2017 NRL finals series
The 2017 NRL finals series was the 20th annual edition of the NRL final series, the Rugby League tournament staged to determine the winner of the 2017 NRL Season. The series ran over four weekends in September and October 2017, culminating with the 2017 NRL Grand Final at the ANZ Stadium on 1 October 2017.
2017 NRL finals series | |
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Duration | 9 Sep – 1 Oct 2017 |
Teams | 8 |
Premiers | Melbourne Storm (3rd title) |
Minor premiers | Melbourne Storm (3rd title) |
Matches played | 9 |
Points scored | 315 |
Highest attendance | 79,722 (Melbourne vs North Queensland Grand Final) |
Lowest attendance | 15,408 (Manly vs Penrith Elimination Final) |
Average attendance | 32,435 |
Attendance | 291,922 |
Broadcast partners | Nine Network Fox League |
Top points scorer(s) | Ethan Lowe (28) Cameron Smith (28) |
Top try-scorer(s) | Billy Slater (4) Josh Addo-Carr (4) |
The top eight teams from the 2017 NRL Season qualified for the finals series. NRL finals series have been played under the current format since 2012. The qualifying teams are Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane, Parramatta, Cronulla-Sutherland, Manly Warringah, Penrith and North Queensland.
The preliminary finals are the same four teams as the 2015 finals series.
Qualification
Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | B | PF | PA | PD | Pts |
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1 | Melbourne Storm (P) | 24 | 20 | 0 | 4 | 2 | 633 | 336 | +297 | 44 |
2 | Sydney Roosters | 24 | 17 | 0 | 7 | 2 | 500 | 428 | +72 | 38 |
3 | Brisbane Broncos | 24 | 16 | 0 | 8 | 2 | 597 | 433 | +164 | 36 |
4 | Parramatta Eels | 24 | 16 | 0 | 8 | 2 | 496 | 457 | +39 | 36 |
5 | Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks | 24 | 15 | 0 | 9 | 2 | 476 | 407 | +69 | 34 |
6 | Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles | 24 | 14 | 0 | 10 | 2 | 552 | 512 | +40 | 32 |
7 | Penrith Panthers | 24 | 13 | 0 | 11 | 2 | 504 | 459 | +45 | 30 |
8 | North Queensland Cowboys | 24 | 13 | 0 | 11 | 2 | 467 | 443 | +24 | 30 |
9 | St. George Illawarra Dragons | 24 | 12 | 0 | 12 | 2 | 533 | 450 | +83 | 28 |
10 | Canberra Raiders | 24 | 11 | 0 | 13 | 2 | 558 | 497 | +61 | 26 |
11 | Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs | 24 | 10 | 0 | 14 | 2 | 360 | 455 | −95 | 24 |
12 | South Sydney Rabbitohs | 24 | 9 | 0 | 15 | 2 | 464 | 564 | −100 | 22 |
13 | New Zealand Warriors | 24 | 7 | 0 | 17 | 2 | 444 | 575 | −131 | 18 |
14 | Wests Tigers | 24 | 7 | 0 | 17 | 2 | 413 | 571 | −158 | 18 |
15 | Gold Coast Titans | 24 | 7 | 0 | 17 | 2 | 448 | 638 | −190 | 18 |
16 | Newcastle Knights | 24 | 5 | 0 | 19 | 2 | 428 | 648 | −220 | 14 |
Melbourne qualified for their 7th straight finals series, it was also their 2nd straight first-place finish. Sydney returned to the finals after missing out in 2016. Brisbane qualified for the 4th straight year. Parramatta made their first finals appearance since the 2009 Grand Final, it was also their first top four finish since 2005. Cronulla returned to the finals for the 3rd straight year after winning the 2016 NRL Grand Final. Manly played their first finals game since 2014. Penrith returned to the finals after competing in the 2016 finals series. North Queensland qualified for their 7th straight finals series, giving them and Melbourne the best current finals streak.
Venues
The matches of the 2017 NRL finals series were contested at four venues in three different states around the country.
Melbourne's AAMI Park hosted 2 matches, Brisbane's Suncorp Stadium hosted 1 match and Sydney hosted the remaining 6 matches, which were played at Allianz Stadium and ANZ Stadium.
