NRL Finals 2026: Bracket, Fixtures & Odds

The NRL finals bracket: every fixture, result and venue through to the Grand Final, and what each ladder position buys under the McIntyre system.

The Roosters won the 2026 NRL Grand Final, 19-18 over Newcastle. They had beaten the Dolphins 36-20 at Suncorp Stadium in the preliminary finals, while Newcastle beat minor premiers Penrith 22-14 at Accor Stadium after playing the second half with 12 men. Penrith and the Dolphins went out in the preliminary finals, the Warriors and Cronulla in the semi-finals, South Sydney and North Queensland in week one. The Grand Final was played at Accor Stadium on Sunday 4 October. This page carries the live bracket: every fixture with dates, times and venues, who each side plays, and what their ladder position actually buys them. For the rules of the system itself, see how NRL finals work.

NRL preliminary final fixtures

Stage	Fixture	When (AEST)	Venue	At stake
Preliminary final	Dolphins (3) v Roosters (4)	Fri 25 Sep, 7:50pm	Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane	Roosters won 36-20, into the Grand Final
Preliminary final	Panthers (1) v Knights (7)	Sun 27 Sep, 4:00pm	Accor Stadium, Sydney	Knights won 22-14, into the Grand Final
Grand Final	Roosters (4) v Knights (7)	Sun 4 Oct, 7:30pm AEDT	Accor Stadium, Sydney	Roosters won 19-18, premiers

How the finals have unfolded

Week	Fixture	Result	Venue
Week 1	Rabbitohs (6) v Knights (7)	Knights 20-10	Allianz Stadium
Week 1	Warriors (2) v Dolphins (3)	Dolphins 26-16	Go Media Stadium
Week 1	Sharks (5) v Cowboys (8)	Sharks 26-16	Allianz Stadium
Week 1	Panthers (1) v Roosters (4)	Panthers 19-12	CommBank Stadium
Week 2	Roosters (4) v Sharks (5)	Roosters 46-10	Allianz Stadium
Week 2	Warriors (2) v Knights (7)	Knights 12-10	Eden Park
Week 3	Dolphins (3) v Roosters (4)	Roosters 36-20	Suncorp Stadium
Week 3	Panthers (1) v Knights (7)	Knights 22-14	Accor Stadium
Grand Final	Roosters (4) v Knights (7)	Roosters 19-18	Accor Stadium

Higher seeds host in every week of the NRL finals, which is why both preliminary finals are at the home ground of a side that won a qualifying final. Newcastle are the exception that proves the point: seeded seventh, they have had to win both of their finals away from home to get here.

The 2026 top eight and what each seed buys

#	Team	W-L	Diff	Pts	Position means
1	Penrith Panthers	18-6	+336	42	Minor premiers. Double chance, home qualifying final.
2	New Zealand Warriors	18-6	+310	42	Double chance, home qualifying final in Auckland.
3	Dolphins	17-7	+156	40	Double chance in their fourth season.
4	Sydney Roosters	16-8	+118	38	Double chance, but away to the minor premiers.
5	Cronulla Sharks	14-10	+149	34	Sudden death, at home.
6	South Sydney Rabbitohs	14-10	+113	34	Sudden death, at home.
7	Newcastle Knights	14-10	+42	34	Sudden death, away.
8	North Queensland Cowboys	13-11	-84	32	Sudden death, away. Worst differential of the eight.

The full 17-team final ladder is in our Round 27 results, along with how the minor premiership was decided. Our predictions and head-to-head reads on all four week-one finals are in the NRL Finals Week 1 preview.

How the bracket unfolds from here

Week one. The two qualifying finals carried a double chance: win and go straight to a preliminary final with a week off, lose and drop into a semi-final. The two elimination finals were sudden death. Both qualifying-final losers used the second life, and only one of them survived it.

Week two, semi-finals. The qualifying-final losers hosted the elimination-final winners. The Roosters beat Cronulla 46-10 at Allianz and Newcastle beat the Warriors 12-10 at Eden Park, so both visiting sides went through.

Week three, preliminary finals. The qualifying-final winners come back in against the semi-final winners, hosting. That gave the Dolphins the Roosters at Suncorp, which the Roosters won 36-20, and Penrith the Knights at Accor Stadium, which Newcastle won 22-14.

Week four. The Roosters beat Newcastle 19-18 in the Grand Final at Accor Stadium on Sunday 4 October. The full mechanics of the re-seeding are set out on our NRL finals format guide.

The storylines that matter

Penrith earned the shield in the last game of the season. They and the Warriors both finished 18-6 on 42 points; the Panthers took first place by 26 points of differential after winning by 28 while New Zealand won by one. First place buys them a home qualifying final against the Roosters and, if they win it, a home preliminary final.

The Warriors host a qualifying final in Auckland. Mt Smart in September is the hardest away trip in the competition, and the Dolphins have to make it in their fourth season as a club after finishing third.

North Queensland are in on points, not on numbers. The Cowboys qualified eighth with a differential of minus 84. Manly missed the eight on plus 99. It is the widest such gap in recent memory and the strongest argument going for anyone who wants the NRL to revisit how the eight is decided.

Three sides finished level on 34. Cronulla, South Sydney and Newcastle all landed on 34 points and were separated by differential alone, which is how Cronulla got a home elimination final and Newcastle got a trip to Allianz.

Betting the NRL finals

Premiership futures, each match’s head-to-head and line, and margin markets are all framed for every finals game. Two things change relative to the home-and-away season: the double chance materially affects how the top four are priced, because a qualifying-final loss does not end their season; and sudden-death games tend to be lower-scoring and tighter than the same fixture in August.

The final result and the pre-finals market are on our NRL premiership odds page, the Grand Final market is on NRL Grand Final tips, and the Clive Churchill Medal went to James Tedesco. Build a finals multi with our NRL multibet tips.

How to watch the NRL finals in Australia

Finals matches are broadcast on Channel 9 and 9Now free-to-air, with every game live on Fox League and Kayo Sports for subscribers. Most major Australian bookmakers also stream matches to funded accounts.

Looking for the best bookmakers to bet on the NRL finals?

Compare finals lines, same game multis and September promotions at our top-rated Australian bookmakers. For full reviews, see our best NRL betting sites guide.

NRL finals 2026 FAQs

When do the 2026 NRL finals start?

Finals week one ran from Friday 11 to Sunday 13 September 2026. The preliminary finals were played on Friday 25 and Sunday 27 September, and the Grand Final was played on Sunday 4 October.

Which teams made the 2026 NRL finals?

Penrith, the New Zealand Warriors, the Dolphins, the Sydney Roosters, Cronulla, South Sydney, Newcastle and North Queensland. Penrith finished minor premiers and the Cowboys took eighth.

When was the 2026 NRL Grand Final?

Sunday 4 October 2026 at Accor Stadium in Sydney, kicking off at 7:30pm AEDT. The Roosters won 19-18.

Who won the 2026 NRL minor premiership?

Penrith, their sixth. They finished level with the Warriors on 42 points and 18-6, and took first place by 26 points of for-and-against.

Who played in the 2026 NRL Grand Final?

The Sydney Roosters and Newcastle, who met in the Grand Final at Accor Stadium on Sunday 4 October, with the Roosters winning 19-18. The Roosters beat the Dolphins 36-20 and Newcastle beat Penrith 22-14 in the preliminary finals.

Do higher seeds host in the NRL finals?

Yes, in every week of the series. Both 2026 preliminary finals were at the home ground of a qualifying-final winner, and seventh-seeded Newcastle have had to win both of their finals away from home.

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