The NRL finals schedule for Week 1 has been revealed, with the Brisbane Broncos and Melbourne Storm to open the finals on Friday evening.
After a topsy-turvy final weekend which saw multiple changes to the final ladder, the top eight has been set with the Penrith Panthers taking out the minor premiership again.
In a change from tradition however, the Panthers, who are tasked with playing the New Zealand Warriors in the opening week will not open the finals.
Instead, it'll be a rematch of the Round 27 opener to play on Friday night, with the Brisbane Broncos to tackle the Melbourne Storm at Suncorp Stadium.
The clash will see the Broncos attempt to end their horror hoodoo against the Storm for the second time in two weeks after falling short on Thursday to ensure they wouldn't win the minor premiership.
That means the Panthers and Warriors will clash at the foot of the moutains in the other qualifying final on Saturday afternoon. The timeslot means the game will be beemed back into New Zealand at a reasonable hour.
In the elimination finals, the Newcastle Knights will clash with the Canberra Raiders on Sunday afternoon, with the fifth place against eighth place fixture pushed back to Sunday afternoon where a sell out crowd is expected in the Hunter.
In the other elimination final, the Cronulla Sharks host the Sydney Roosters in the Shire. The Roosters have come from the depths to make the finals after an incredible run to make the finals and will carry momentum into the clash against Cronulla.
Week 2 will see the loser of Penrith and the Warriors play the winner of the Knights and and Raiders, while the loser of the Broncos and Storm will take on the winner of the Sharks and Roosters game.
Full schedule
Friday, September 8, 7:50pm: Brisbane Broncos (2) vs Melbourne Storm (3) at Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane
Saturday, September 9, 4:05pm: Penrith Panthers (1) vs New Zealand Warriors (4) at BlueBet Stadium, Penrith
Saturday, September 9, 7:50pm: Cronulla Sharks (6) vs Sydney Roosters (7) at PointsBet Stadium, Cronulla
Sunday, September 10, 4:05pm: Newcastle Knights (5) vs Canberra Raiders (8) at McDonald Jones Stadium, Newcastle
