How the Panthers and Warriors can win the NRL minor premiership

The NRL minor premiership will be decided on the final day of the regular season, with the New Zealand Warriors holding a narrow advantage over the Penrith Panthers.

The Warriors moved outright first after beating Manly by one point in Auckland on Saturday. They have 42 competition points, compared with 40 for Penrith. The Warriors have scored 728 points and conceded 418, giving them a points differential of plus 310. Penrith have scored 645 and conceded 337, for a differential of plus 308.

The Warriors’ fate is no longer entirely in their own hands. They will finish as minor premiers if the Panthers lose to Wests Tigers. They will also stay first if Penrith win by only one point, because the Warriors would retain their two-point advantage in points differential. A one-point Panthers victory would leave their differential at plus 309.

Penrith must beat Wests Tigers by at least two points to take the minor premiership. If the teams finish level on both competition points and points differential, the NRL uses a tiebreaker based on points scored divided by points conceded, multiplied by 100. The article says Penrith would benefit from that calculation because their defense has conceded fewer points than the Warriors.

The Warriors and Panthers are guaranteed to finish in the top two. Each will host a qualifying final in the opening week of the playoffs and will host two matches during the finals series. The minor premier will also receive a monetary prize and the confidence of finishing the 27-round season at the top of the standings.