2017 NRL Finals Series

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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
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[]

2017 NRL season v t
Pos	Team	Pld	W	D	L	B	PF	PA	PD	Pts
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 (two venues) Brisbane Melbourne		Sydney
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 / Elimination finals					Semi-finals						Preliminary finals				Grand final
		QF1: 9 Sep, AAMI Park
	1	Melbourne	18
	4	Parramatta	16			SF1: 16 Sep, ANZ Stadium
						Parramatta	16
		EF1: 10 Sep, Allianz Stadium				North Queensland	24					PF1: 22 Sep, AAMI Park
	5	Cronulla-Sutherland	14									Melbourne	30
	8	North Queensland	15									Brisbane	0			GF: 1 Oct, ANZ Stadium
																Melbourne	34
		EF2: 9 Sep, Allianz Stadium										PF2: 23 Sep, Allianz Stadium				North Queensland	6
	6	Manly-Warringah	10									Sydney	16
	7	Penrith	22			SF2: 15 Sep, Suncorp Stadium						North Queensland	29
						Brisbane	13
		QF2: 8 Sep, Allianz Stadium				Penrith	6
	2	Sydney	24
	3	Brisbane	22

Qualifying & Elimination Finals[]

1st Qualifying Final[]

Friday, 8 September 7:55pm

Sydney Roosters	24 – 22	Brisbane Broncos
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

2nd Qualifying Final[]

Saturday, 9 September 4:10pm

Melbourne Storm	18 – 16	Parramatta Eels
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

1st Elimination Final[]

Saturday, 9 September 7:40pm

Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles	10 – 22	Penrith Panthers
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

2nd Elimination Final[]

Sunday, 10 September 4:10pm

Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks	14 – 15	North Queensland Cowboys
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

Semi Finals[]

1st Semi Final[]

Friday, 15 September 8:15pm

Brisbane Broncos	13 – 6	Penrith Panthers
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

2nd Semi Final[]

Saturday, 16 September 7:45pm

Parramatta Eels	16 – 24	North Queensland Cowboys
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

Preliminary Finals[]

1st Preliminary Final[]

Friday, 22 September 8:15pm

Melbourne Storm	30 – 0	Brisbane Broncos
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

2nd Preliminary Final[]

Saturday, 23 September 7:45pm

Sydney Roosters	16 – 29	North Queensland Cowboys
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

Grand Final[]

Sunday, 1 October 7:30pm

Melbourne Storm	34 – 6	North Queensland Cowboys
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

References[]