2025 NRL: Finals Week 1 Recap

Check out what happened in Finals Week 1 of the National Rugby League competition.

Review

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Melbourne and Brisbane advanced to the preliminary finals after winning their qualifying finals. Cronulla-Sutherland and Penrith won their elimination finals.

As the opening game of the 2025 finals series, Melbourne’s win over Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs at AAMI Park had plenty of drama. It started in the first minute when Viliame Kikau picked up an eye injury after copping an accidental elbow to the head in a tackle, but he returned to the game. And Stephen Crichton only played 20 minutes before leaving with a syndesmosis injury (that is potentially season-ending). Crichton’s exit saw Toby Sexton come off the bench: and he had immediate impact with Canterbury’s opening try. Matt Burton put Canterbury infront 18-14 with 21 minutes left before Tyran Wishart and Will Warbrick sealed the game for the Storm. GAME BREAKER: Warbrick’s match-winner in the 76th minute came from Canterbury’s last-tackle desperation: with Melbourne leading 20-18, Kikau looped a basketball pass, which was intercepted by Warbrick for an 80-metre try.

Brisbane won a classic qualifying final against Canberra at GIO Stadium. The game lived up to the hype and more, lasting 93 minutes before Ben Hunt kicked the winning field goal. Canberra looked to have the game won twice: firstly, at full-time when Reece Walsh (who was sin binned earlier, along with Hudson Young, for a headbutting incident) had a kick charged down with the Raiders leading 28-26. But a penalty for ‘pressure on kicker’ from Zac Hosking gave Walsh an easy penalty goal to tie the game. Then, with no points in the 10-minute extra time period, Jamal Fogarty appeared to have scored early in Golden Point. But the Bunker ruled Jed Stuart had knocked on contesting the lead-up kick from Fogarty. Canberra led 18-12 at half-time, with Kaeo Weekes’ 100 metre try (his second try) and Ethan Strange pushing it to 28-12 after 55 minutes. GAME BREAKER: With 15 minutes left, Walsh engineered Brisbane’s comeback: he started the scoring, followed by tries to Josiah Karapani (Walsh throwing the final pass), and Gehamat Shibasaki.

Cronulla continued to shake off their finals hoodoo after beating the Sydney Roosters at Sharks Stadium. After losing seven finals in a row from 2018 to 2024, this was Cronulla’s second finals win in three games. Ronaldo Mulitalo’s double five minutes before half-time gave Cronulla a 12-4 lead before Angus Crichton narrowed the margin to two points early in the second half. A Nicho Hynes penalty goal pushed Cronulla’s lead to 14-10 with 11 minutes left before Toby Rudolf scored six minutes later. GAME BREAKER: While Rudolf’s try sealed Cronulla’s win, Mulitalo’s double gave the Sharks a big enough lead to keep the Roosters at bay.

Penrith defeated the New Zealand Warriors at Go Media Stadium. The home side dominated the first 25 minutes but only led 2-0 before Isaiah Papali put Penrith infront at half-time. Brad Schneider and Leka Halasima traded tries as Penrith led 12-8 after 53 minutes. Casey McLean and Brian To’o scored two tries in six minutes to seal the game for Penrith. GAME BREAKER: McLean’s try in the 65th minute was started by Paul Alamoti: he kept alive a Chanel Harris-Tavita kick into the corner and made it out of his in-goal. Five tackles later, Nathan Cleary kicked downfield, it was regathered by Luke Garner, he passed to Blaize Talagi (with question marks over the pass), Talagi kicked to the corner, Brian To’o picked it up, and passed to McLean.

