The National Rugby League (NRL) is one of rugby league’s premier club competitions, and is one of Australia’s most popular sports leagues of any code, with thousands of fans attending its weekly matches, and millions more watching on television. Each annual season typically reaches its climax in September, when the regular, home-and-away season concludes, and the top-8 teams in the league table contest the NRL finals. The finals ends with the NRL Grand Final, a historic, iconic fixture which decides that season’s premiers.
NRL Finals Format & Schedule
The NRL finals, sometimes referred to as the NRL finals series, involves the teams which finish in the top 8 standings on the league table – also known as the ladder – at the end of the regular, home-and-away season. The finals is divided into 4 stages, with each stage taking place across a different week: qualifying and elimination finals (Week 1), semifinals (Week 2), preliminary finals (Week 3), and the Grand Final (Week 4).
The qualifying and elimination finals are contested by all 8 teams. The teams which finish first to fourth play in the qualifying finals: the team which finished first in the league plays at home against the team which finished fourth (first qualifying final), and the team which finished second hosts the team which finished third (second qualifying final). In the elimination finals, fifth hosts eighth (first elimination final) and sixth hosts seventh (second elimination final).
The semifinals are only contested by 4 teams: the first semifinal sees the losers of the first qualifying final host the winners of the first elimination final, and the second semifinal sees the winners of the second qualifying final host the losers of the second elimination final. For example, the first semifinal could be contested by the teams which finished fourth and fifth in the league standings.
In Week 3 of the finals, the 2 sides which won each of the qualifying finals return to the draw. In the first preliminary final, the winners of the first qualifying final and the second semifinal go head-to-head, and in the second preliminary final, the winners of the second qualifying final and first semifinal compete.
The NRL Grand Final, which takes place during Week 4, is then contested by the winners of each preliminary final. The Grand Final is typically held on a Sunday, usually in between 30 September and 6 October. In 2023, it will be staged on Sunday 1 October, at the Accor Stadium (Stadium Australia) in Sydney. You can find the current NRL season schedule here.
Who is Competing in the NRL Finals?
The 8 teams which have qualified for the 2023 NRL finals are:
- Penrith Panthers (first)
- Brisbane Broncos (second)
- Melbourne Storm (third)
- New Zealand Warriors (fourth)
- Newcastle Knights (fifth)
- Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks (sixth)
- Sydney Roosters (seventh)
- Canberra Raiders (eighth)
Both the Penrith Panthers and Brisbane Broncos won their qualifying finals, against the New Zealand Warriors and Melbourne Storm respectively. In the elimination finals, the Newcastle Knights defeated the Canberra Raiders, and the Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks lost to the Sydney Roosters. In the semifinals, Melbourne Storm will go up against the Sydney Roosters and the New Zealand Warriors will host the Newcastle Knights, with the Panthers and Broncos awaiting the victors of those 2 matches in the preliminary finals.
2023 NRL Finals Ticket Prices
The NRL finals is a major sporting event within Australia – and beyond. As such, finals tickets command high prices, and many of the host stadiums across the 4 weeks of the finals are major venues, which can further add to the cost. In short, ticket prices for the NRL finals are typically more expensive than those for regular, home-and-away fixtures. In spite of this, the importance and iconic status of these games means ticket are nonetheless in high demand; tickets for a finals game can often sell out days prior to the match.
During the first week of the 2023 NRL finals, the most affordable official adult match tickets cost AUD $25. The average price of an adult match ticket during Week 1 was closer to AUD $65, with premium and hospitality tickets costing upwards of AUD $100. Adult match tickets for the 2023 NRL Grand Final begin at AUD $59, including fees, however tickets in most seating categories cost comfortably above AUD $150.
How to Get Cheap Tickets
Whilst finals tickets are often more expensive than regular season tickets, a range of affordable tickets is nonetheless available at most games. Tickets for the seats located behind the posts are typically more affordable than tickets for seats located along the sidelines. Seats situated very close to the pitch or in the uppermost rows of the stands may also command lower ticket prices than seats in the middle tiers or rows. Some stadiums may house a general admission section or Alcohol-Free Zone; tickets for these areas are often cheaper than those for other parts of the stadium. Koobit compares the prices offered by both official ticket suppliers and secondary resellers, to help you find the best ticket for you at the best possible price.
Where to Buy Tickets
Although tickets for some NRL regular season fixtures can be purchased in-person, for example at stadium ticket offices, the demand for NRL finals games means that fans should invariably seek to buy tickets online. Buying tickets online allows fans to access ticket sales as soon as they begin, reducing the risk of missing out on tickets, should they sell out. Moreover, purchasing tickets online provides a quick and easy way to compare ticket prices in different parts of the stadium, and from a range of ticket sellers. Tickets bought online can be downloaded and then presented digitally at the stadium gates, upon arrival.
How to Get to a Game
NRL finals games are invariably staged at stadiums located in or close to large towns and cities. As a result, there is usually a wide range of car parking options in the vicinity, as well as many public transport links to and from the venue. As finals matches are particularly popular sporting events, some ticket holders may even benefit from dedicated match day transport options, provided by the home team or a local transport body, to ease the pressure on other public transport connections. Koobit provides travel and parking information for NRL venues: visit a stadium page for more information, or, to see match-specific information, click through to an event and view the Travel & Parking tab.
To stay up to date with the latest schedule and ticketing information for this season and beyond, visit the National Rugby League (NRL) page.