The Gurgler loves a hero, and Greg Norman, and we have been following our hero’s adventures around the world. But slowing it down a notch, and taking on board all of Greg’s knowledge, connections and charisma, we introduce the new Greg Norman adventures, where Greg goes about daily life his way. This time he’s trying to have the perfect NRL Grand Final BBQ.
WARNING: Adult Themes and/or shirtless golfers…..
AI Greg’s NRL Grand Final BBQ
All images above were created using the technology of Grok and the slightly warped imagination of The Gurgler writing staff, who are frequently locked in a room and told not to come out until they have come up with at least 50 barely interesting stats on a specific sport, or something that makes the Telegram group give Hardy chuckles. G, they are easy to please though. But even if you don’t like the way Twitter, also known as X, is going, you should get into their AI app Grok, which needs a Twitter / X account, and let your imagination run wild. Maybe you could come up with some Greg Norman adventures of your very own to share with family and friend.
If you enjoyed this episode of Greg Norman Vs, and are not worried about our obsession with Greg Norman, especially the fact he is usually presented as shirtless, then why not follow the links to some of our other gear below.
Don’t forget to check out the rest of the website, it’s not all about Greg Norman. We also try to bore everyone to tears with overly long and dull articles with way too many stats for the modern attention short person to care about.
Been too distracted by the Grand Final hype? Or spending too long which team you should support as a neutral? Do you need some last-minute NRL tipping advice? Or simply want something else to blame when the tips go wrong? Either way, saddle up for The Gurgler’s 2025 NRL Grand Final Ratings and Late Mail.
In a new additional to our stable of NRL stats and tipping products, we have used all the stats we have, smashed them against each other like atoms, and come up with a H2H rating.
It includes this year’s form with a bias because it is this year, but we don’t forget historic stats of the H2H against this week’s opponents, and the ground and day the teams are playing on, plus their record v top and lower half teams and finals record split different ways.
Then slice up the scores out of 100% between the two sides. The bigger the percentage, the more likely to win.
2025 NRL Grand Final Ratings
Here are the H2H ratings and winner for the big game.
2025 NRL Grand Final Late Mail & Stats
Sunday Olympic Stadium Sydney 6:30pm – MELBOURNE v BRONCOS
So Melbourne Storm v Brisbane Broncos it is. Not one for NSW fans, or neutrals really, but there is going to be a winner and here we are to help the decision making progress.
Stats are all over the place here for H2H.
Overall Melbourne have a very good record against Brisbane, the overall H2H since 1998 is Melbourne 44 Brisbane 15, with the last 10 seasons H2H well in the Storm’s favour at 19-4. But the last five games between the sides sees Melbourne lead the H2H by only 3-2.
And the most recent finals game between the sides ended 26-0 in Brisbane’s favour.
Overall in finals matches the Storm lead the Broncos by 6-3, but the Broncos have won the most recent finals game and are 2/2 for finals games v Melbourne in NSW. Including the 2006 NRL Grand Final triumph.
Away from finals Melbourne have won almost three times as many games, a deadly stat for the Broncos to overcome. But the Broncos do lead 9-8 for games on a Sunday, so that helps them. But the last Sunday game was back in 2018, and there have only been three since 2010.
Recent form goes to the Broncos who are on a run of six straight wins, and their post Origin win % is 80% v Melbourne’s 73%. The Storm lost their last two games of the regular season. Amazingly though, the last loss for both clubs was against each other.
Melbourne to be honest haven’t been as Melbourne Storm as they have been in previous season, and while Brisbane can be hot and cold, they usually produce both in each game, and those good bursts are good. Good enough to turn around finals game deficits to Canberra and Penrith. So if Brisbane don’t let Melbourne get too far away they have enough firepower to overcome a side not at their best.
Some interesting Grand Final stats too before signing off on the math and the homework.
Three of the last five Grand Finals have been won by the team that finished lower on the ladder.
The last NRL Grand Final to be played on October 5th saw Melbourne lose 40-0 to Manly,
The record for the team making the GF having finished the regular season 2nd is W7 L6 and the record for the team making the GF having finished the regular season 4th is W3 L3.
