General 2023 Week 1 Finals Opponents

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To play the broncos next week

1. We need to win against Phins, and Panthers to win against Cows or

Panthers (1) vs Storm (4)
Brisbane (2) vs Warriors (3)

2. We need to lose against Phins, and Panthers to lose against Cow

Brisbane (1) vs Warriors (4)
Penrith (2) vs Storm (3)

Any other result and we play Penrith.

Does everyone agree??
 

Finals opponents still unknown​

Richard Becht

The One New Zealand Warriors will have to wait until Saturday to find out their week one finals opponents after top-placed Brisbane slipped up against Melbourne in their final clash of the regular season at Suncorp Stadium tonight.

The Broncos would have secured the minor premiership with a win, consigned the Storm to fourth place and set up a repeat Brisbane-Melbourne match-up at Suncorp Stadium when the finals start next week.

That would have ensured a Penrith-Warriors play-off regardless of the results in their final matches.

Instead the Storm surged to an impressive 32-22 win to move to third ahead of the Warriors on the ladder for now and leave the play-off mix up in the air pending the outcome of the One New Zealand Warriors-Dolphins and Penrith-North Queensland encounters on Saturday.

A Warriors win would lift them back to third place with a Panthers victory snaring the minor premiership as well as determining the match-ups for the finals.

Wins for the Warriors and the Panthers would set up Penrith v Melbourne and Brisbane v Warriors week one finals.

 
Who would you guys prefer to play?
Based purely on support away from home, Brisbane. Not anywhere near as much support at the foot of the mountains, if there's one thing Penrith citizens dislike more than toothpaste and centrelink queues it's the Warriors.
 
Who would you guys prefer to play?
Panthers. I feel we’re a better matchup personally as we play similar styles (and Luai is out!)

Broncos play a really fast pace that we struggle to contain. Lots of raw speed.

But either way I see it being close and results able to go either way.

What do you Broncos supports think about potentially losing the minor premiership due to resting players? I would be gutted but can understand the reasoning… it doesn’t mean it sits well with me though!
 
I'm not sure who's better to play. Broncos and Panthers have shown they're only human in the last couple of weeks.

I'd maybe lean towards the Panthers, insider knowledge and all that...
 
As long as we finish 3rd and avoid a potential week 2 clash with a high flying 5th placed Knights, I don't mind.

Selfishly, I prefer a Saturday night game that *could* be at 7.30pm NZT.

But I think the boys could really get up for a rematch against Webby's Panthers. Although I think that's a very good card to hold for the GF/Prelim Final
 
I hope we play penrith as I feel the match up is more favorable over the season I have noticed teams with a fast player or 2 have hurt us more and Bronx definitely have the better speed game also webby will have a better plan I think winning the first game would be a big boost for the team physically and mentally.
 
As long as we finish 3rd and avoid a potential week 2 clash with a high flying 5th placed Knights, I don't mind.

Selfishly, I prefer a Saturday night game that *could* be at 7.30pm NZT.

But I think the boys could really get up for a rematch against Webby's Panthers. Although I think that's a very good card to hold for the GF/Prelim Final

The thing is, if we play panthers and lose, then we move to the other side of the draw, and would face the Donkies and then Penrith against in the GF....

I love the confidence for those of you thinking we can beat Penrith, but two in a row and Broncos in-between?...

Far better chances with Brisbane .. and if played in Sydney, the crowd is 100% behind us
 
I think we go hard out trying to beat the Phins so we go into the finals with a win. Whoever we face doesn't matter is the attitude we need to take into the finals. Penrith may have the experience but they look to have some chinks in the armor this year. Parramatta have shown the comp how to beat them with all out attack.
 
I'd prefer the Broncos, but thats probably years of Warrior brain conditioning thinking.

At the end of the day we're gonna have to beat the best at some stage so just bring it on!
 
I'd like to see us make a statement against the Panthers week 1, I feel we can either win........ or lose but keep it close, if we did play the ponies and they put a score on us I think the mental scars would remain throughout the rest of the finals, but if the Panthers were to win by a margin I don't think it would affect the team as much and would be able to adjust and recover come GF 🤔
 
An observation. I know the top 4 is often quoted (and is a real thing) BUT after some Wikipedia-ing I found that in the last 20 years… the winners have only been 1st, 2nd or 3rd at the end of the regular season.

So the common refrain of us being 4th (and that being okay) doesn’t sit well with me… but it’s no the end all and be all

On another note, since they changed the finals format, 1,2,3 have something like an even record in winning the chip at the end (I think 2/3 are about the same actually). Interesting huh

So… I hope panthers win and us… and bring on whoever is 2nd for mine.
 
the winners have only been 1st, 2nd or 3rd at the end of the regular season.

2011 could have been an 6th placed team, but I get ya point.

Still, in this new system and considering the calibre of the other three teams in the top four, it's going to be hard fights regardless of where we place.
 
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