NRL Grand Final: Date, teams, history & how to watch

The NRL Grand Final is one of the biggest sporting events in Australia as it crowns the champions of the National Rugby League club competition.

The Penrith Panthers are the defending champions of the competition after their 26-24 victory over the Brisbane Broncos in October 2023.

NRL Grand Final date

The 2024 NRL Grand Final is due to take place on Sunday 6th October.

NRL Grand Final location

The 2024 NRL Grand Final will be held at Stadium Australia in Sydney. The Grand Final is traditionally held in Sydney, as most NRL clubs are based there, but there have been occasions where the event has been held elsewhere.

Between 1908 and 1987, the Sydney Cricket Ground held the Grand Final, while the Sydney Football Stadium held the event for 10 years between 1988 and 1998.

The Queensland Sport & Athletics Centre and Lang Park in Brisbane have held the event in 1997 and 2021, respectively.

NRL Grand Final how to watch

UK viewers can watch the NRL Grand Final via the Watch NRL app, while Sky Sports also broadcast the final.

NRL Grand Final format

The NRL Grand Final is contested by two teams that have progressed through the NRL finals.

Each year, the highest-ranked eight teams at the end of the regular season compete in a four-week tournament, with two teams eliminated in each of the first three weeks.

The system is used so it gives the top four teams an easier path to the Grand Final, in order to reward them for their success in the regular season.

Those in the top four only need to win two matches to reach the Grand Final, one fewer than those in the second four.

NRL Grand Final history

Rugby league in New South Wales started in 1908, and while the first Premiership was a success, there was no finals system in place from 1912 to 1925.

From 1926 to 1953, finals were played under the Argus system, which are now deemed to be Grand Finals, even though at the time, they were not always described in that manner.

Since 1954, even under different methods for the play-offs, the deciding match has been referred to as a Grand Final, with teams competing to win the Provan-Summons Trophy.

The NRL was formed in 1998 after discussions between Australian Rugby League and the News Corporation-controlled Super League, and the league has gone from strength to strength since then.

NRL Grand Final past winners

Twelve teams have won the NRL Grand Final in the past, and only the Gold Coast Titans and Dolphins have not featured in a Grand Final since the start of the NRL in 1998.

The Melbourne Storm, Sydney Roosters and Penrith Panthers have each won the NRL Grand Final on four occasions.

Here is a list of the last 10 winners of the NRL Grand Final.

2014	South Sydney Rabbitohs
2015	North Queensland Cowboys
2016	Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks
2017	Melbourne Storm
2018	Sydney Roosters
2019	Sydney Roosters
2020	Melbourne Storm
2021	Penrith Panthers
2022	Penrith Panthers
2023	Penrith Panthers

NRL Grand Final favourite

Having won the last three NRL Grand Finals, Penrith Panthers are the 2/1 favourites to defend their crown under Ivan Cleary.

The Panthers have made a strong start to the current campaign, but they will have to get the better of the Sydney Roosters and the Melbourne Storm, who are 11/4 and 4/1 to win the Grand Final.

Odds of 12/1 suggest the Cronulla Sharks have an outside chance, while the Brisbane Broncos and Manly Sea Eagles are priced at 18/1.

Any odds displayed were correct at the time of writing and are subject to fluctuation.