History lesson: Last time the contenders met in a final

A whole new competition starts this weekend as eight contenders go into battle across four matches in three days with one goal in mind.

The Panthers have proven themselves the masters of finals football across the past five years while the Roosters (2002, 2013, 2018, 2019), Sharks (2016), Cowboys (2015), Rabbitohs (2014) and Knights (2001) all have premierships to their name in the NRL era.

The Dolphins are in their first ever finals series and their opponents the Warriors have been here 10 times but never come away with a title.

With two sudden-death showdowns and two qualifying finals coming up this weekend, NRL.com takes a look at the most recent September clash between the sides.

 

Knights v Rabbitohs

2020 elimination final

The Rabbitohs and Knights have only met once in finals football, and it came in exactly the same circumstances as Friday night at Allianz Stadium. 

Six years ago, South Sydney and Newcastle finished sixth and seventh respectively before meeting in a sudden-death elimination final.

Now, with the Rabbitohs sixth and the Knights seventh again, history is repeating itself as the two sides prepare to do battle for a place in the semi-finals.

There is still plenty of familiar faces from that 2020 clash.

Alex Johnston, Campbell Graham, Cody Walker, Tevita Tatola and Cameron Murray were all part of the Rabbitohs side that night six years ago, while Dane Gagai, who will now wear a Knights jersey, also featured for South Sydney.

Newcastle has just three players remaining from that team in Kalyn Ponga, Bradman Best and Jacob Saifiti.

And if Friday night follows the script from 2020, South Sydney will be hoping for a repeat of the result.

The Rabbitohs blew the Knights away 46-20, with Johnston crossing twice alongside Tatola, two names who will again feature in the elimination final six years later.

 

Roosters v Panthers

2024 qualifying final

The Roosters and Panthers know each other all too well when it comes to September football.

Their last three finals meetings have all come in the qualifying final, and once again, they find themselves in exactly the same position.

Their most recent showdown came in 2024, when Penrith began its march towards a fourth straight premiership with a commanding 30-10 victory over the Roosters at BlueBet Stadium.

There is still plenty of familiar faces from that clash, with the Panthers’ champion core and the Roosters’ star-studded spine preparing to renew one of the competition’s fiercest finals rivalries.

Penrith has won four of its past five finals meetings with the Roosters, but with a preliminary-final spot and a precious week off on the line, history will count for little when these two heavyweight clubs collide again.

 

Sharks v Cowboys

2024 semi-final

The Sharks and Cowboys have plenty of finals history, and their most recent meeting could provide the perfect blueprint for another high-stakes showdown.

The two clubs have met six times in finals football, with North Queensland holding the advantage with four wins to Cronulla’s two.

But it was the Sharks who had the last laugh.

When the sides met in the 2024 semi-final at Allianz Stadium, Cronulla held on for a 26-18 victory to book a place in the preliminary final and end the Cowboys’ campaign.

Braydon Trindall played a starring role that night, scoring twice, and now, two years on, he’ll return from injury with another chance to make his mark.

This time, there is no second chance.

With both sides fighting to keep their premiership dreams alive, Saturday afternoon’s clash promises another chapter in a finals rivalry that has produced plenty of drama over the years.