2019 NRL Finals Series

2019 NRL Finals Series
Duration	13 Sep – 6 Oct 2019
Teams	8
Premiers	Sydney Roosters (15th title)
Minor premiers	Melbourne Storm (4th title)
Matches played	9
Points scored	292
Highest attendance	82,922 (Sydney vs Canberra Grand Final)
Lowest attendance	15,495 (Manly Warringah vs Cronulla-Sutherland Elimination Final)
Average attendance	32,313
Attendance	290,818
Broadcast partners	Nine Network Fox League
Top points scorer(s)	Adam Reynolds (22)
Top try-scorer(s)	James Tedesco (3)

The 2019 NRL Finals Series determined the winner of the 2019 National Rugby League season. The series ran over four weeks in September and October 2019. It culminated with the 2019 NRL Grand Final at Sydney's ANZ Stadium on 6 October 2019, where the Sydney Roosters defeated the Canberra Raiders 14–8.^[1]

The top eight teams from the 2019 NRL Season qualified for the finals series, playing under the same format since 2012. The qualifying teams were Melbourne, Sydney, South Sydney, Canberra, Parramatta, Manly Warringah, Cronulla-Sutherland and Brisbane.

Qualification

2019 NRL season v t e
Pos	Team	Pld	W	D	L	B	PF	PA	PD	Pts
1	Melbourne Storm	24	20	0	4	1	631	300	+331	42
2	Sydney Roosters	24	17	0	7	1	627	363	+264	36
3	South Sydney Rabbitohs	24	16	0	8	1	521	417	+104	34
4	Canberra Raiders	24	15	0	9	1	524	374	+150	32
5	Parramatta Eels	24	14	0	10	1	533	473	+60	30
6	Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles	24	14	0	10	1	496	446	+50	30
7	Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks	24	12	0	12	1	514	464	+50	26
8	Brisbane Broncos	24	11	1	12	1	432	489	−57	25
9	Wests Tigers	24	11	0	13	1	475	486	−11	24
10	Penrith Panthers	24	11	0	13	1	413	474	−61	24
11	Newcastle Knights	24	10	0	14	1	485	522	−37	22
12	Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs	24	10	0	14	1	326	477	−151	22
13	New Zealand Warriors	24	9	1	14	1	433	574	−141	21
14	North Queensland Cowboys	24	9	0	15	1	378	500	−122	20
15	St. George Illawarra Dragons	24	8	0	16	1	427	575	−148	18
16	Gold Coast Titans	24	4	0	20	1	370	651	−281	10

Melbourne qualified for their 9th consecutive finals series. Sydney qualified for their 3rd consecutive final series. South Sydney qualified for their 2nd consecutive finals series. Canberra qualified for their first finals series since 2016. Parramatta qualified for their first finals series since 2017. Manly Warringah qualified for their first finals series since 2017. Cronulla-Sutherland qualified for their 5th consecutive series. Brisbane qualified for their 6th consecutive series.

Venues

Canberra's GIO Stadium hosted one match, Melbourne's AAMI Park hosted two matches and Sydney hosted the remaining six matches, between ANZ Stadium, Bankwest Stadium, Lottoland and the Sydney Cricket Ground.^[2][3]

Canberra	Melbourne	Sydney
GIO Stadium	AAMI Park	ANZ Stadium
Capacity: 25,011	Capacity: 30,050	Capacity: 83,500
Games: 1	Games: 2	Games: 2
Sydney (four venues) Canberra Melbourne
Sydney
Bankwest Stadium	Lottoland	Sydney Cricket Ground
Capacity: 30,000	Capacity: 23,000	Capacity: 46,000
Games: 1	Games: 1	Games: 2

Finals structure

The system used for the 2019 NRL finals series was a final eight system. In this format, the top four teams in the eight receive a "double chance" when they play in week-one qualifying finals, such that if a top-four team lose in the first week it still remained in the finals, playing a semi-final the next week against the winner of an elimination final. The bottom four of the eight will play knock-out games – only the winners survive and move on to the next week. Home-ground advantage goes to the team with the higher ladder position in the first two weeks, to the qualifying final winners in the third week.^[4]

In the second week, the winners of the qualifying finals receive a bye to the third week. The losers of the qualifying final play the winners of the elimination finals in a semi-final. In the third week, the winners of the semi-finals from week two play the winners of the qualifying finals in the first week. The winners of those matches move on to the grand final at ANZ Stadium in Sydney.

