The Warriors may be drawn against back-to-back champions Penrith on Saturday – but they will definitely get at least two cracks at the NRL finals series.
The Warriors – who rested a bunch of frontliners in their 34-10 loss to the Dolphins on Saturday with one eye on the playoffs – finished fourth in the NRL season standings.
They face the Panthers – grand final winners in 2021 and 2022 – in a qualifying final at Penrith’s BlueBet Stadium at 6.05pm (NZ time) on Saturday.
The NRL announced on Sunday night that the Penrith-Warriors game would be held on Saturday, with the second-ranked Broncos hosting the third-seeded Storm in Brisbane on Friday night.
Under the four-week NRL playoffs format, the top-four regular season clubs get a second shot at progressing towards the grand final.
The winner of the Penrith-Warriors game will get a bye through to a preliminary final in week three.
NRL PHOTOS
Warriors fans – pictured in Brisbane for Saturday’s game against the Dolphins – will get to see their team in at least two NRL finals series matches, starting with next weekend’s visit to the Penrith Panthers.
The loser will host a sudden-death semifinal on September 15 or 16.
Likewise with the Broncos and the Storm.
If the Warriors lose to Penrith, they are potentially set to return to Auckland to play the winner of this weekend’s elimination final between the Knights and the eighth-placed Raiders.
The competition then becomes sudden-death for all combatants in week three at the preliminary final stage with the two winners advancing to the grand final in Sydney on October 1.
The NRL confirmed the final match-ups and kickoff dates and times for the first round of the finals after the last round-robin games on Sunday evening.
The Sharks beat the Raiders 24-6 to confirm their sixth placing – and a home elimination final against the Roosters – and consign Canberra to eighth place and a trip to Newcastle against the Knights, who have won their last nine matches.
Speaking at his post-match press conference on Saturday, Webster said the Warriors would “rather have a seven-day turnaround’’, but wouldn’t complain had they got a Friday match.
“Whatever we are given, we are given. We will win, no matter what, that’s what we’ve got to go after. We’ve got to be positive about it not negative about it.”
Penrith beat the Cowboys 44-12 on Saturday to win the J T Giltinan Shield as top regular-season (minor premiership) team for the third time in the last four seasons.
Andrew Cornaga/Photosport
Captain Tohu Harris – expected to return for the Penrith clash – and coach Andrew Webster will lead the Warriors into the finals series.
NRL FINALS FORMAT
Eight teams – the Panthers, Broncos, Storm, Warriors, Knights, Sharks, Roosters and Raiders – have qualified for the NRL finals.
The four-week finals format has been in existence since 2012.
Week 1: Friday, September 8
Qualifying final 1 (QF1): Broncos (2) v Storm (3); 9.50pm (NZ time), Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane.
Saturday September 9
Qualifying final (QF2): Penrith (1) v Warriors (4); 6.05pm, BlueBet Stadium, Penrith.
Elimination final 2 (EF2): Sharks (6) v Roosters (7); 9.50pm, PointsBet Stadium, Cronulla.
Sunday September 10
Elimination final 1 (EF`): Knights (5) v Raiders (8); 6.05pm, McDonald Jones Stadium, Newcastle.
Week 2: Semifinals: Friday September 15-Saturday September 16 (home teams first)
SF 1: Loser QF1 v Winner EF1
SF 2: Loser QF2 v Winner EF2
Week 3: Preliminary finals: Friday September 22-Saturday September 23)
PF1: Winner QF2 v Winner SF1
PF2: Winner QF1 v Winner SF2
Week 4: Grand Final: Sunday October 1 (Stadium Australia, Sydney)
Winner PF1 v Winner PF2.
