2023 NRL: Panthers and Broncos Book Place in Grand Final

Penrith and Brisbane will meet in the 2023 Grand Final after enjoying comfortable preliminary final wins.

PENRITH 38, MELBOURNE 4

Penrith has qualified for their fourth straight grand final.

Playing Melbourne at Homebush, the two-time reigning premiers were ruthless: scoring six tries to one, with a Brian To’o hat-trick, and leading 18-4 at half-time. Nathan Cleary (a try and seven goals) scored 18 points by himself.

While there was controversy over moving the preliminary final from BlueBet Stadium, Penrith (who haven’t played at Accor Stadium since April) would have appreciated an early tune up at next Sunday’s grand final venue.

As for Melbourne, they did well to return to the top four after an early finals exit in 2022, but were blown away after last week’s tight win over the Sydney Roosters.

Though, after three premierships and five grand finals since their salary cap dramas, are Melbourne finally coming back to the pack? While the Storm will always be a finals contender (often in the top four mix), they haven’t made a grand final since 2020. Can Craig Bellamy win another premiership with the Storm before he eventually leaves?

Recap

Telstra National Rugby League Premiership 2023

Accor Stadium15 Edwin Flack Ave, Sydney Olympic Park NSW 2127, Australia

September 22, 202319:50

(PrelimFinal)

38 - 4

Final Score

Team	Tries	Goals	FG	2pt FG	Points
Panthers	6	7	0	0	38
Storm	1	0	0	0	4

Game Statistics

Panthers

Player	Jersey	T	G	FG	2FG	Minutes Played	Run Metres	Post Contact Metres	Line Breaks	Try Assists	Offloads	Tackles	Missed Tackles	40/20	20/40	Errors	Sin Bin	Sent Off
Dylan Edwards	1	1	0	0	0	80	126	26	0	1	0	4	3	0	0	2	0	0
Sunia Turuva	2	1	0	0	0	80	100	17	2	1	0	4	1	0	0	0	0	0
Izack Tago	3	0	0	0	0	80	124	40	0	2	0	20	5	0	0	2	0	0
Stephen Crichton	4	0	0	0	0	80	105	46	0	0	3	17	4	0	0	0	0	0
Brian To’o	5	3	0	0	0	80	181	46	4	0	0	5	2	0	0	2	0	0
Jarome Luai	6	0	0	0	0	58	50	10	0	0	0	14	1	0	0	0	0	0
Nathan Cleary	7	1	7	0	0	80	93	5	0	1	2	12	1	0	0	0	0	0
Moses Leota	8	0	0	0	0	44	121	27	0	0	0	21	0	0	0	0	0	0
Mitchell Kenny	9	0	0	0	0	80	16	5	0	0	0	40	4	0	0	0	0	0
James Fisher-Harris	10	0	0	0	0	51	150	61	0	0	1	24	3	0	0	1	0	0
Scott Sorensen	11	0	0	0	0	68	147	63	0	0	2	29	1	0	0	0	0	0
Liam Martin	12	0	0	0	0	80	112	25	1	1	0	26	1	0	0	0	0	0
Isaah Yeo	13	0	0	0	0	80	210	66	0	0	0	34	1	0	0	0	0	0
Jack Cogger	14	0	0	0	0	22	49	1	1	0	0	11	2	0	0	0	0	0
Lindsay Smith	15	0	0	0	0	33	73	22	0	0	0	16	1	0	0	0	0	0
Spencer Leniu	16	0	0	0	0	32	105	37	0	0	0	11	1	0	0	0	0	0
Luke Garner	17	0	0	0	0	12	0	0	0	0	0	3	0	0	0	1	0	0
Tyrone Peachey	18	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Total		6	7	0	0	1040	1762	497	8	6	8	291	31	0	0	8	0