Melbourne | Sydney | ||
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AAMI Park | Allianz Stadium | ||
Capacity: 29,500 | Capacity: 45,500 | ||
Brisbane | Sydney | ||
Suncorp Stadium | ANZ Stadium | ||
Capacity: 52,500 | Capacity: 83,500 | ||
Finals Structure
The system used for the 2017 NRL finals series is a final eight system. The top four teams in the eight receive the "double chance" when they play in week-one qualifying finals, such that if a top-four team loses in the first week it still remains in the finals, playing a semi-final the next week against the winner of an elimination final. The bottom four of the eight play knock-out games – only the winners survive and move on to the next week. Home-state advantage goes to the team with the higher ladder position in the first two weeks, to the qualifying final winners in the third week.
In the second week, the winners of the qualifying finals receive a bye to the third week. The losers of the qualifying final plays the elimination finals winners 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
Qualifying and elimination finals | Semi-finals | Preliminary finals | Grand Final | ||||||||||||||||
9 September – Melbourne | |||||||||||||||||||
1 | Melbourne Storm | 18 | |||||||||||||||||
4 | Parramatta Eels | 16 | 16 September – Sydney | ||||||||||||||||
Parramatta Eels | 16 | ||||||||||||||||||
10 September – Sydney | North Queensland Cowboys | 24 | 22 September – Melbourne | ||||||||||||||||
5 | Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks | 14 | Melbourne Storm | 30 | |||||||||||||||
8 | North Queensland Cowboys | 15 | Brisbane Broncos | 0 | 1 October – Sydney | ||||||||||||||
Melbourne Storm | 34 | ||||||||||||||||||
9 September – Sydney | 23 September – Sydney | North Queensland Cowboys | 6 | ||||||||||||||||
6 | Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles | 10 | Sydney Roosters | 16 | |||||||||||||||
7 | Penrith Panthers | 22 | 15 September – Brisbane | North Queensland Cowboys | 29 | ||||||||||||||
Brisbane Broncos | 13 | ||||||||||||||||||
8 September – Sydney | Penrith Panthers | 6 | |||||||||||||||||
2 | Sydney Roosters | 24 | |||||||||||||||||
3 | Brisbane Broncos | 22 | |||||||||||||||||
Qualifying & Elimination Finals
1st Qualifying final
Friday, 8 September 7:55pm |
Sydney Roosters | 24 – 22 | Brisbane Broncos |
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Tries: Aidan Guerra (13') 1 Boyd Cordner (19') 1 Luke Keary (44') 1 Latrell Mitchell (75') 1 Goals: Michael Gordon 4/5 (14', 20', 26' pen, 76') |
1st: 14 – 6 2nd: 10 – 16 |
Tries: 2 (50', 71') Corey Oates 1 (37') James Roberts 1 (69') Ben Hunt Goals: 3/4 Jordan Kahu (38', 70', 73') |
Allianz Stadium, Sydney Attendance: 21,212 Referee: Matt Cecchin, Alan Shortall Player of the Match: Boyd Cordner |
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2nd Qualifying final
Saturday, 9 September 4:10pm |
Melbourne Storm | 18 – 16 | Parramatta Eels |
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Tries: Josh Addo-Carr (4') 1 Kenny Bromwich (46') 1 Billy Slater (50') 1 Goals: Cameron Smith 3/4 (47', 51', 63' pen) Sin Bin: Cameron Munster (23') |
1st: 4 – 10 2nd: 14 – 6 |
Tries: 1 (24') Kirisome Auva'a 1 (31') Will Smith 1 (66') Semi Radradra Goals: 2/3 Mitchell Moses (33', 67') |
AAMI Park, Melbourne Attendance: 22,626 Referee: Ben Cummins, Chris Sutton Player of the Match: Cameron Smith |
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1st Elimination final
Saturday, 9 September 7:40pm |
Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles | 10 – 22 | Penrith Panthers |
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Tries: Dylan Walker (26') 1 Lewis Brown (62') 1 Goals: Matthew Wright 1/2 (63') |
1st: 4 – 10 2nd: 6 – 12 |
Tries: 2 (34', 79') Bryce Cartwright 1 (74') Tyrone Peachey Goals: 5/5 Nathan Cleary (3' pen, 35', 40' pen, 75', 80') |
