leota Ru ball.svg 62'
Crichton Ru ball.svg 67'
Cleary Ru ball.svg 76'
Goals:5
Crichton 1/1 Rugby penalty.svg 18'
Cleary 4/4 Rugby penalty.svg pen 29', 63', 68', 78'
1st: 8–6
2nd: 18–18
Report
Tries:4
Flegler Ru ball.svg 38'
Mam Ru ball.svg 44', 52', 54'
Goals:4
Reynolds 4/4 Rugby penalty.svg 39', 45', 53', 56'
Accor Stadium, Sydney
Attendance: 81,947
Referee: Adam Gee
Bunker: Ashley Klein
Touch judges: Chris Sutton, Dave Munro
Clive Churchill Medal: Penrith Panthers square flag icon with 2020 colours.svg Nathan Cleary

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