NRL 2026 Finals Week 1 results
13 September 2026
Four Finals Week 1 games, three of them decided by exactly 10 points. Penrith Panthers and Dolphins go straight through to the Preliminary Finals; Cronulla Sharks and Newcastle Knights survived their elimination finals and get another shot at the two qualifying-final losers next week.
Finals Week 1 scores
| Home | Away | Venue | Day | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Elimination Final 1 | South Sydney Rabbitohs 10 | lost to | Newcastle Knights 20 | Allianz Stadium | Fri 11 Sep |
| Qualifying Final 2 | New Zealand Warriors 16 | lost to | Dolphins 26 | Go Media Stadium | Sat 12 Sep |
| Elimination Final 2 | Cronulla Sharks 26 | def | North Queensland Cowboys 16 | Allianz Stadium | Sat 12 Sep |
| Qualifying Final 1 | Penrith Panthers 19 | def | Sydney Roosters 12 | CommBank Stadium | Sun 13 Sep |
The round in two lines
Three games, one scoreline: 10 points. Newcastle Knights ran down South Sydney by 10, Dolphins beat New Zealand Warriors by 10, and Cronulla Sharks beat North Queensland Cowboys by 10 — the tightest spread of margins across a finals round all season.
Closest finish: Penrith Panthers by 7 — Sydney Roosters pushed the minor premiers all the way at CommBank Stadium, but Penrith held on.
The Semi Final draw is now locked, and it's a straight McIntyre-system rematch of this week's losers against next week's survivors: SF1 Sydney Roosters host Cronulla Sharks, Friday 18 September. SF2 New Zealand Warriors host Newcastle Knights, Saturday 19 September. Penrith Panthers and Dolphins already have their spot in the Preliminary Finals locked in. Running a finals competition with your mates? A TippingMates ladder updates itself off results like these automatically, every round.