Bracket

	Qualifying and elimination finals					Semi-finals						Preliminary finals					Grand Final
	14 Sep, AAMI Park
	1	Melbourne	10
	4	Canberra	12			21 Sep, AAMI Park
						Melbourne		32
	15 Sep, Bankwest Stadium					Parramatta		0				27 Sep, GIO Stadium
	5	Parramatta	58									Canberra		16
	8	Brisbane	0									South Sydney		10			6 Oct, ANZ Stadium
																	Sydney		14
	14 Sep, Lottoland											28 Sep, SCG					Canberra		8
	6	Manly Warringah	28									Sydney		14
	7	Cronulla-Sutherland	16			20 Sep, ANZ Stadium						Melbourne		6
						South Sydney		34
	13 Sep, SCG					Manly Warringah		26
	2	Sydney	30
	3	South Sydney	6

Qualifying and elimination finals

2nd Qualifying final: Sydney v South Sydney

Friday, 13 September 7:50pm

Sydney Roosters	30 – 6	South Sydney Rabbitohs
Tries: Joseph Manu (3') 1 Mitchell Aubusson (11') 1 Boyd Cordner (26') 1 Sio Siua Taukeiaho (30') 1 James Tedesco (36') 1 Latrell Mitchell (59') 1 Goals: Latrell Mitchell 3/7 (9' pen, 27', 31')	1st: 26 – 0 2nd: 4 – 6	Tries: 1 (65') Adam Reynolds Goals: 1/1 Adam Reynolds (66')

Sydney Cricket Ground, Sydney Attendance: 30,370 Referee: Gerard Sutton, Adam Gee Player of the Match: Luke Keary

1st Qualifying final: Melbourne v Canberra

Saturday, 14 September 5:35pm

Melbourne Storm	10 – 12	Canberra Raiders
Tries: Suliasi Vunivalu (43') 1 Goals: Cameron Smith 3/4 (40' pen, 47' pen, 50' pen)	1st: 2 – 6 2nd: 8 – 6	Tries: 1 (4') Bailey Simonsson 1 (78') John Bateman Goals: 2/4 Jarrod Croker (5', 79')

AAMI Park, Melbourne Attendance: 20,136 Referee: Ashley Klein, Chris Sutton Player of the Match: John Bateman

2nd Elimination final: Manly-Warringah v Cronulla-Sutherland

Saturday, 14 September 7:50pm

Manly Warringah Sea Eagles	28 – 16	Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks
Tries: Apisai Koroisau (9') 1 Moses Suli (12') 1 Brad Parker (19') 1 Addin Fonua-Blake (52') 1 Brendan Elliot (72') 1 Goals: Reuben Garrick 4/5 (10', 13', 20', 54')	1st: 18 – 4 2nd: 10 – 12	Tries: 1 (25') Bronson Xerri 1 (45') Aaron Gray 1 (79') Josh Morris Goals: 2/3 Shaun Johnson (47', 79')

Lottoland, Sydney Attendance: 15,495 Referee: Matt Cecchin, Henry Perenara Player of the Match: Daly Cherry-Evans

1st Elimination final: Parramatta v Brisbane

Sunday, 15 September 4:00pm

Parramatta Eels	58 – 0	Brisbane Broncos
Tries: Manu Ma'u 1/1 (80')	1st: 24 – 0 2nd: 34 – 0