Allianz Stadium, Sydney Attendance: 15,408 Referee: Gerard Sutton, Adam Gee Player of the Match: Nathan Cleary |
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2nd Elimination final
Sunday, 10 September 4:10pm |
Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks | 14 – 15 | North Queensland Cowboys |
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Tries: Chad Townsend (3') 1 Jack Bird (56') 1 Goals: James Maloney 3/3 (4', 18' pen, 57') Sin Bin: James Maloney (40') |
1st: 8 – 2 2nd: 6 – 12 ET1: 0 – 1 ET2: 0 - 0 |
Tries: 1 (49') Kyle Feldt 1 (63') Jason Taumalolo Goals: 3/4 Ethan Lowe (40' pen, 64', 78' pen) Field Goals: 1 (85') Michael Morgan |
Allianz Stadium, Sydney Attendance: 16,115 Referee: Ashley Klein, Gavin Badger Player of the Match: Jason Taumalolo |
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Semi-finals
1st Semi-final
Friday, 15 September 8:15pm |
Brisbane Broncos | 13 – 6 | Penrith Panthers |
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Tries: Corey Oates (7') 1 James Roberts (47') 1 Goals: Jordan Kahu 2/4 (14' pen, 48') Field Goals: Jordan Kahu (70') 1 |
1st: 6 – 0 2nd: 7 – 6 |
Tries: 1 (64') Reagan Campbell-Gillard Goals: 1/1 Nathan Cleary (65') |
Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane Attendance: 38,623 Referee: Gerard Sutton, Adam Gee Player of the Match: Alex Glenn |
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2nd Semi-final
Saturday, 16 September 7:45pm |
Parramatta Eels | 16 – 24 | North Queensland Cowboys |
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Tries: Semi Radradra (7') 1 Will Smith (31') 1 Michael Jennings (80') 1 Goals: Mitchell Moses 2/3 (8', 80') |
1st: 10 – 6 2nd: 6 – 18 |
Tries: 1 (11') Kyle Feldt 1 (45') John Asiata 1 (52') Coen Hess 1 (75') Michael Morgan Goals: 4/4 Ethan Lowe (12', 46', 53', 76') |
ANZ Stadium, Sydney Attendance: 41,287 Referee: Matt Cecchin, Ben Cummins Player of the Match: Michael Morgan |
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Preliminary Finals
1st Preliminary final
Friday, 22 September 8:15pm |
Melbourne Storm | 30 – 0 | Brisbane Broncos |
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Tries: Billy Slater (60', 71') 2 Josh Addo-Carr (39') 1 Nelson Asofa-Solomona (66') 1 Goals: Cameron Smith 6/6 (19' pen, 40', 61', 67', 70' pen, 73') Tohu Harris 1/1 (79') |
1st: 8 – 0 2nd: 22 – 0 |
AAMI Park, Melbourne Attendance: 28,821 Referee: Matt Cecchin, Ben Cummins Player of the Match: Cooper Cronk |
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2nd Preliminary final
Saturday, 23 September 7:45pm |
Sydney Roosters | 16 – 29 | North Queensland Cowboys |
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Tries: Latrell Mitchell (37') 1 Connor Watson (46') 1 Blake Ferguson (61') 1 Goals: Michael Gordon 2/3 (39', 47') |
1st: 6 – 8 2nd: 10 – 21 |
Tries: 1 (24') Te Maire Martin 1 (55') Kane Linnett 1 (66') Kyle Feldt 1 (80') Scott Bolton Goals: 6/6 Ethan Lowe (21' pen, 26', 56', 67', 71' pen, 80') Field Goals: 1 (77') Michael Morgan |
Allianz Stadium, Sydney Attendance: 28,108 Referee: Gerard Sutton, Adam Gee Player of the Match: Michael Morgan |
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Grand Final
Sunday, 1 October 7:30pm |
Melbourne Storm | 34 – 6 | North Queensland Cowboys |
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Tries: Josh Addo-Carr (20', 73') 2 Felise Kaufusi (28') 1 Billy Slater (38') 1 Dale Finucane (64') 1 Curtis Scott (67') 1 Goals: Cameron Smith 5/6 (21', 29', 39', 65', 75') |
1st: 18 – 0 2nd: 16 – 6 |
Tries: 1 (48') Te Maire Martin Goals: 1/1 Ethan Lowe (49') |
ANZ Stadium, Sydney Attendance: 79,722 Referee: Matt Cecchin, Gerard Sutton Clive Churchill Medal: Billy Slater |
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