Nine times there has been a Grand Final without the Minor Premier – Melbourne have made the GF without a minor premier three times and won all three and only once has the lower ranked team won the GF – North Qld v Brisbane in 2015.
Looking at the teams and there’s one big change from last week to the 2025 NRL Grand Final. Patrick Carrigan returns to the Broncos team after a week off, giving the Broncos a little more muscle in the middle of the field and Carrigan has arguably been in the top three Broncos player this season.
Both sides have similar stories about key players making miracle recoveries to feature in games last weekend.
Jahrome Hughes’ injury looked the least likely to be able to recover in time, but there he was scoring a key try last weekend. Hughes’ return means Melbourne have their full strength backline together at last.
Broncos had their own halves returning last weekend with Adam Reynolds and Ezra Mam making returns. Whilst neither lit the game up, Adam Reynolds’ cool conversion to win the game highlighted his usefulness to the Broncos.
Ben Hunt is named to start again at five eighth, but one does wonder if that will hold on game day, given Ben Hunt hasn’t been great in the halves this season.
We can’t see anyone coming into the teams from outside the top 17, providing some hard luck stories for those who missed out. Broncos prop and Gurgler favourite Xavier Willison is probably lucky to be in the squad, as his reportable offence may have got him a stint away from the field if it were a regular season game not an NRL Grand Final.
At least Ashley Klein isn’t refereeing this one, giving the game a chance to run.
Melbourne
1. Ryan Papenhuyzen, 2. Will Warbrick, 3. Jack Howarth, 4. Nick Meaney, 5. Xavier Coates, 6. Cameron Munster, 7. Jahrome Hughes, 8. Stefano Utoikamanu, 9. Harry Grant, 10. Josh King, 11. Shawn Blore, 12. Eliesa Katoa, 13. Trent Loiero, 14. Tyran Wishart, 15. Ativalu Lisati, 16. Tui Kamikamica, 17. Alec MacDonald, 18. Grant Anderson, 19. Bronson Garlick, 20. Joe Chan, 21. Jonah Pezet, 22. Sualauvi Faalogo
Want more NRL information than just the draw, results for the second week of the NRL Finals. Then you are in the right place and the right time with our NRL Finals Week 3 Results Stats Summary & Team of the Week for the weekend that was.
Each week during the season we have compiled a wide range of stats from the latest weekend of NRL action plus the best 2025 NRL Season Stats to help you to the top of the tipping competition, land a few responsible winners or even make your Supercoach team better.
This week we have focused on the Finals stats, plus combined our stats summary with the usual NRL Team of the Week for your one-stop NRL Finals Week 3 Results Shop.
And it’s all stats, and never Slats. Never.
2025 NRL Finals Week 3 Results and Match Summaries
Want or need a quick summary of every game from last weekend? Well here they all are in all their summary glory.
26 September, 19:50
Melbourne 22 Cronulla 14
28 September, 16:05
Brisbane 16 Penrith 14
2025 NRL Finals Week 3 Results Comparison
A quick check to see if this weekend’s 2025 NRL Finals Week 3 team stats hold up against each team’s overall average for the 2025 season before the finals started.
2025 NRL Finals Week 3 Team of the Week
Our usual NRL Team of the Week piece has moved in with the Stats Summary for the NRL Finals Series.
Same calculations, and in a few cases, the same players.
But above all, we use various stats to find the best of the best from the weekend that was.
More excited than a Brisbane sporting fan, with less NSW than this weekend’s non-NSW Grand Final match, and ready for big dancing, it’s our 2025 NRL Grand Final Tips Predictions & Stats Preview.
Our NRL Finals edition of our weekly tips blab is a quick preview glance for each match, a bunch of barely interesting stats, a pinch of opinion, and some bonus finals and 2025 season stats. It’s all you can eat NRL stats.
2025 NRL Grand Final Tips
Here are our tips for the week ahead. How did we get to here? By going through all the visuals and stats below.
BRISBANE by 8
2025 NRL Grand Final Tips Match Analysis
Looking for a cheat sheet for the weekend’s upcoming games?
What about some finals stats? Or some barely interesting facts?
Here’s as much information that we could cram into one size fits all visual.