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Results

Melbourne Storm 26, Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs 18 (AAMI Park, 12/09/2025)

Melbourne Storm: Nick Meaney (3 goals), Will Warbrick (1 try), Grant Anderson, Jack Howarth, Xavier Coates, Cameron Munster, Jonah Pezet (2 goals), Stefano Utoikamanu, Harry Grant, Josh King, Joe Chan, Eliesa Katoa (1 try), Trent Loiero, Tyran Wishart (1 try), Ativalu Lisati (1 try), Alec MacDonald, Tui Kamikamica, Bronson Garlick (18^th man – did not play)

Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs: Connor Tracey, Jethro Rinakama, Enari Tuala, Stephen Crichton, Jacob Kiraz (1 try), Matt Burton (1 try, 3 goals), Lachlan Galvin, Max King, Bailey Hayward, Josh Curran, Viliame Kikau, Jacob Preston, Jaeman Salmon, Kurt Mann, Sitili Tupouniua, Toby Sexton (1 try), Harry Hayes, Blake Wilson (18^th man – did not play)

New Zealand Warriors 8, Penrith Panthers 24 (Go Media Stadium, 13/09/2025)

New Zealand Warriors: Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad, Dallin Watene-Zelezniak, Adam Pompey, Leka Halasima (1 try), Roger Tuivasa-Sheck, Chanel Harris-Tavita, Tanah Boyd (2 goals), James Fisher-Harris, Wayde Egan, Jackson Ford, Kurt Capewell, Marata Niukore, Erin Clark, Te Maire Martin, Demitric Vaimauga, Tanner Stowers-Smith, Samuel Healey, Eddie Ieremia-Toeava (18^th man – did not play)

Penrith Panthers: Dylan Edwards (2 goals), Paul Alamoti, Izack Tago, Casey McLean (1 try), Brian To’o (1 try), Blaize Talagi, Nathan Cleary (2 goals), Moses Leota, Brad Schneider (1 try), Lindsay Smith, Scott Sorensen, Liam Martin, Isaah Yeo, Luke Sommerton, Liam Henry, Isaiah Papali’i (1 try), Luke Garner, Tom Jenkins (18^th man – did not play)

Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks 20, Sydney Roosters 10 (Sharks Stadium, 13/09/2025)

Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks: William Kennedy, Sione Katoa (II), Jesse Ramien, KL Iro, Ronaldo Mulitalo (2 tries), Braydon Trindall, Nicho Hynes (4 goals), Addin Fonua-Blake, Blayke Brailey, Toby Rudolf (1 try), Billy Burns, Teig Wilton, Jesse Colquhoun, Oregon Kaufusi, Siosifa Talakai, Braden Hamlin-Uele, Briton Nikora, Daniel Atkinson (18^th man – did not play)

Sydney Roosters: James Tedesco, Daniel Tupou, Billy Smith, Robert Toia, Mark Nawaqanitawase (1 try), Hugo Savala, Sam Walker (1 goal), Spencer Leniu, Benaiah Ioelu, Lindsay Collins, Angus Crichton (1 try), Victor Radley, Naufahu Whyte, Connor Watson, Egan Butcher, Blake Steep, Siua Wong, Sandon Smith (18^th man – did not play)

Canberra Raiders 28, Brisbane Broncos 29 (GIO Stadium, 14/09/2025)

Canberra Raiders: Kaeo Weekes (2T), Savelio Tamale, Matthew Timoko, Sebastian Kris (1T), Jed Stuart, Ethan Strange (1T), Jamal Fogarty (4G), Josh Papalii, Tom Starling, Joseph Tapine, Hudson Young (1T), Zac Hosking, Corey Horsburgh, Owen Pattie, Simi Sasagi, Morgan Smithies, Ata Mariota, Matthew Nicholson (18^th man – did not play)

Brisbane Broncos: Reece Walsh (1T, 4G), Josiah Karapani (1T), Kotoni Staggs (1T), Gehamat Shibasaki (1T), Deine Mariner (1T), Billy Walters, Ben Hunt (1FG), Corey Jensen, Cory Paix, Payne Haas, Brendan Piakura, Jordan Riki, Patrick Carrigan, Tyson Smoothy, Kobe Hetherington, Ben Talty, Jaiyden Hunt, Jesse Arthars (18^th man – did not play)