NRL Finals Series Opens as Fremantle Host Geelong in AFL Semi-Final

Every match in both competitions is free to watch in Australia, according to TechRadar, which reports that Nine's Channel 9 and the 9Now streaming service carry the NRL, while Channel 7 and 7Plus carry the AFL.

The NRL Finals Series, staged in the build-up to October's Grand Final, splits its eight qualifiers into two brackets. The teams ranked first to fourth meet in Qualifying Finals, with the winners advancing directly to the Preliminary Finals, while the teams ranked fifth to eighth play elimination matches, where the winners move on to next week's semi-finals and the losers are out.

Friday's eliminator at Allianz Stadium pits sixth-placed South Sydney against seventh-placed Newcastle. The Rabbitohs arrive in form after beating the Roosters 50-20, with Latrell Mitchell among their strongest performers, while the Knights have reached the finals a year after propping up the ladder, helped by the recent play of Kalyn Ponga, Bradman Best and Fletcher Sharpe.

On Saturday, ladder runners-up the New Zealand Warriors host the third-placed Dolphins in the first Qualifying Final at Go Media Stadium, the venue's first playoffs game since 2023. The Sharks, ranked fifth, then meet the eighth-placed Cowboys back at Allianz Stadium. Cronulla-Sutherland have lost four of their past five matches, while North Queensland have been inconsistent across the season. Braydon Trindall returns as the Sharks' playmaker, and Griffin Neame, Jeremiah Nanai and Zac Laybutt are fit again for the Cowboys.

Sunday's Qualifying Final brings minor premiers Penrith against the Roosters at CommBank Stadium. Penrith clinched top spot on the final day and welcome back captain Isaah Yeo. The Roosters lost 26-12 to the Dolphins in their last outing and have lost Sam Walker to injury for the remainder of the season.

In the AFL, Fremantle finished the regular season as minor premiers with a club-record 19 home-and-away wins, but defeat by Hawthorn last weekend was their first home loss of the season in Perth and their third defeat in four matches. Justin Longmuir's side must now take the longer route to a first Preliminary Final since 2015. Key forward Josh Treacy failed to take a mark against Hawthorn, only the second time that has happened in his 104-game career.

Geelong finished fifth and are chasing a 12th preliminary final appearance since Chris Scott became coach in 2011. The Cats won seven consecutive matches by an average of 35 points before beating Carlton last weekend, and captain Patrick Dangerfield carries much of the big-game burden with Max Holmes and Jeremy Cameron managing fitness concerns. The winner faces Hawthorn.

Kick-off for Rabbitohs versus Knights is 5.50am ET on Friday, 10.50am BST and 7.50pm AEST. Fremantle versus Geelong starts at 6.10pm AWST local time in Perth, which is 6.10am ET, 11.10am BST and 8.10pm AEST.

Viewers in the United States can watch the NRL on FS2 or Fox One, the dedicated streaming service priced at $19.99 a month after a three-day free trial, TechRadar reports. FS2 is also carried by Sling's Blue plan with the Sports Extra add-on from $56.99 a month, as well as YouTube TV and Fubo, which offer free trials to new customers. The AFL semi-final goes out on FS2 through Fubo, YouTube TV and Hulu + Live TV.

In the UK, the NRL is shown on Sky Sports Action, with Sky Sports plans starting at £35 a month, or £20 for existing Sky subscribers, and Now Sports subscriptions from £14.99 a day or £34.99 a month. The AFL is on TNT Sports 1, available as an add-on to Sky, Virgin Media or EE TV packages or through an HBO Max plan that includes TNT Sports, with prices from £25.99 a month on a year's commitment.

Canadian viewers can find the NRL on Sportsnet and its Sportsnet+ service, from $29.99 a month or $249.99 a year, as well as the Watch NRL platform. The AFL is on TSN2 and the TSN Plus streaming service at CA$24.99 a month.

For viewers outside their home market, TechRadar recommends NordVPN, which it lists as its top-rated provider and which is currently discounted by up to 75% with three extra months free, to unlock services such as 9Now or 7Plus. TechRadar states that it tests and reviews VPN services for legal recreational uses and does not support or condone piracy.

Editor's Summary

The NRL Finals Series begins Friday with an elimination match between South Sydney and Newcastle, followed by Qualifying Finals and a second eliminator across the weekend, while Fremantle meet Geelong in the AFL semi-final at Optus Stadium. Free-to-air coverage is available in Australia through 9Now and 7Plus, with subscription and streaming options listed for the United States, United Kingdom and Canada. Winners of the NRL qualifying matches advance directly to the Preliminary Finals, and the AFL semi-final winner faces Hawthorn.