This Sunday’s NRL Grand Final will be the 60th meeting between these sides since 1998, and will equal the record for most matches played in the NRL era, which is currently Brisbane v North Queensland.
Brisbane and Melbourne have met in Sydney twice since 1998, it’s two wins for the Broncos. One game was the 2006 Grand Final and a 15-8 win for the Broncos, the other a finals clash at the Sydney Football Stadium in 1998 where Brisbane won 30-6.
Melbourne lead the Finals H2H v Brisbane by six wins to three overall.
Broncos lead the H2H record v Melbourne on a Sunday by 9-8.
Melbourne have won their last five trips to NSW and their 2025 record in NSW was W7 L2.
Brisbane’s 2025 record in NSW was W3 L2.
Melbourne’s record in NSW for finals is not great. They have won just one of their last six finals games in NSW, and their overall record is W4 L10.
Brisbane’s record in NSW finals is even worse. They have lost their last four finals games in NSW and overall record is W3 L11.
Brisbane have won their last five Sunday games and are W5 L2 overall on a Sunday this season. They are W3 L1 away on a Sunday in 2025.
Melbourne won their only away game on a Sunday this season. Overall on a Sunday in 2025 it is W5 L1.
Melbourne are W7 L3 for games at the Olympic Stadium since 2020.
Melbourne are W3 L5 for games at the Olympic Stadium since 2020.
Brisbane have won six in a row coming into this match, with their last loss against Melbourne.
Melbourne have won two in a row coming into this game with a last loss against Brisbane.
More 2025 NRL Grand Final Stats
Three of the last five Grand Finals have been won by the team that finished lower on the ladder.
Since 1998 there have been three non Sydney Grand Finals:
2006 Brisbane 15 Melbourne 8
2015 North Qld 17 Brisbane 16
2017 Melbourne 36 North Qld 6
There have been three Grand Finals played on October 5th:
2003 Penrith 18 Roosters 6
2008 Manly 40 Melbourne 0
2014 South Sydney 30 Bulldogs 6
Second v Fourth meeting in the Grand Final has happened only once since 1998:
2019 Roosters 14 Canberra 8
Nine times there has been a Grand Final without the Minor Premier:
Melbourne have made the GF without a minor premier three times and won all three.
Only once has the lower ranked team won the GF – North Qld v Brisbane in 2015.
The record for the team making the GF having finished the regular season 2nd is W7 L6.
The record for the team making the GF having finished the regular season 4th is W3 L3.
The Grand Final winners day of last game before the GF for the last 10 GFs is:
Friday three times
Saturday six times
Sunday once
For the last ten Grand Finals, the team that won the previous game in the season:
Won the GF four times
Lost the GF six times
More Stats – 2025 v Final Comparison
Here are some team stats from the 2025 season, compared to each team’s finals efforts so far.
More Stats – 2025 Season Stats
Here are some of the best stats from the 2025 NRL season.
The Brisbane Lions have gone back to back and won a second consecutive AFL Premiership beating the Geelong Cats, blowing them away in the second half. The Lions will be cheered and given keys to the city in Brisbane. But the AFL season can’t be completely over until someone special has had their final say. So for your sporting pleasure, we present the AI Greg Norman 2025 AFL Grand Final Review.
The Gurgler website usually drowns you with stats and facts about the weekend of sport, and mostly ignores AFL until at least week two of the finals series, so why not let AI Greg Norman, courtesy of the Grok AI generation give you the full NRL Finals Week 3 Review in picture. And colour.
No one can analyse sport in pictures like Greg Norman.
Note that sometimes what Grok gives and what we ask for are two different things. And those wonderful mistakes will often be included in this AFL Grand Final review.
AI Greg Norman 2025 AFL Grand Final Review
First Quarter
It was a closely fought first quarter with Geelong leading 15-12 from two goals to one and the Lions had chalked up six behinds.
Second Quarter
For the first time in a long, long time, the AFL Grand Final was tied at half time. Both teams up for the fight. A winner was looking hard to find.
Third Quarter
The Premiership quarter proved just that, as the Brisbane Lions kicked four goals to one to set up a 19 point lead going into the final quarter. Geelong started to look all at sea against the surging Lions.
