The NRL playoffs are finally upon us.
After a gruelling 25-week competition, eight teams remain in the toughest finals series to predict in history.
Only two competition points separated eighth from first, as the season went down to the wire.
- Roger Tuivasa-Sheck named Warriors NRL Player of the Year
- Roundtable: Best of Warriors' NRL playoff season
- Andrew Gourdie: Why you can't rule out the Warriors for the NRL title
The Warriors were one of four teams to finish on 32 competition points and they qualified eighth, due to their lower points differential.
It ends a seven-year absence from finals football for the Warriors, who last made it this far in 2011.
Since then, the finals system has changed and how it all works often confuses fans.
So, we've done our best to make it not-so-confusing for you to understand.
Week One (Qualifying/Elimination Finals)
The eight finalists are split into two groups of four - the top four (1-4) and the bottom four (5-8) - for the opening weekend.
In the top four, first plays fourth and second faces third in qualifying finals. The first and second-placed teams will host the match.
The winners of these games have a bye in the second week and host a preliminary final in Week Three.
Meanwhile, the losers get a second chance and must play again the following weekend in the semi-finals against the Elimination Finals winners.
In the bottom four, fifth play eighth and sixth play seventh in Elimination Finals. The higher-placed teams - fifth and sixth - host these games.
The losers of these games will be eliminated from the finals series, with the winners advancing to the Semi-Finals in the second week.
Qualifying Final: Friday, September 7
- 9:40pm (NZ time), AAMI Park
- (2) Melbourne Storm vs (3) South Sydney Rabbitohs
Elimination Final: Saturday, September 8
- 7:30pm, ANZ Stadium
- (5) Penrith Panthers vs (8) New Zealand Warriors
Qualifying Final: Saturday, September 8
- 9:40pm, Allianz Stadium
- (1) Sydney Roosters vs (4) Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks
Elimination Final: Sunday, September 9
- 6pm, Suncorp Stadium
- (6) Brisbane Broncos vs (7) St George Illawarra Dragons
Week Two (Semi-Finals)
Two Semi-Finals matches are played between the two sides that lost the qualifying finals (1vs4, 2vs3) and the two teams that won the elimination finals (5vs8, 6vs7).
The losers of first versus fourth will play the winners of fifth versus eighth, and the losers of second versus third will play the winners of sixth versus seventh.
The losers from the Qualifying Finals will host these games.
If the Warriors beat Penrith, they will face the losers from the Roosters vs Sharks Qualifying Final.
The teams that lose these Semi-Finals will also be eliminated, while the teams that win will go through to face the qualifying final winners in Preliminary Finals in Week Three.
Week Three (Preliminary Finals)
The winners of the Qualifying Finals from the first week host the winners of the Semi-Finals from the second week in Preliminary Finals.
The winners of the first qualifying final (1vs4) play the winners of the second Semi-Final and the winners of the second Qualifying Final (2vs3) play the winners of the first Semi-Final.
This ensures that no two teams ever meet twice in the first three weeks of finals.
If the Warriors make it this far, they’ll face the winners from the Storm vs Rabbitohs Qualifying Final back in Week One.
Week Four (Grand Final)
The two teams that were victorious in the Preliminary Finals will meet in the Grand Final at ANZ Stadium in Sydney.
Newshub.
