2020 NRL Finals Series explained
The 2020 National Rugby League finals series was a tournament staged to determine the winner of the 2020 Telstra Premiership season. The series was played over four weekends in October, culminating in the 2020 NRL Grand Final on 25 October 2020 at ANZ Stadium. The Grand Final was ultimately won by the second-placed Melbourne Storm, who defeated the minor premiers the Penrith Panthers 26–20.
The top eight teams from the 2020 NRL season qualify for the finals series. NRL finals series have been played under the current format since 2012.
Qualification
See also: 2020 NRL season.
Venues and impact of the COVID-19 pandemic
For the 2020 NRL Finals Series, the stadia will be permitted to hold up to 50% of capacity under New South Wales, Australian Capital Territory and Queensland government guidelines.[1] For the preliminary finals Lang Park's permitted capacity was increased to 75%.[2]
Due to the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in Victoria, the Melbourne Storm will play their home finals at Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane rather than their regular home ground of AAMI Park in Melbourne. Suncorp will hold two games, Canberra's GIO Stadium will host one match and Sydney will host the remaining six matches, between ANZ Stadium, Bankwest Stadium, Panthers Stadium and the Sydney Cricket Ground.[3]
Finals structure
See also: NRL finals system. The system used for the 2020 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 ground advantage goes to the team with the higher ladder position in the first two weeks and 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.[4]
Bracket
Summary
| Home | Score | Away | Match Information |
|---|
| width=17% | Date and Time (Local) | width=17% | Venue | width=11% | Referees | width=7% | Crowd |
|---|
| QUALIFYING & ELIMINATION FINALS |
| align=left | Penrith Panthers | 29 - 28 | align=left | Sydney Roosters | 2 October 2020, 7:50pm | Panthers Stadium | Gerard Sutton | 7,209 |
| align=left | Canberra Raiders | 32 - 20 | align=left | Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks | 3 October 2020, 5:40pm | GIO Stadium Canberra | Grant Atkins | 9,602 |
| align=left | Melbourne Storm | 36 - 24 | align=left | Parramatta Eels | 3 October 2020, 7:50pm | Suncorp Stadium | Ashley Klein | 16,238 |
| align=left | South Sydney Rabbitohs | 46 - 20 | align=left | Newcastle Knights | 4 October 2020, 4:05pm | ANZ Stadium | Ben Cummins | 17,212 |
| SEMI FINALS |
| align=left | Sydney Roosters | 18 - 22 | align=left | Canberra Raiders | 9 October 2020, 7:55pm | Sydney Cricket Ground | Ashley Klein | 18,110 |
| align=left | Parramatta Eels | 24 - 38 | align=left | South Sydney Rabbitohs | 10 October 2020, 7:50pm | Bankwest Stadium | Gerard Sutton | 14,510 |
| PRELIMINARY FINALS |
| align=left | Melbourne Storm | 30 - 10 | align=left | Canberra Raiders | 16 October 2020, 7:50pm | Suncorp Stadium | Ashley Klein | 37,112 |
| align=left | Penrith Panthers | 20 – 16 | align=left | South Sydney Rabbitohs | 17 October 2020, 7:50pm | ANZ Stadium | Gerard Sutton | 30,116 | |
† Match decided in extra time.
Qualifying & elimination finals
1st Qualifying final
1st Elimination final
2nd Qualifying final
2nd Elimination final
Semi-finals
1st Semi-final
2nd Semi-final
Preliminary finals
1st Preliminary Final
2nd Preliminary Final
Grand Final
See main article: 2020 NRL Grand Final.
References
- Web site: Sports crowds to double at NSW stadiums. 2020-09-18. Austadiums.
- Web site: Melbourne Storm v Canberra Raiders Tickets . . Ticketek. 11 October 2020 . With the increase in capacity at Suncorp Stadium to 75%, new measures have been developed to ensure the safety of you and others..
- Web site: 2020-10-02. Everything you need to know: Week one of the 2020 finals. 2020-10-03. National Rugby League. en.
- Web site: NRL finals format explained: How do the NRL finals work?. 2020-09-18. The Roar. en-US.