Final Quarter
An avalanche of goals in the final quarter sees the Lions seal a second premiership.
The NRL finals have whittled away contenders and pretenders with just a Grand Final to go, and this weekend’s winners have been showered with praise and losers taunted and booed until throats and fingers are sore on keyboards across social media. But the NRL weekend can’t be completely over until someone special has had their final say. So for your rugby league pleasure, we present the AI Greg Norman NRL Finals Week 3 Review.
The Gurgler website will drown you with stats and facts about the weekend of rugby league that was soon, so why not let AI Greg Norman, courtesy of the Grok AI generation give you the full NRL Finals Week 3 Review in picture. And colour.
And because there’s only two games you get double the AI Greg.
Note that sometimes what Grok gives and what we ask for are two different things. And those wonderful mistakes will often be included in the AI Greg Norman NRL Reviews.
AI Greg Norman NRL Finals Week 3 Review
Melbourne 22 Cronulla 14
It was an electric opening to the game with wave of attacks and getting a try each.
Then Jahrome Hughes drove through the Sharks defence on his unbelievable return from an injured arm.
And as ever, there were way too many penalties in the first half.
In a low scoring, tense second half, a key moment was halfback Nicho Hynes spilling the ball at an inconvenient time. So AI Greg says Winz Doesn’t Meanz Hynes.
A late-ish try to Xavier Coates sealed the game and another Grand Final berth for the Melbourne Storm.
Far from disgraced, the Sharks scored as the full time siren sounded, after a reputation re-building finals run. But Melbourne’s experience made all the difference and Cronulla were wiped out for another season.
Brisbane 16 Penrith 14
The Panthers turned their early dominance into a handy lead, and it looked like the Panthers charge from last on the ladder, and in the bottom half of the top eight would continue.
Brisbane’s first half was more hobby horse than Broncos. It looked like they were going out in front of a full house at their own ground. Reece Walsh had been quiet too, which meant Fox League were quiet.
But then the Broncos woke up, and Kotoni “Dynamite Hot” Staggs crossed for the Broncos first try.
Then strongman and man mountain Xavier Willison crossed for a second try to give the Broncos a sniff.
Then with five minutes to go, an ice-cold finish from Deine Mariner, and an even cooler conversion from the sideline had the Broncos in front.
And five minutes later the home crowd were cheering another Grand Final appearance for the Broncos.
Even though Penrith’s run of a million finals wins in a row, and winning a title from outside the top four can’t be achieved, being a lifelong winner and legend of sport, AI Greg Norman says respect is demanded for Penrith’s four Premierships, a feat that will probably never be matched.
They say there can only be winners and losers in sport, but of course they’re wrong and they’re fools, there’s always another results, a special one for learned sporting fans – the draw. And who doesn’t love a draw where everyone wins. Those winners include canny punters who look for value, and The Gurgler website is always happy to help with opinion and stats, so welcome to our 2025-26 Season Football Draws Selections for 26-29 September 2025.
Our resident draw expert Frankington Stanley runs his keen eye over the many football divisions around the world to find the best draws for you. He’s sort of like the John West of Football draws, he hates Dog Salmon and lop sided fixtures.
Frankington Stanley is not fussy, no country or continent is out of bounds, and the more obscure the better. And some of them are quite obscure. They don’t even feature on the Who Scored website.
So grab an oversized spoon for another weekly serving of the finest Football Draw tips from all over the world, where The Gurgler and Frankington Stanley take the stale out of stalemate.
Football Draws Selections – Best of the Week
Spain – La Liga – 2025/2026 – Elche v Celta Vigo
SUNDAY 28 SEPTEMBER 3:15PM
Celta Vigo are the team with the best draw strike rate this season with 83% or five of their six games so far. Including two draws from two games away. Elche aren’t afraid of a draw either, with three draws from their first five games. So 73% of the total games played by these sides so far this season
Football Draws Selections – Premier League Special
NOTTINGHAM FOREST v SUNDERLAND
SATURDAY 27 SEPTEMBER 5:30PM
Sunderland have drawn their last two in the league, and Nottingham Forest have a draw in the league last weekend and a midweek draw in Europe. And the last fixture between these sides was a draw.
