Panthers start against Roosters, Knights secure last place, Cowboys’ secret weapon

Melbourne will face Cronulla in the opening round of the NRL playoffs, while Penrith will face the Roosters in the other qualifying final.

Week one of the NRL finals was officially announced after Newcastle took eighth place with their 14-6 home win over the Dolphins.

Cronulla secured fourth place after a 40-20 demolition of Manly on Sunday, meaning second-placed Penrith and the third-placed Roosters will open the finals series at BlueBet Stadium next Friday.

>> How the NRL final system works

The Storm will be looking for revenge against the Sharks, who are one of only two visiting teams to win at AAMI Park this season.

Cronulla then travel to Melbourne to face the Storm on Saturday, giving the Sharks six days until the qualifying final.

North Queensland finished fifth after their clear victory over Canterbury and will host Newcastle.

The Bulldogs secured sixth on the NRL rankings to get a home game in the first week of the finals as the Sea Eagles missed the chance to overtake them on Sunday.

More than 50,000 spectators are expected when Canterbury plays its first final since 2016 in Homebush on Sunday.

Newcastle’s victory dropped the Dolphins to tenth place, while Canberra, who needed a draw between the two teams to qualify, finished ninth due to the double record.

Ricky Stuart’s team defeated the Dragons on Saturday afternoon to end their season on a winning note.

North Queensland will host its elimination final in expected -28 degrees in Townsville, where the NRL traditionally avoids day games in the hotter months.

This should give the Cowboys, who are used to playing in heat and humidity, some advantage.

“These conditions are beneficial to the person holding the ball,” said Cowboys coach Todd Payten. “It gets really difficult when you lose possession carelessly and have to tackle too many times.”

“We have a little bit of an advantage because we have some experience in that. But that doesn’t matter if we lose the ball. We are the better team in Townsville, there’s no doubt about that. I’m really excited and looking forward to it.”

The Cowboys booked a $60,000 charter flight from Sydney following their win over the Bulldogs on Saturday night, giving them an extra day to prepare.

“It’s quite expensive, but it gives us an extra day at home with our families,” said Payten. “We don’t waste a whole day travelling. If everything was on time, we would have arrived home by 4:30 or 5 p.m. (Sunday).”

“(Instead) it gave the coaches the opportunity to complete the review on Saturday evening.

Reuben Cotter celebrates with his teammates. (Photo by Mark Nolan/Getty Images)

“The players have a rest day on Sunday and come back on Monday. Everything counts.”

The scheduling of the first week of finals is also likely to mean that the NRL avoids a clash with the AFL final in the third week in Melbourne.

Assuming the NRL takes the most direct approach to avoid short breaks, the Storm are likely to host on Friday night in week three if they beat Cronulla next week.

Due to the AFL final, this match would be played on a public holiday in Melbourne, avoiding the NRL playing Aussie Rules just hours after the deciding match.

St. George Illawarra were eliminated from the finals and ended a once promising season in 11th place.

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Draw of the final of week 1

Qualifying Final: Friday, September 13, 7:50 p.m. (EST), BlueBet Stadium
Penrith Panthers (2) – Sydney Roosters (3)

Qualifying Final: Saturday, September 14, 4:05 p.m. (EST), AAMI Park
Melbourne Storm (1) – Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks (4)

Elimination Final: Saturday, September 14, 7.50pm (EST), Qld Country Bank Stadium
North Queensland Cowboys (5) vs Newcastle Knights (8)

Elimination Final: Sunday, September 15, 4:05 p.m. (EST), Accor Stadium
Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs (6) – Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles (7)

with AAP