Storm

Player	Jersey	T	G	FG	2FG	Minutes Played	Run Metres	Post Contact Metres	Line Breaks	Try Assists	Offloads	Tackles	Missed Tackles	40/20	20/40	Errors	Sin Bin	Sent Off
Nick Meaney	1	0	0	0	0	80	180	51	1	0	0	1	1	0	0	1	0	0
Will Warbrick	2	0	0	0	0	80	131	34	1	0	0	1	2	0	0	0	0	0
Marion Seve	3	0	0	0	0	80	100	26	0	0	0	20	3	0	0	3	0	0
Justin Olam	4	1	0	0	0	80	121	31	1	0	1	7	0	0	0	2	0	0
Reimis Smith	5	0	0	0	0	80	55	8	0	0	0	5	1	0	0	2	0	0
Cameron Munster	6	0	0	0	0	80	80	12	0	0	2	21	6	0	0	1	0	0
Jahrome Hughes	7	0	0	0	0	80	94	22	0	0	0	22	6	0	0	1	0	0
Tui Kamikamica	8	0	0	0	0	46	66	25	0	0	0	30	0	0	0	0	0	0
Bronson Garlick	19	0	0	0	0	31	34	9	0	0	0	22	1	0	0	0	0	0
Nelson Asofa-Solomona	16	0	0	0	0	34	40	11	0	0	0	17	4	0	0	0	0	0
Trent Loiero	11	0	0	0	0	63	60	21	0	0	0	32	5	0	0	1	0	0
Eliesa Katoa	12	0	0	0	0	80	90	34	0	0	1	46	0	0	0	0	0	0
Josh King	13	0	0	0	0	64	91	30	0	0	0	38	5	0	0	0	0	0
Harry Grant	9	0	0	0	0	63	36	4	1	0	0	43	7	0	0	1	0	0
Christian Welch	10	0	0	0	0	35	65	20	0	0	1	26	4	0	0	0	0	0
Tom Eisenhuth	15	0	0	0	0	32	37	10	0	0	2	23	2	0	0	1	0	0
Tariq Sims	17	0	0	0	0	33	44	16	0	0	0	27	3	0	0	0	0	0
Tyran Wishart	14	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Total		1	0	0	0	1041	1324	364	4	0	7	381	50	0	0	13	0

Venue

Accor Stadium

15 Edwin Flack Ave, Sydney Olympic Park NSW 2127, Australia

Details

Date	Time	League	Season	Match Day	Full Time
September 22, 2023	19:50	Telstra National Rugby League Premiership	2023	PrelimFinal	80'

BRISBANE 42, WARRIORS 12

Brisbane will play Penrith in the 2023 NRL Grand Final.

Infront of a packed-out Suncorp Stadium, the Broncos weathered a fast start from the “Wahs” in the preliminary final: a double to Dallin Watene-Zelezniak giving the visitors an 8-6 lead.

But Brisbane dominated from there, with doubles to Billy Walters and Herbie Farnworth.

Though there was some controversy, with a seemingly clear forward pass from Reece Walsh missed in the lead up to Jordan Riki’s try in the 54th minute (giving Brisbane a 30-12 lead). And Adam Pompey was sin binned in the 58th minute after impeding Kotoni Staggs from possibly scoring.

It’s Brisbane’s first grand final since 2015, while (despite the loss) the Warriors can be proud of an excellent season, where they became everyone’s second favourite team.

Recap

Telstra National Rugby League Premiership 2023

Suncorp Stadium23 Chippendall St, Milton QLD 4064, Australia

September 23, 202319:50

(PrelimFinal)