Football Draws Selections – Other Solid Choices
Spain – La Liga – 2025/2026 – Elche v Celta Vigo
SATURDAY 27 SEPTEMBER 3:15PM
Three of the last five games in this Madrid derby have ended in a draw, 1-1 in fact. And Atletico have drawn three of their six games this season. Real Madrid’s 100% record away from home is a worry for draw fans, but this is a big Madrid derby.
Germany – Bundesliga – 2025/26 – St Pauli v Bayer Leverkusen
SATURDAY 27 SEPTEMBER 2:30PM
Bayer Leverkusen’s 50% draw record is the German league’s best return for draws, and their only game away from home was a draw. Two of the last three games between these sides ended in a draw, and two of the last three games at St Pauli ended in a draw.
Football Draws Stats
In case you want to pick your own draws and need/want some stats from the biggest divisions around, here is our choicest cuts.
Worth slightly less than a Liverpool transfer window, less pointless than Wolves, playing in a formation that was unfashionable and illegal 60 years ago, and safer in our job than a West Ham manager, it’s our 2025-26 Premier League Predictions Week 6.
Each gameweek in this 2025-26 Premier League season we offer up a stat filled prediction preview, with some barely interesting stats and visuals, just enough to bluff your way through various tipping competitions or betting shops.
We also attempted to guess the final Premier League ladder in advance. Follow the link to that here.
Barely Interesting Stats – 2025-26 Premier League Predictions Week 6 – Stats and Thoughts
Help yourself to a buffet of barely interesting stats, quick one liners and more to help pick a winner.
BEST OF WEEK 6 STATS
The three promoted sides have scored a combined 19 points and 15 goals after five gameweeks. At the same point last season the promoted sides had a combined 7 points and scored 11 goals. Sunderland’s eight points is more than last season’s three promoted sides at the same time.
Liverpool are unbeaten in their last 11 trips to Crystal Palace, winning ten.
It’s 17 games at home unbeaten for Man City v Burnley with a record of W13 D4, with a last loss in August 1973.
Leeds have won all eight home games v Bournemouth.
Aston Villa have won all five home games on a Sunday v Fulham.
SAT 12:30PM – BRENTFORD v MAN UTD
STATS: Brentford are unbeaten in their last three home games v Man Utd (W2 D1). It’s W2 D1 for Man Utd on Saturday for the last three v Brentford. Man Utd are first for Shots per Game with 16.2, almost double Brentford’s 8.2 shots per game, who are last. Man Uts are first for total expected goals this season. Man Utd are one of four teams yet to keep a clean sheet so far this season.
SAT 3PM – CHELSEA v BRIGHTON
STATS: Chelsea have won three in a row at home to Brighton. They lost the game before that, it is the only ever loss at home to Brighton – overall home record is W9 D2 L1. Brighton have drawn both games v London clubs this season. Brighton are W1 D1 v big six clubs this season. 4/5 Brighton’s games this season have seen both teams score.
SAT 3PM – CRYSTAL PALACE v LIVERPOOL
STATS: Liverpool have won only two of their last six v Crystal Palace W2 D3 L1. But Liverpool are unbeaten in their last 11 trips to Crystal Palace, winning ten. Liverpool (W9 D1) are also unbeaten in ten Saturday games at any ground v Crystal Palace. Crystal Palace are unbeaten in their last 11 Premier League games.
SAT 3PM – MAN CITY v BURNLEY
STATS: Man City have won 11 games in a row v Burnley, and haven’t lost to them since 2016. The record v Burnley is W15 D1. It’s 17 games at home unbeaten for Man City v Burnley with a record of W13 D4, with a last loss in August 1973. This will be the fourth games in the first six rounds where Burnley have played a big six team. They have lost the previous three.
SAT 3PM – LEEDS v BOURNEMOUTH
STATS: Leeds have won all eight home games v Bournemouth. Leeds have also won the last five games in a row v Bournemouth on a Saturday at any ground. Bournemouth are one of five teams not to yet play against a promoted side.
