NRL NRL 2025 - Finals Week 1

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Friday 12th September
(2) Melbourne Storm vs (3) Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs (AAMI Park - 19:50)

Saturday 13th September
(6) New Zealand Warriors vs (7) Penrith Panthers (Go Media Stadium - 16:05)
(5) Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks vs (8) Sydney Roosters (Sharks Stadium - 19:50)

Sunday 14th September
(1) Canberra Raiders vs (4) Brisbane Broncos (GIO Stadium - 16:05)

 

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[moto748]

So the top four can afford to lose a game, is that right?

 

[Aucklander]

So the top four can afford to lose a game, is that right?

Yes. Top 2 highest ranked winners through to PF.

 

[CanuckSuns]

Warriors, everyone is counting on you.

 

[Aucklander]

Warriors, everyone is counting on you.

Jesus. Really? Don't.

 

[PhatBoy]

Would love the Wahs to do well but outside of that the only teams I have any affinity for beyond my own are the Panthers - yes lots of people have started to hate them but I have nothing but respect for them - and to a minor degree Canberra but I’m sure Ricky will ensure that disappears incredibly quickly.

 

[moto748]

So who do we fancy? I'll go

Storm
Penrith
Sharks (but toss of a coin)
Canberra

 

[phantom13]

Would love the Wahs to do well but outside of that the only teams I have any affinity for beyond my own are the Panthers - yes lots of people have started to hate them but I have nothing but respect for them - and to a minor degree Canberra but I’m sure Ricky will ensure that disappears incredibly quickly.

I don’t really get how you can have anything but respect for the panthers. What theyve achieved is truly incredible.

Having said that I don’t wanna see them win again.

 

[Roobs321]

Raiders-Broncs & Warriors-Panthers are definitely the ones I’m most keen on, and thankfully don’t clash with the AFL SFs, yay!

 

[raskolnikov]

Storm
Panthers
Sharks
Raiders

 

[phantom13]

If there was ever a stright sets exit staring fown the barrel it would be for the storm right now.

All banged up.

 

[moto748]

I said ages ago I expected it to be one of the usual suspects, rather than arrivistes like the Bulldogs or Raiders. I stick with that view.

 

[PhatBoy]

I said ages ago I expected it to be one of the usual suspects, rather than arrivistes like the Bulldogs or Raiders. I stick with that view.

The thing is that once it gets past week one the equation becomes the same for all teams anyway.

If Penrith beat the warriors it just reverts to winning 3 finals in a row which is just the normal pattern of how a team wins a comp. It’s just that they then have to do it 3 weeks in a row instead of with a gap in between.

With Melbourne a bit down on form and Hughes injured again, the Raiders have been great but a bit of an unknown in finals, the Dogs running out of gas, maybe it’s just a matter of whether they can beat the Broncos if/when they have to meet them that stops them winning again. To me they’re still the team to beat all things being equal.

I don’t think my Roosters can win the comp but I think they can do some damage - I think they can beat every team left, I just don’t think we can do it more than a couple of weeks in a row. We are still too inconsistent (highlighted by our switch off week against the eels 3 rounds ago)

 

[Jatz]

The thing is that once it gets past week one the equation becomes the same for all teams anyway.

If Penrith beat the warriors it just reverts to winning 3 finals in a row which is just the normal pattern of how a team wins a comp. It’s just that they then have to do it 3 weeks in a row instead of with a gap in between.

With Melbourne a bit down on form and Hughes injured again, the Raiders have been great but a bit of an unknown in finals, the Dogs running out of gas, maybe it’s just a matter of whether they can beat the Broncos if/when they have to meet them that stops them winning again. To me they’re still the team to beat all things being equal.

I don’t think my Roosters can win the comp but I think they can do some damage - I think they can beat every team left, I just don’t think we can do it more than a couple of weeks in a row. We are still too inconsistent (highlighted by our switch off week against the eels 3 rounds ago)

Penrith have never won it while playing away for those 3 weeks in a row though.

They could very well end up having to play in NZ, Melbourne and then Canberra/Brisbane.

That's a hell of a task for a side that hasn't looked that impressive.

 

[PhatBoy]

Penrith have never won it while playing away for those 3 weeks in a row though.

They could very well end up having to play in NZ, Melbourne and then Canberra/Brisbane.

That's a hell of a task for a side that hasn't looked that impressive.

They haven’t looked THAT impressive, agreed, but on the flip side they probably should have won both games against Melbourne and Canberra, the Melbourne game came after two trips away, then they went on the road again albeit only 3 hours to Mudgee. I don’t think the travel will worry them as much as the in-game up-and-down form.

 

[Jatz]

They haven’t looked THAT impressive, agreed, but on the flip side they probably should have won both games against Melbourne and Canberra, the Melbourne game came after two trips away, then they went on the road again albeit only 3 hours to Mudgee. I don’t think the travel will worry them as much as the in-game up-and-down form.

That's fair point. Holistically, I just see too much stacking up against them to ultimately win it all.

I keep saying it every year but if they win it from here, it would easily be their most impressive.

 

[Jatz]

I have no reason not to be confident but I still feel like Canberra will be imposters in this finals series. Wouldn't surprise me to see them lose to Brisbane and then the Roosters a week later.

 

[PhatBoy]

I have no reason not to be confident but I still feel like Canberra will be imposters in this finals series. Wouldn't surprise me to see them lose to Brisbane and then the Roosters a week later.

I keep thinking this but they do keep finding ways (yes finals are different) to get the job done. I saw enough in our game against them to convince me we can beat them, and Penrith would definitely be thinking the same, Brisbane are in good form and would be backing themselves to do it.

 

[Jatz]

I keep thinking this but they do keep finding ways (yes finals are different) to get the job done. I saw enough in our game against them to convince me we can beat them, and Penrith would definitely be thinking the same, Brisbane are in good form and would be backing themselves to do it.

Yep, apart from the Warriors or Sharks, I think the other 5 teams could definitely beat them.

Which I hope doesn't happen for Raiders fans but I do hope it happens to see Sticky lose the plot.

 

[Aucklander]

Canterbury
Panthers
Roosters
Broncos

 

[Ed_Gein]

Kikau gone after about 30 seconds

 

[Around the Wicket]

I honestly don't see what they see in Hayward....