As expected, second-placed Melbourne Storm will kick things off with a qualifying final against Canterbury Bulldogs, who they narrowly defeated 20-14 late in the home and away season.
New Zealand Warriors narrowly missed out on the top four and the all-important double chance but there's no guarantee that finishing fifth will translate into home ground advantage, with Barnett's men losing four of their last five games at Go Media Stadium.
Brisbane Lions' home semi-final being booked in on Friday night at The Gabba means that the Broncos' away game against Canberra has been swapped from Saturday night, which would have been ideal for Brisbane TV audiences according to Channel Nine, to Sunday afternoon.
2025 NRL Finals: Week 1
• Melbourne Storm v Canterbury Bulldogs (Friday, 7:50pm AEST)
• New Zealand Warriors v Penrith Panthers (Saturday, 4:05pm AEST)
• Cronulla Sharks v Sydney Roosters (Saturday, 7:50pm AEST)
• Canberra Raiders v Brisbane Broncos (Sunday, 4:05pm AEST)
