Warriors' time zone shaping NRL's Week 1 finals schedule

The Warriors' time zone is understood to be the biggest factor shaping the NRL's Week 1 finals scheduling, according to Code Sports. Saturday afternoon is considered the most likely slot for the Warriors' qualifying final, since a Friday or Saturday night game would mean a 10pm kickoff in New Zealand, and the usual Sunday 4:05pm AEST slot translates to 6:05pm in Auckland. The current projected schedule has 2nd v 3rd on Friday at 7:50pm, 6th v 7th and 5th v 8th on Saturday, and 1st v 4th on Sunday at 4:05pm. Penrith are also considered unlikely to play on the Friday due to their five-day turnaround.

By Code Sports — read the full story