2008 NRL Season Results - Finals

Finals

The NRL employs the McIntyre Final Eight System.

• In the qualifying finals, matches were played at the higher placed team's home ground. 1st and 2nd highest placed winning teams then proceeded to the preliminary finals.
• In the semi finals, matches were played at the 3rd and 4th highest winning team's home ground, provided it had a capacity of 25,000. Eligible venues were: Stadium Australia, Sydney Football Stadium, Suncorp Stadium, Dairy Farmers Stadium, EnergyAustralia Stadium, Canberra Stadium, Telstra Dome, Melbourne Cricket Ground and Mount Smart Stadium.
• In the preliminary finals, matches were played at the highest placed winning teams from the qualifying finals "home region" ground. For Sydney teams, Newcastle, St. George Illawarra and Canberra, this was the Sydney Football Stadium or Stadium Australia. For Brisbane and the Gold Coast - Suncorp Stadium, North Queensland - Dairy Farmers Stadium, Melbourne - the Telstra Dome or the MCG, and for New Zealand, Mt Smart Stadium.

• Both Melbourne Storm and Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles finished first and second for the second year running. Brisbane Broncos and New Zealand Warriors were the only other teams which had visited the finals series in the previous year.
• The Broncos played in their 17th successive finals campaign, second only to St. George's streak of 23 seasons from 1951 to 1973.