SAT 5:30PM – NOTTINGHAM FOREST v SUNDERLAND
STATS: The last Premier League clash between these sides was in March 1997 and ended 1-1. Sunderland have won the last three games between these sides at Nottingham Forest. Ange’s record v promoted sides last season with Spurs at home was W1 L2.
SAT 8PM – TOTTENHAM v WOLVES
STATS: Wolves are unbeaten in their last five games v Spurs (W4 D1). Spurs have won only two games of their last eight v Wolves at home (W2 D2 L4). Wolves have won three straight v Spurs on a Saturday. Spurs played the fewest Saturday games last season, but own five of the six.
SUN 2PM – ASTON VILLA v FULHAM
STATS: Aston Villa have won five in a row v Fulham. And four in a row at home where the score has alternated evenly – 1-0, 3-1, 1-0, 3-1. Aston Villa have won all five home games on a Sunday v Fulham. Despite only scoring one goal in the Premier League, Aston Villa are higher on the table than West Ham and Wolves. Aston Villa didn’t win a game on a Sunday last season – D3 L3. Fulham’s Sunday record was W3 D5 L3 for the record.
SUN 4:30PM – NEWCASTLE v ARSENAL
STATS: Arsenal (W6 L6) were one of just two teams not to lose on a Sunday last season. The other team was Brentford (W3 D4). Newcastle have won their last two home games v Arsenal by 1-0. Arsenal have won five in a row v Newcastle on a Sunday and the last three on a Sunday in Newcastle.
MON 8PM – EVERTON v WEST HAM
STATS: Both games ended in a draw last season. Everton lead the H2H v West Ham on a Monday by 5-2, with three draws. West Ham played more Monday games than any other team last season, with a record of W2 D1 L2. Everton didn’t play on a Monday.
2025-26 Premier League Predictions Week 6
Brentford 0 Man Utd 2
Chelsea 2 Brighton 1
Crystal Palace 1 Liverpool 2
Man City 4 Burnley 0
Leeds 1 Bournemouth 0
Nottingham Forest 1 Sunderland 1
Tottenham 1 Wolves 1
Aston Villa 1 Fulham 0
Newcastle 0 Arsenal 0
Everton 2 West Ham 0
Season Progress
RATING: Lower midfield form, for now. Board getting itchy feet.
Been too distracted by straight set defeats? Do you need some last-minute NRL tipping advice? Or simply want something else to blame when the tips go wrong? Either way, saddle up for The Gurgler’s NRL Finals Week 3 Ratings and Late Mail.
In a new additional to our stable of NRL stats and tipping products, we have used all the stats we have, smashed them against each other like atoms, and come up with a H2H rating.
It includes this year’s form with a bias because it is this year, but we don’t forget historic stats of the H2H against this week’s opponents, and the ground and day the teams are playing on, plus their record v top and lower half teams and finals record split different ways.
Then slice up the scores out of 100% between the two sides. The bigger the percentage, the more likely to win.
2025 NRL Finals Week 3 Ratings
Here are the H2H ratings and winners for the second week of the finals.
2025 NRL Finals Week 3 Late Mail & Stats
Friday AAMI Park 8pm – MELBOURNE v CRONULLA
Finals H2H (since 1998) – MELBOURNE 3 CRONULLA 1 Finals H2H @ AAMI Park – MELBOURNE 2 CRONULLA 0 Last Finals Match – 2024 Melbourne 37 Cronulla 10
Can the Sharks winning run continue? They are the most in-form team in the NRL since Origin finished with a 90% win rate.
They’ll need to stay in form as the Storm’s finals record is very job. Melbourne have won 11 of the their last 13 finals games at AAMI Park. It’s W14 L6 overall. Melbourne have won all seven finals games on a Friday night at AAMI Park. Melbourne are W12 L3 overall at any ground in finals on a Friday.
Cronulla’s finals record isn’t great either. Cronulla have lost all three finals games away on a Friday since 1998. Cronulla are W2 L15 for away finals games on any day. Cronulla have never won an away finals game outside of NSW/ACT.
