The NRL finals have finally arrived, with the Penrith Panthers to clash with the Parramatta Eels during the first qualifying final on Friday evening.
The game, to be played at Penrith’s BlueBet Stadium, is scheduled to get underway at 7:50pm (AEST) on Friday, September 9.
The Panthers finished the season as the minor premiers, and rested 13 players last weekend in a bid to be fit and firing for the finals, while the Eels booked their spot in the top four with a final round victory over the Melbourne Storm.
There will be two ways to watch the Panthers and Eels play their qualifying final on TV.
The first of those is to tune in through free to air network, Channel 9. They will have coverage of every match during the NRL finals, with their broadcast of this encounter starting at 7pm (AEST).
The other method to watch the finals opener is to tune in through Fox Sports. Their coverage will require you to hold an active Foxtel subscription, and also starts from 7pm (AEST).
If you're looking to tune into the match via a live stream, then there a couple of options available for you.
The first of those, should you wish to view the Channel 9 coverage, is to tune in through 9Now. This is the network's streaming application and is free to use, however, you will need to sign up with a valid email address.
Should you wish to stream the Fox Sports coverage, then you'll be able to use Kayo Sports, which allows you to live stream the entire Foxtel sports offering and starts from $25 per month. For those already holding a TV subscription, you'll be able to use the Foxtel App with your login details.
Kick-off: Friday, September 9, 7:50pm (AEST)
Venue: BlueBet Stadium, Penrith
Betting: Panthers $1.39, Eels $3.00
Overall record: Played 105, Eels 60, Panthers, 44, drawn 1
Record in finals: Played 3, Eels 2, Panthers 1
Referee: Gerard Sutton
Touch judges: Phil Henderson and Michael Wise
Bunker official: Adam Gee
Standby referee: Todd Smith
Standby touch judge: Peter Gough
Penrith Panthers
1. Dylan Edwards 2. Taylan May 3. Izack Tago 4. Stephen Crichton 5. Brian To'o 6. Jarome Luai 7. Nathan Cleary 8. Moses Leota 9. Apisai Koroisau 10. James Fisher-Harris 11. Viliame Kikau 12. Liam Martin 13. Isaah Yeo
Interchange: 14. Mitch Kenny 15. Scott Sorensen 16. Spencer Leniu 17. Jaeman Salmon 18. Charlie Staines 19. Matt Eisenhuth
Parramatta Eels
1. Clinton Gutherson 2. Maika Sivo 3. Viliami Penisini 4. Tom Opacic 5. Waqa Blake 6. Dylan Brown 7. Mitchell Moses 8. Reagan Campbell-Gillard 9. Reed Mahoney 10. Junior Paulo 11. Shaun Lane 12. Isaiah Papali'i 13. Ryan Matterson
Interchange: 14. Makahesi Makatoa 15. Jakob Arthur 16. Oregon Kaufusi 17. Marata Niukore 18. Nathan Brown 19. Bailey Simonsson