It’s a Sydney derby for the ages as the 2021 NRL season culminates in a spectacular finish with the Penrith Panthers and South Sydney Rabbitohs facing off in the NRL Telstra Premiership Grand Final this Sunday, live on Channel Nine and 9Now from 6.30pm AEDT.
Fox League will air a replay of the game immediately after the full-time siren.
Despite the challenges posed by Covid-19, both teams have set the competition on fire this season and now sit on the verge of rugby league glory.
The Panthers are out to avenge last year’s Grand Final loss to the Storm, while the Rabbitohs have broken a run of three straight preliminary final defeats for a shot at their first premiership title since 2014.
Channel Nine’s Grand Final coverage will begin at 11.00am AEDT with a Sunday Footy Show lineup on hand to lend their expertise and cover all the big stories of Grand Final week.
First up, the QRL Preliminary Finals kick off at 1.15pm AEDT with a double-header, live from Suncorp Stadium. The Wynnum Manly Seagulls meet the Tweed Seagulls in Preliminary Final 1, before the North Devils play the Burleigh Bears in Preliminary Final 2. The winners go through to the Grand Final on October 10 at Moreton Daily Stadium.
At 6.30pm AEDT, the pre-game entertainment begins with a host of homegrown talent, including award-winning singer-songwriter Kate Miller-Heidke and Aussie rock legend Ian Moss.
9Now will run four exclusive streams. These will include Spidercam, Coach Cam, and dedicated player cams focused on the superstar playmakers from both teams: Cody Walker from the Rabbitohs and Nathan Cleary from the Panthers.
Hosting and commentating the game will be: James Bracey, Ray Warren, Phil Gould, Andrew Johns, Brad Fittler, Peter Sterling, Cameron Smith, Billy Slater, Allana Ferguson, Johnathan Thurston, Darren Lockyer and Emma Lawrence.
NRL Grand Final Day Schedule – Sunday, October 3
11.00am AEDT on Channel Nine and 9Now – Sunday Footy Show
1.15pm AEDT on Channel Nine and 9Now – QRL Preliminary Final 1 – Wynnum Manly Seagulls V Tweed Seagulls, live from Suncorp Stadium
3.05pm AEDT on Channel Nine and 9Now – NRL Grand Final Preview, live from Suncorp Stadium
3.45pm AEDT on Channel Nine and 9Now – QRL Preliminary Final 2 – Norths Devils V Burleigh Bears, live from Suncorp Stadium
5.35pm AEDT on Channel Nine and 9Now – NRL Grand Final Preview, live from Suncorp Stadium
6.00pm AEDT on Channel Nine and 9Now – Nine News
6.30pm AEDT on Channel Nine and 9Now – Pre-match Entertainment featuring Kate Miller-Heidke and Ian Moss live from Suncorp Stadium
7.30pm AEDT on Channel Nine and 9Now – Nrl Grand Final – Panthers V Rabbitohs, live from Suncorp Stadium
Sunday NRL Footy Show – Live from Suncorp Stadium at the special time of 11.00am AEDT on Channel Nine. Host Erin Molan will cover all the action ahead of the QRL Preliminary Finals and the NRL Grand Final with Peter Sterling, Brad Fittler, Sonny Bill Williams, Darren Lockyer, Ruan Sims, Paul Gallen, Billy Slater, Paul Vautin, Wally Lewis, Danika Mason and Emma Lawrence.
QRL Preliminary Final 1 – Wynnum Manly Seagulls v Tweed Seagulls – live from Suncorp Stadium at 1.15pm AEDT on Channel 9.
Host and commentators: Peter Psaltis, Wally Lewis, Scott Sattler and Darren Lockyer
QRL Prelimnary Final 2 – North Devils v Burleigh Bears – live from Suncorp Stadium at 3.00pm AEDT on Channel 9.
Host and commentators: Peter Psaltis, Paul Vautin, Cameron Smith and Darren Lockyer
Grand Final Night: Telstra Premiership Grand Final – Panthers v Rabbitohs – live from Suncorp Stadium at 6.30pm AEDT on Channel Nine.