H2H goes Melbourne’s way as does games at AAMI Park. Melbourne are W15 L2 for games at AAMI Park on a Friday since 2020. Melbourne’s win rate v Sydney teams this season is 75% and the best in the comp. But who knew Cronulla’s Friday form was so good? Cronulla have won six games in a row on a Friday. Cronulla have won all their Friday games this season.
Team news and the Storm are taking a big risk by naming Jahrome Hughes at halfback for this game, so whether he will last the game in unknown. If he doesn’t Tyran Wishart is the very capable player to cover from the number 14 role. Two other big ins for the Storm are Ryan Papenhuyzen and Shawn Blore. Nothing on a grand scale for Cronulla who only has Tom Hazelton out due to concussion protocols and he is replaced by Oregon Kaufusi.
Penrith’s recent finals record is hard to beat, much like the team itself in September. Their 2021 Premiership season saw their last finals loss to South Sydney in Townsville. Since then it has been 14 finals wins in a row. Plus Penrith have now four finals games in a row as the nominated away side.
The Broncos finals record is hot and cold. Cold against Sydney teams – Brisbane have lost their last three finals games v Sydney teams. But good at Suncorp Stadium as Brisbane have won nine of their last ten finals games at Suncorp Stadium going back to 2009. Only the Dragons spoiling that run in 2018. That game doubles as the only finals game for the Broncos at Suncorp Stadium on a Sunday.
But Penrith have the recent dominance in the H2H as Penrith have won nine of their last ten games v Brisbane. Plus Penrith have won six in a row at Suncorp Stadium v Brisbane with a last loss pre-dating Covid.
Team news is all important for the Broncos for key inclusions. The biggest inclusion name wise is Adam Reynolds who is named at halfback, and his fellow hamstring recoveree Ezra Mam also returns but via the number 14 role off the bench. Ben Hunt shifts to five eighth to cover Billy Walters in one of the NRL’s most experienced half pairing in competition history. Another huge inclusion, size wise, is the man mountain himself Xavier Willison. Broncos play better with him and that’s a fact. The last bit of team news is the looming Selwyn Cobbo named among the reserves. He may well come in at the expense of one of two wingers – Josiah Karapani and Deine Mariner – which would be harsh on them.
Penrith have stuck to a winning formula as expected with Liam Martin and Casey McLean with some minor injury concerns but will likely play. We wouldn’t want to be the person to tell Martin he couldn’t play.
2025 NRL Finals Stats
Answering the big questions ahead of the NRL Finals starting. Which teams have done best against their finals opponents. And so much more.
TEAM STATS WITH FINALS v REGULAR SEASON COMPARISON
FINALS TEAMS v FINALS TEAMS RECORD IN 2025 and FINALS TEAMS v EACH OTHER
The NRL finals are getting interesting now, and winners have been showered with praise and losers taunted and booed until throats and fingers are sore on keyboards across social media. But the NRL weekend can’t be completely over until someone special has had their final say. So for your rugby league pleasure, we present the AI Greg Norman NRL Finals Week 2 Review.
The Gurgler website will drown you with stats and facts about the weekend of rugby league that was soon, so why not let AI Greg Norman, courtesy of the Grok AI generation give you the full NRL Finals Week 2 Review in picture. And colour.
And because there’s only two games you get double the AI Greg.
Note that sometimes what Grok gives and what we ask for are two different things. And those wonderful mistakes will often be included in the AI Greg Norman NRL Reviews.
AI Greg Norman NRL Finals Week 2 Review
Canberra 12 Cronulla 32
One of 2025’s feelgood rugby league stories is over as Canberra lose their second consecutive finals game, the first time in 16 years the minor premier has exited with two straight losses. The time before that was also 16 years. But both of those teams made the Grand Final the following year.
AI Greg can’t decide whether to use the Raiders’ dreams deflating or the classic going out in straight sets. AI Greg being greedy demands both.
Bulldogs 26 Penrith 46
AI Greg said this game was such a clinical performance from Penrith as they put on quite the display on Sunday against the Bulldogs. Especially in the first half.
Despite the large amount of support, it was two losses in two weeks for the Bulldogs this finals series.
Sadly, the Bulldogs NRL dreams for 2025 had to be put down after two consecutive losses.