42 - 12

Final Score

Team	Tries	Goals	FG	2pt FG	Points
Broncos	7	7	0	0	42
Warriors	3	0	0	0	12

Game Statistics

Broncos

Player	Jersey	T	G	FG	2FG	Minutes Played	Run Metres	Post Contact Metres	Line Breaks	Try Assists	Offloads	Tackles	Missed Tackles	40/20	20/40	Errors	Sin Bin	Sent Off
Reece Walsh	1	0	1	0	0	75	146	25	1	3	2	1	0	0	0	2	0	0
Jesse Arthars	2	1	0	0	0	80	112	42	1	0	1	5	0	0	0	1	0	0
Kotoni Staggs	3	0	0	0	0	80	72	21	0	0	1	9	5	0	0	0	0	0
Herbie Farnworth	4	2	0	0	0	80	232	77	3	0	2	9	1	0	0	0	0	0
Selwyn Cobbo	5	0	0	0	0	80	135	23	3	1	0	10	0	0	0	1	0	0
Ezra Mam	6	1	0	0	0	80	92	17	1	0	0	24	2	0	0	0	0	0
Adam Reynolds	7	0	6	0	0	64	5	0	0	0	1	11	1	0	0	0	0	0
Thomas Flegler	8	0	0	0	0	50	153	59	0	0	24	17	1	0	0	1	0	0
Billy Walters	9	2	0	0	0	65	88	23	1	0	32	36	2	0	0	1	0	0
Payne Haas	10	0	0	0	0	60	228	91	1	0	13	33	0	0	0	0	0	0
Kurt Capewell	11	0	0	0	0	80	83	28	0	1	1	31	3	0	0	3	0	0
Jordan Riki	12	1	0	0	0	60	124	35	0	0	0	27	3	0	0	0	0	0
Patrick Carrigan	13	0	0	0	0	50	136	49	0	0	4	27	1	0	0	0	0	0
Tyson Smoothy	14	0	0	0	0	33	9	2	0	0	0	15	3	0	0	0	0	0
Brendan Piakura	15	0	0	0	0	24	59	26	0	0	0	7	5	0	0	0	0	0
Kobe Hetherington	16	0	0	0	0	27	43	15	0	0	0	15	2	0	0	0	0	0
Keenan Palasia	17	0	0	0	0	52	159	65	0	0	2	22	2	0	0	1	0	0
Corey Oates	18	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Total		7	7	0	0	1040	1876	598	11	5	83	299	31	0	0	10	0

Warriors

Player	Jersey	T	G	FG	2FG	Minutes Played	Run Metres	Post Contact Metres	Line Breaks	Try Assists	Offloads	Tackles	Missed Tackles	40/20	20/40	Errors	Sin Bin	Sent Off
Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad	1	0	0	0	0	80	202	59	0	1	2	8	2	0	0	0	0	0
Dallin Watene-Zelezniak	2	2	0	0	0	80	198	42	1	0	3	5	2	0	0	1	0	0
Rocco Berry	3	0	0	0	0	80	115	23	1	0	0	27	1	0	0	0	0	0
Adam Pompey	4	0	0	0	0	70	74	23	0	1	0	9	2	0	0	2	1	0
Marcelo Montoya	5	1	0	0	0	80	152	35	1	0	0	4	4	0	0	0	0	0
Te Maire Martin	6	0	0	0	0	80	22	6	0	0	2	13	4	0	0	0	0	0
Shaun Johnson	7	0	0	0	0	80	51	3	0	0	0	14	7	0	0	0	0	0
Addin Fonua-Blake	8	0	0	0	0	54	97	49	0	0	0	19	2	0	0	0	0	0
Wayde Egan	9	0	0	0	0	68	56	21	0	0	1	30	8	0	0	1	0	0
Mitchell Barnett	10	0	0	0	0	57	84	43	0	0	1	29	2	0	0	0	0	0
Jackson Ford	11	0	0	0	0	64	78	15	1	0	0	31	3	0	0	1	0	0
Marata Niukore	12	0	0	0	0	56	45	19	0	0	0	24	0	0	0	0	0	0
Tohu Harris	13	0	0	0	0	74	130	42	0	0	1	44	6	0	0	0	0	0
Dylan Walker	14	0	0	0	0	43	75	19	0	0	2	24	3	0	0	1	0	0
Jazz Tevaga	15	0	0	0	0	25	44	14	0	0	1	17	2	0	0	1	0	0
Bayley Sironen	16	0	0	0	0	23	39	15	0	0	0	14	2	0	0	1	0	0
Joshua Curran	17	0	0	0	0	26	26	11	0	0	0	11	0	0	0	1	0	0
Taine Tuaupiki	20	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Total		3	0	0	0	1040	1488	439	4	2	13	323	50	0	0	9	1

Venue

Suncorp Stadium

23 Chippendall St, Milton QLD 4064, Australia

Details

Date	Time	League	Season	Match Day	Full Time
September 23, 2023	19:50	Telstra National Rugby League Premiership	2023	PrelimFinal	80'