As we near the end of the 2026 NRL season, the highly anticipated NRL finals and grand final become increasingly topical.
We are a few weeks away from round 27 of the regular season, which will determine the top eight teams that advance through the multiple rounds and various configurations of the finals.
With three weeks of finals determining who will advance in contention for the premiership title and trophy, here’s everything you need to know leading up to the 2026 NRL grand final.
NRL finals schedule, fixtures, and key dates
Although we won’t know the exact fixtures until the top eight teams are confirmed at the end of round 27, here is a rundown of what we can expect to see during the four weeks of NRL finals:
Week 1: Qualifying and elimination finals will take place from Friday, September 11 to Sunday, September 13, 2026.Week 2: Semi-finals will take place mid to late-September 2026.Week 3: Preliminary finals will take place late-September 2026.Week 4: NRL grand final will take place on Sunday, 4 October 2026.
The specific dates and times of these matches will also be announced on Sunday, August 30, 2026, immediately after round 27 of the regular season.
The top 8 teams on the NRL ladder will compete in the 2026 Finals. Getty Images
How do the NRL finals work?
After round 27 of the regular NRL season, the top eight teams will compete in the NRL finals over four weeks and various match configurations. The finals include the qualifying and elimination finals, semi-finals and preliminary finals until the two remaining teams clash in the grand final to determine the NRL premiership winner for 2026.
Week 1: Qualifying and elimination finalsThe first round of finals see the 1st vs 4th teams and the 2nd vs 3rd teams compete in the qualifying finals. The winners of each match will advance straight to the preliminary finals in week three. The losing teams of each game will still advance to the semi-finals in week two.Elimination finals also take place this week with the 5th vs 8th teams and the 6th vs 7th teams. These teams will play to determine winners who will advance to the semi-finals. The losing teams will be eliminated.Week 2: Semi-finals
The semi-finals in week two are made up of two matches:
The losing team of qualifying final 1 vs the winning team of elimination final 1.The losing team of qualifying final 2 vs the winning team of elimination final 2.
The losing teams of each match will be eliminated from the finals, with the winners moving forward to the preliminary finals.
Week 3: Preliminary finals
The preliminary finals will confirm the two grand final teams.
The first preliminary final match will have the winner of qualifying final 1 vs the winner of semi-final 2.The second preliminary final match will have the winner of qualifying final 2 vs the winner of semi-final 1.
The winning teams will then head to Sydney Olympic Park the following week for the grand final.
Week 4: Grand final
The four-week finals are brought to an end by the 2026 NRL grand final. This long-awaited match concludes the professional rugby league season for the year, with the winning teams of the preliminary finals competing for the NRL premiership title, prize money, and opportunity to lift the Provan-Summons trophy.
What to know about the NRL grand final 2026
The NRL grand final will take place on Sunday, October 4 2026 at Accor Stadium in Sydney Olympic Park. The estimated kick-off time for the men’s NRL grand final is 7:30pm AEDT and 6:30pm AEST, with the NRLW grand final kicking off earlier in the day at 3:55pm AEDT and 2:55pm AEST, subject to broadcast changes.
The Brisbane Broncos celebrating victory in for last year’s 2025 NRL Grand Final. Getty Images
How to watch the NRL finals on TV in Australia
As Nine is the official rights holder for the NRL, you can watch every single game of the NRL finals live and free through the Nine Network. The finals are broadcast on live free-to-air TV on Channel 9 and live coverage can also be streamed on 9Now. Users will need to login or create a free Nine account to access 9Now on Desktop, iPhones, iPads, iOS, and Connected TV. To check if the 9Now app can be accessed on your device, please visit 9Now’s ways to watch.
How to get NRL finals and grand final tickets
You can buy tickets to the qualifying and elimination finals, semi-finals, and preliminary finals with official NRL tickets through Ticketmaster once the fixtures, dates, and times are released. Priority windows will be available for ticketed club members with an Advantage Access Number at the start of each week their team competes.
For the NRL and NRLW, tickets to the Telstra Premiership grand finals can be purchased via Ticketmaster, through the Ticketek waitlist, or as an NRL travel package. General public sales for the grand final were available from July 2026 for the Sunday, October 4 2026 match at Accor Stadium.