Bankwest Stadium, Sydney Attendance: 29,372 Referee: Ben Cummins, Grant Atkins Player of the Match: Mitchell Moses

Semi-finals

2nd Semi-final: South Sydney v Manly-Warringah

Friday, 20 September 7:50pm

South Sydney Rabbitohs	34 – 26	Manly Warringah Sea Eagles
Tries: Cameron Murray (40', 71') 2 Alex Johnston (10') 1 Cody Walker (15') 1 John Sutton (68') 1 Goals: Adam Reynolds 7/9 (16', 21' pen, 40', 55' pen, 69', 73', 80' pen) Sin Bin: Cody Walker (29')	1st: 18 – 16 2nd: 16 – 10	Tries: 1 (18') Brad Parker 1 (24') Corey Waddell 1 (36') Daly Cherry-Evans 1 (47') Moses Suli 1 (57') Jack Gosiewski Goals: 3/5 Reuben Garrick (25', 37', 57') Sin Bin: (54') Brad Parker (67') Jake Trbojevic

ANZ Stadium, Sydney Attendance: 32,127 Referee: Gerard Sutton, Adam Gee Player of the Match: Cameron Murray

1st Semi-final: Melbourne v Parramatta

Saturday, 21 September 7:50pm

Melbourne Storm	32 – 0	Parramatta Eels
Tries: Josh Addo-Carr (6', 28') 2 Suliasi Vunivalu (10') 1 Cameron Munster (17') 1 Jahrome Hughes (22') 1 Ryan Papenhuyzen (59') 1 Nelson Asofa-Solomona (79') 1 Goals: Cameron Smith 1/6 (22') Ryan Papenhuyzen 1/1 (80') Cameron Munster 0/1 Sin Bin: Cameron Smith (30')	1st: 22 – 0 2nd: 10 – 0

AAMI Park, Melbourne Attendance: 21,015 Referee: Ben Cummins, Grant Atkins Player of the Match: Nelson Asofa-Solomona

Preliminary finals

1st Preliminary final: Canberra v South Sydney

Friday, 27 September 7:50pm

Canberra Raiders	16 – 10	South Sydney Rabbitohs
Tries: Josh Papalii (73') 1 Goals: Jarrod Croker 2/4 (16', 75') Sin Bin: Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad (70')	1st: 6 – 6 2nd: 10 – 4	Tries: 1 (28') Dane Gagai 1 (79') Campbell Graham Goals: 1/2 Adam Reynolds (30')

Josh Papalii

2nd Preliminary final: Sydney v Melbourne

Saturday, 28 September 7:50pm

Sydney Roosters	14 – 6	Melbourne Storm
Tries: Boyd Cordner (15') 1 James Tedesco (69') 1 Goals: Latrell Mitchell 3/4 (2' pen, 33' pen, 70') Sin Bin: Sio Siua Taukeiaho (1')	1st: 8 – 0 2nd: 6 – 6	Tries: 1 (51') Nelson Asofa-Solomona Goals: 1/1 Cameron Smith (52') Sin Bin: (1') Nelson Asofa-Solomona

Sydney Cricket Ground, Sydney Attendance: 32,814 Referee: Gerard Sutton, Adam Gee Player of the Match: Boyd Cordner

Grand Final

Sunday, 6 October 7:40pm (AEDT)

Sydney Roosters	14 – 8	Canberra Raiders
Tries: Sam Verrills (7') 1 James Tedesco (73') 1 Goals: Latrell Mitchell 3/5 (8', 21' pen, 74') Sin Bin: Cooper Cronk (50') 1	1st: 8 – 6 2nd: 6 – 2	Tries: 1 (31') Jack Wighton Goals: 2/2 Jarrod Croker (32', 50' pen)

ANZ Stadium Attendance: 82,922 Clive Churchill Medal: Jack Wighton Referee: Ben Cummins, Gerard Sutton

References