NRL Finals 2009 - Elimination Finals Teams for Week Two

The 2009 NRL Premiership can now be won by just six teams after the Qualifying Finals eliminated the defending Premiers Manly-Warringah and the Newcastle Knights. We head into Week Two of the 2009 NRL Finals Series with a pair of Elimination Finals on the schedule. The Parramatta Eels v Gold Coast Titans and the Brisbane Broncos v St.George-Illawarra Dragons. All teams have been named as of 3pm Tuesday 15 September. Game Previews will be linked and will include Video Previews - so check them out below. If you need more sport - check out the Weekend Sport Preview A quick recap of the Qualifying Finals... Friday Night produced a clinical display by the Melbourne Storm who thumped Manly 40-12 in the 4 v 5 matchup and as results transpired over the rest of the weekend - that game would be Manly's last for 2009. Their Premiership reign lasting less than 12 months. On Saturday the Titans gave the Broncos too big a lead at halftime (28-10) and couldn't run them down in the second half, being beaten 40-32 in an entertaining contest at Skilled Park. Back in Sydney, the Bulldogs went about their business in customary efficient style, and were just too good for a Newcastle side that looked out of place in the Finals (injuries contributing heavily to that). The Broncos win meant that the Sea Eagles could be eliminated from the Finals Series as the second lowest ranked loser (Newcastle being the first) if the Parramatta Eels could emulate the Warriors from last year and have the 8th seed beat the Minor Premiers. In a great game of Finals Rugby League, the Eels withstood the Dragons barrage in the opening 15 minutes, grabbed the lead and never relinquished it over the next 65 minutes. It was a fine victory built on defence and the brilliance of Jarryd Hayne. Now we move onto the Elimination Finals. The Bulldogs and Storm get a week off as the two highest ranked winners and await the winners of the two games this weekend in next week's Preliminary Finals. The Brisbane Broncos will host the St.George-Illawarra Dragons at Suncorp on Saturday Night, while the Parramatta Eels play the Gold Coast Titans at the Sydney Football Stadium. =================================================================

The Finals Week 2 Matchups are as follows for the Elimination Finals: EF1: FRIDAY NIGHT @ Sydney Football Stadium 8:00pm - Just click here or on the Team Logos Below for the Match Preview when uploaded. Referees: Shayne Hayne & Jared Maxwell; Sideline Officials: Steve Chiddy & Steve Carrall; Video Referee: Bill Harrigan; (Standby Referee: Gavin Badger), (Standby Sideline Official: Russell Turner) #8 PARRAMATTA EELS v #3 GOLD COAST TITANS PAR: Hayne, Burt, Inu, Reddy, Grothe, Mortimer, Robson, Cayless (c), M Keating, MoiMoi, Hindmarsh, Smith, Lowrie. Reserves: Kingston, Mateo, Mannah, Galuvao. GLD: Campbell, Gordon, Atkins, Delaney, Mead, Rogers, Prince (c), Bailey (c), Friend, White, Laffranchi, Minichiello, Harrison. Reserves: Henderson, Meyers, Tagataese, Zillman, Matthews (one to be omitted). EF2: SATURDAY NIGHT @ Suncorp Stadium 8:00pm - Just click here or on the Team Logos Below for the Match Preview when uploaded. Referees: Tony Archer & Ben Cummins; Sideline Officials: Paul Holland & Jeff Younis; Video Referee: Paul Simpkins; (Standby Referee: Jason Robinson), (Standby Sideline Official: David Abood) #6 BRISBANE BRONCOS v #1 ST.GEORGE-ILLAWARRA DRAGONS BRI: Hunt, Winterstein, Folau, Hodges, Yow Yeh, Lockyer (c), Wallace, Kenny, McCullough, Taylor, Sims, Thaiday, Parker. Reserves: Setu, Clinton, Carroll, Glenn. STI: Boyd, Morris, Scott, Cooper, Sailor, Soward, Hornby (c), Poore, Young, Weyman, Prior, Creagh, Smith. Reserves: Hunt, Costigan, Fien, Nightingale, Saffy (one to be omitted). ================================================================= Next Week (Finals Week Three) - The Preliminary Finals PF1: Friday 25 September @ ANZ Stadium, Sydney v WINNER of V PF2: Saturday 26 September @ Etihad Stadium, Melbourne v WINNER of V ELIMINATED TEAMS: Finals Week One: Below is the Qualifying Finals Review & first look at the Elimination Finals Matchups Video.

There will be full game previews uploaded this week, but the best way to follow the 2009 Finals Series is to go to NRL_Finals_2009 on Twitter. During the first week of operation, we produced 250+ Tweets - with some great nuggets of information in there, as well as news as it breaks. For the games themselves, regular Tweets will be uploaded giving you an instant evaluation of how the game is being played out and what to watch out for during the match. You can check out the In-Game Tweets within the Game Reports from all four Qualifying Finals - just click on the linked articles on the drop down archive menu on the right of this page. So subscribe today and get involved with feedback - either here at wdnicolson.blogspot.com, at NRL_Finals_2009 on Twitter or via email wdnicolson@optusnet.com.au. So get on board and may the best team emerge from a great month of football to take the 2009 premiership.