Finals Series
To decide the grand finalists from the top eight finishing teams, the NRL adopts the McIntyre Final Eight System.
The North Queensland Cowboys qualified for the finals for the first time in their ten-year history, and shocked everybody by finishing just one game short of the grand final. During the finals, they won their first ever game against Queensland rivals Brisbane, thus ending the career of Broncos stalwart Gorden Tallis. Also retiring after the 2004 finals series were Brad Fittler, Ryan Girdler and Kevin Campion.
St. George Illawarra Dragons almost capped a remarkable comeback when they trailed 24-0 only after half an hour of play to come back to only lose 31–30 against the Penrith Panthers in the first Qualifying Final. In doing so the Dragons became the first team to finish fifth to bow out after the first week of the finals, giving Penrith a home preliminary final; despite leading 8-4 at halftime in their preliminary final against the Bulldogs, they lost 30-14, thus ending their premiership defence.
Another notable game was the seventh-placed North Queensland Cowboys reaching the finals for the first time and upsetting the second-placed and competition favourites the Bulldogs 30-22 in the 3rd Qualifying Final. The Cowboys also defeated the Brisbane Broncos for the first time ever during the semi finals but were unable to reach the Grand Final when they lost to the Sydney Roosters in the Preliminary Final.
The Bulldogs claimed their 8th premiership title by beating the Roosters in the Grand Final.
| Home | Score | Away | Match Information | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Date and Time | Venue | Referee | Crowd | |||||
| Qualifying Finals | ||||||||
| Penrith Panthers | 31 – 30 | St. George Illawarra Dragons | 10 September 2004 | Penrith Stadium | Sean Hampstead | 21,963 | ||
| Brisbane Broncos | 14 – 31 | Melbourne Storm | 11 September 2004 | Suncorp Stadium | Steve Clark | 31,100 | ||
| Bulldogs RLFC | 22 – 30 | North Queensland Cowboys | 11 September 2004 | Telstra Stadium | Tim Mander | 18,371 | ||
| Sydney Roosters | 38 – 12 | Canberra Raiders | 12 September 2004 | Sydney Football Stadium | Paul Simpkins | 18,375 | ||
| Semi Finals | ||||||||
| North Queensland Cowboys | 10 – 0 | Brisbane Broncos | 18 September 2004 | Dairy Farmers Stadium¹ | Tim Mander | 24,989 | ||
| Bulldogs RLFC | 43 – 18 | Melbourne Storm | 19 September 2004 | Sydney Football Stadium | Paul Simpkins | 23,750 | ||
| Preliminary Finals | ||||||||
| Penrith Panthers | 14 – 30 | Bulldogs RLFC | 25 September 2004 | Sydney Football Stadium | Tim Mander | 37,868 | ||
| Sydney Roosters | 19 – 16 | North Queensland Cowboys | 26 September 2004 | Telstra Stadium | Paul Simpkins | 43,048 | ||
| Grand Final | ||||||||
| Sydney Roosters | 13 – 16 | Bulldogs RLFC | 4 October 2004 | Telstra Stadium | Tim Mander | 82,127 | ||
¹ Game relocated to Dairy Farmers Stadium, the Cowboys' home ground, from Aussie Stadium. Cowboys designated home team despite the Broncos finishing higher on the table.
Read more about this topic: 2004 NRL Season
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“Galileo, with an operaglass, discovered a more splendid series of celestial phenomena than anyone since.”
—Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803–1882)