Warriors Host Dolphins in NRL Finals Opener: Ticket Sales Now Under Way
Warriors members can buy tickets now for the club's NRL qualifying final against the Dolphins at Go Media Stadium, according to the New Zealand Herald. General public sales open at 12pm on Tuesday, September 8, via Ticketmaster. Each buyer is limited to eight tickets.
The match is set for Saturday, September 12, kicking off at 4.05pm AEST. It is a qualifying final, meaning the winner advances directly to the preliminary final while the loser drops into a sudden-death elimination game the following weekend.
What Ticket Access Looks Like
Warriors members got first access from midday on Monday, September 7. Dolphins members and NRL account holders received access from 4pm AEST the same day, as confirmed by the NRL.
Across all week one finals venues, adult tickets start at $29, with family tickets available from $79.
Go Media Stadium holds 26,000 spectators. Demand is historically fierce. The Herald notes that anyone not online at the moment public sales open on Tuesday should expect difficulty securing a seat.
What Is at Stake for the Warriors
This will be the Warriors' sixth home final in their 32-year history.
Previous home finals included wins over the Canberra Raiders in 2002, the Sydney Roosters in 2008, and the Newcastle Knights in 2023, alongside losses to the Parramatta Eels in 2007 and the Penrith Panthers in 2025.
The club has reached two grand finals, in 2002 and 2011, but has not won an NRL premiership.
The Herald reports the Warriors finished the 2026 regular season with 18 wins, a club record a club-best figure, falling just short of the minor premiership on points difference to Penrith. That run matters now.
Winning on Saturday keeps the Warriors at home for the preliminary final. A loss means they must win a sudden-death game and then travel to Sydney. Home preparation is a genuine structural advantage at this stage of the season, not just a crowd benefit.
The Broader Finals Picture
The NRL confirmed all four week one fixtures on Sunday, September 6. Alongside the Warriors-Dolphins match, the South Sydney Rabbitohs face the Newcastle Knights in an elimination final at Allianz Stadium on Friday, September 11.
The Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks host the North Queensland Cowboys at Allianz Stadium on Saturday night, and the Penrith Panthers meet the Sydney Roosters at CommBank Stadium on Sunday afternoon.
All matches will be broadcast live on Sky NZ, as well as the Nine Network, Fox League, Kayo Sports, and 9NOW in Australia.
ARLC Chairman Peter V'landys told the NRL's media team the 2026 regular season was the most-attended and most-watched in the competition's history. Attendance exceeded four million. Viewership topped 150 million.