2002 NRL Finals Series

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The National Rugby League's finals series ran from 13 September to 6 October 2002, as eight teams went head to head in an attempt to win the prestigious Grand Final at the end of the 2002 season. After a controversial regular season that ended up with top-placed Canterbury being deducted 37 points for breaching the salary cap, the finals series produced some electrifying matches. The Grand Final, played on 6 October, was won by the Sydney Roosters who claimed their first NRL premiership since 1975. The runners up were the New Zealand Warriors.

Below is the home-and-away season ladder (Top 8 (in bold) qualified for the Finals Series):

# Team GP W D L B Pts P/D
1 New Zealand Warriors 24 17 0 7 2 38 +234
2 Newcastle Knights 24 17 0 7 2 38 +226
3 Brisbane Broncos 24 16 1 7 2 37 +247
4 Sydney Roosters 24 15 1 8 2 35 +216
5 Cronulla Sharks 24 15 0 9 2 34 +56
6 Parramatta Eels 24 10 2 12 2 26 91
7 St George Illawarra Dragons 24 9 3 12 2 25 +86
8 Canberra Raiders 24 10 1 13 2 25 -170
9 Northern Eagles 24 10 0 14 2 23 -30
10 Melbourne Storm 24 9 0 14 2 23 -30
11 North Queensland Cowboys 24 8 0 16 2 20 -307
12 Penrith Panthers 24 7 0 17 2 18 -108
13 Wests Tigers 24 7 0 17 2 18 -144
14 South Sydney Rabbitohs 24 5 0 19 2 14 -432
15 Canterbury Bulldogs 24 20 1 3 2 8 +272

Contents

[edit] The Finals System

The system used for the NRL is the McIntyre Final Eight System, which is designed by Ken McIntyre in addition to the McIntyre Four, Five and Six systems to determine which two teams will play for the Premiership. In each of the three weeks of the competition, two teams are eliminated until only two teams are left. The better a team finishes in the home-and-away season ladder, the easier their route through to the Grand Final.

In the first week, twos are paired off as such by rank (games are played at the home ground of the higher seed):

  • Team 4 vs. Team 5 (1st Qualifying Final)
  • Team 3 vs. Team 6 (2nd Qualifying Final)
  • Team 2 vs. Team 7 (3rd Qualifying Final)
  • Team 1 vs. Team 8 (4th Qualifying Final)

Once all four games ave been played, teams are grouped into winners and losers, and then ranked based on their home-and-away season standings, for example:

Rank Winners Losers
1 Team 1 Team 2
2 Team 3 Team 5
3 Team 4 Team 6
4 Team 7 Team 8

...Losers #3 and #4 are immediately eliminated, while Winners #3 and #4 will face Losers #1 and #2 (in other words, a "double chance" for the two highest-ranked losers). Winners #1 and #2 receive a bye to week three, to await the winners of the two semi-finals.

The winners of the two preliminary finals will then face off for the premiership in the Grand Final.

[edit] Week One

[edit] First Qualifying Final

[edit] Scorecard

Team 1st Half 2nd Half Total
(4) Sydney Roosters 12 20 32
(5) Cronulla Sharks 8 12 20
Date Friday, September 13, 2002 7:30PM AEST
Tries (Sydney Roosters) 2 A Minichiello
1: T Byrne, B Mullins, C Flannery
Tries (Cronulla Sharks) 3: M Rieck
1: J Stevens, D Bosnich
Goals (Sydney Roosters) 6 from 6: C Fitzgibbon
Goals (Cronulla Sharks) 0 from 6: B Kimmorley
Venue Aussie Stadium, Sydney, NSW
Attendance 25,366
Referee Paul Simpkins

[edit] Second Qualifying Final

[edit] Scorecard

Team 1st Half 2nd Half Total
(3) Brisbane Broncos 6 18 24
(6) Parramatta Eels 8 6 14
Date Saturday, September 14, 2002 5:30PM AEST
Tries (Brisbane Broncos) 1: S Berrigan, L Tuqiri, G Tallis, A Langer
Tries (Parramatta Eels) 1: L Burt, D Widders
Goals (Brisbane Broncos) 4 from 4: M De Vere
Goals (Parramatta Eels) 3 from 3: L Burt
Venue ANZ Stadium, Brisbane, Queensland
Attendance 19,155
Referee Sean Hamstead

[edit] Third Qualifying Final

[edit] Scorecard

Team 1st Half 2nd Half Total
(3) Newcastle Knights 12 10 22
(6) St George Illawarra Dragons 14 12 26
Date Saturday, September 14, 2002 7:30PM AEST
Tries (Newcastle Knights) 1: B Peden, A Woolnough, T Tahu, J Bailey
Tries (St George Illawarra Dragons) 1: J Smith, L Thompson, T Barrett, L Clarke, M Riddell
Goals (Newcastle Knights) 2 from 2: D Abraham
1 from 2: B Peden
0 from 1: A Johns
Goals (St George Illawarra Dragons) 3 from 5: M Riddell
Venue EnergyAustralia Stadium, Newcastle, NSW
Attendance 21,051
Referee Bill Harrigan

[edit] Finals Week Three

[edit] First Preliminary Final

[edit] Scorecard

Team 1st Half 2nd Half Total
(3) Brisbane Broncos 12 0 12
(4) Sydney Roosters 8 8 16
Date Saturday, September 28, 2002 7:30PM AEST
Tries (Brisbane Broncos) 1: B Tate, D Lockyer
Tries (Sydney Roosters) 1: A Minichiello, B Mullins
Goals (Brisbane Broncos) 2 from 2: D Lockyer
Goals (Sydney Roosters) 4 from 4: C Fitzgibbon
Venue Aussie Stadium, Sydney, NSW
Attendance  ?
Referee Bill Harrigan

[edit] Finals Week Four

[edit] GRAND FINAL

[edit] Scorecard

Team 1st Half 2nd Half Total
(1) New Zealand Warriors 2 6 8
(4) Sydney Roosters 6 24 30
Date Sunday, October 5, 2002 7:30PM AEST
Tries (New Zealand Warriors) 1: S. Jones
Tries (Sydney Roosters) 1: S Hegarty, C Wing, C Fitzgibbon, C Flannery, B Fletcher
Goals (New Zealand Warriors) 2 from 2: I Cleary
Goals (Sydney Roosters) 5 from 5: C Fitzgibbon
Venue Telstra Stadium, Sydney, NSW
Attendance  ?
Referee Bill Harrigan


Notes: Page format copied from 2005 NRL Finals Series; will be completed soon.

[edit] See also

[edit] External links