The NRL Finals are officially underway, and we’ve already had to bid farewell to both the Rabbitohs and the Cowboys.

Despite spirited showings from both they were vanquished by the Knights and Sharks respectively in a pair of elimination finals.

Those wins for Newcastle and Cronulla mean they move on to Week 2 of the Finals and will line up against the two teams who failed to progress straight to the Prelims last start.

Those two teams are of course the Roosters and the Warriors. The Chooks went down to premiership favourites Penrith in a thriller, while the Wahs were ambushed at home by the Phins in a match marred by multiple melees.

The regular season standings now see the Roosters paired with the Sharks, while the Knights must head across the ditch and attempt to be the second team in as many weeks to upset the Warriors at home.

Who will make it through to the final four where the Panthers and Dolphins are waiting with bated breath? Let’s find out!

For all the latest news, analysis, and odds ahead of this week's elimination action, check out our NRL Finals Week 2 tips and predictions below.

Sydney Roosters vs Cronulla Sharks Prediction 

Saturday, September 19, 7:50pm AEST – Allianz Stadium

Week 2 of the 2026 NRL Finals opens up with this Saturday special between the Sydney Roosters and the Cronulla Sharks. 

As is always the case with the Semi-Finals one side arrived here by way of victory and the other via defeat.

The Sharks are the ones who will enter this clash on a high after snapping the recent Finals hoodoo and seeing off the Cowboys in a controlled display at Ocean Protect Stadium.

While the Roosters did taste defeat last week (their fourth in a row) they were particularly impressive pushing Penrith all the way, particularly without the services of their star man Sam Walker. 

Unless there’s a medical miracle in Bondi this week, they’ll once again run out without the Queensland halfback, but it’s for moments like this why they recruited Daly Cherry-Evans. 

Experience is priceless in finals footy, and the former Queensland and Australian captain has seen it all in his 15-year career.

As has fullback, skipper and reigning Dally M Medallist James Tedesco who will be looking to link with DCE and send the Sharks packing. 

We doubt either of them had ever seen a try like Mark Nawaqanitawase’s commando roll intercept last week. Could we see more Marky Mark try scoring heroics this week? We think so. 

In terms of the final result here, it’s the Roosters who have the upper hand in terms of the recent H2H meetings between these sides, having won two of their last three against Cronulla, including their sole showdown this year. 

Yes, the Sharks won last week, but how impressive is it beating a Cowboys side who conceded 50 to Canberra in their final home game of the regular season? We’ll let you be the judge, but we know who we fancy to progress to the Prelims here. 

Head-to-head prediction: Sydney Roosters. 

Betting tip: SGM – Mark Nawaqanitawase & James Tedesco anytime try scorers. 

New Zealand Warriors vs Newcastle Knights Prediction 

Sunday, September 20, 4:05pm AEST – Eden Park 

The second winner-takes-all match of Week 2 of the Finals sees the Warriors welcome the Knights to Eden Park. 

Are we about to see an epic out-in-straight-sets-at-home choke job by the Warriors? Surely not. 

It’s been known to happen though, just ask the Raiders who despite finishing the regular season first in 2025, were subsequently bounced out of the finals in back-to-back boilovers.

The Warriors will face a similar fate if they are unable to overcome the seemingly reborn Knights who have traded the wooden spoon for a deep finals run in the space of a single season.

Newcastle will be buoyed by their spirited showing against Souths, led by the apparently ageless Dane Gagiai, who not only scored a try, but went toe-to-toe with Latrell Mitchell, firmly sending the message that neither he nor his team were about to be bullied out of the Finals. 

He and his teammates will need to channel that level of resilience once again if they are to overcome two incredibly damning statistics this week, however.  

Firstly, they have lost four of their last five meetings against the Warriors, including a wild 46-32 firefight earlier this season.

Secondly, location. There’s graveyards and then there is whatever is waiting across the ditch. Newcastle has lost 11 of their last 12 matches in New Zealand and while yes, this is being played at Eden Park and not Go Media Stadium, it’s all still New Zealand. 

For all their gallantry this season, we simply can’t see them overturning form lines that definitive. However, we don’t expect them to go quietly either and if recent encounters between these two are anything to go, there could be plenty of tries scored in this one. 

Head-to-head prediction: New Zealand Warriors. 

Betting tip: SGM – Dane Gagai anytime try scorer and over total match points. 

*Odds are subject to change.