Who is playing in the NRL this week, what time each game starts in New Zealand, where to watch on Sky, and how finals scheduling and daylight saving affect kick-off times.
NRL Games Tonight: This Week’s Fixtures, NZ Kick-Off Times and Where to Watch
If you are searching “NRL games tonight”, you usually want three things: who is playing, what time it starts in New Zealand, and where to watch. This page answers all three for the current week — right now that is week two of the 2026 finals — and explains how NRL scheduling works so you can work it out for any round.
What this article answers: Which NRL games are on this week, what time they start in New Zealand, and where to watch them.
Main points
- This week is finals week two, the semi-finals: Roosters v Sharks (Saturday 9:50pm NZST) and Warriors v Knights at Eden Park (Sunday 6:05pm).
- New Zealand is two hours ahead of Sydney until 27 September, when NZ daylight saving starts; the gap is three hours until Sydney changes its clocks on 4 October.
- The page covers where to watch in New Zealand and how to check late team changes before kick-off.
NRL games this week: finals week two
The regular season is over, so every game this week is a final. Times are New Zealand Standard Time.
| Day | Match | NZ kick-off | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|
| Saturday 19 September | Roosters v Sharks (semi-final) | 9:50pm | Allianz Stadium, Sydney |
| Sunday 20 September | Warriors v Knights (semi-final) | 6:05pm | Eden Park, Auckland |
The preliminary finals follow on 25–27 September and the grand final is on Sunday 4 October. The NRL finals 2026 guide explains who meets whom and includes a bracket predictor.
What time do NRL games start in New Zealand?
The NRL schedules its games in Australian eastern time, and most slots have stayed the same for years:
- Thursday and Friday nights: a 7:50pm Thursday game and Friday games around 6:00pm and 8:00pm Sydney time are typical — 9:50pm, 8:00pm and 10:00pm in New Zealand during winter.
- Saturday afternoon and evening: 3:00pm, 5:30pm and 7:35pm slots are common, so 5:00pm, 7:30pm and 9:35pm in New Zealand.
- Sunday afternoon: 2:00pm and 4:05pm in Sydney, 4:00pm and 6:05pm here.
Warriors home games in Auckland are often scheduled in New Zealand-friendly afternoon or early-evening slots, which is why the semi-final starts at 6:05pm local time.
Daylight saving complicates the finals. New Zealand’s clocks go forward on Sunday 27 September, but New South Wales doesn’t change until the morning of the grand final on 4 October. For games in that gap New Zealand is three hours ahead of Sydney. Use the converter to be sure:
NRL kick-off time in NZ
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Where to watch the NRL in New Zealand
Sky Sport holds the NRL broadcast rights in New Zealand and shows the competition live, finals included, on its Sky Sport channels. Subscribers can stream on Sky Go, and Sky Sport Now offers a streaming-only option. Sky’s free-to-air channel, Sky Open, has shown selected Friday night games during the season. Check the Sky guide on the day, because free-to-air coverage of finals is decided game by game.
If you are overseas, NRL.com lists the international broadcasters and the NRL’s own streaming service for countries without a local rights holder.
Why the schedule looks the way it does
NRL kick-off times are shaped by Australian free-to-air and pay television. The biggest games get Thursday, Friday and Sunday prime-time slots, and the league avoids clashing with other major events where it can — Australian networks programme heavily around their own entertainment line-ups — reality franchises such as I’m a Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here! fill the summer schedule before football takes over the winter nights.
For New Zealand viewers, that means late finishes on Friday nights and a friendlier Sunday afternoon slot. Finals are scheduled week by week, so times for the semi-finals and preliminary finals are only confirmed after the previous weekend’s results.
Before you watch: team lists and late changes
Team lists for each round are named on the Tuesday, with the final 17 confirmed about an hour before kick-off. Late withdrawals are common in finals, especially after a physical week one. Our NRL team lists guide explains the timeline, and the NRL ladder 2026 shows how each finalist got here.
Please read: This page is general sports information for readers aged 18 and over. It is not betting, financial or legal advice, and it does not encourage anyone to gamble. Since 28 June 2025, TAB NZ has been the only operator allowed to offer online racing and sports betting to people in New Zealand.
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Reference sources
FAQs
What NRL games are on tonight?
In finals week two: Roosters v Sharks on Saturday 19 September at 9:50pm, and Warriors v Knights at Eden Park on Sunday 20 September at 6:05pm (both New Zealand time).
What time is the Warriors game tonight in NZ time?
The Warriors’ semi-final against the Knights kicks off at 6:05pm New Zealand time on Sunday 20 September at Eden Park in Auckland.
What channel is the NRL on in New Zealand?
Sky Sport shows the NRL live in New Zealand, with streaming on Sky Go and Sky Sport Now. Selected games have also been free-to-air on Sky Open.
How many hours ahead is New Zealand for NRL games?
Usually two hours ahead of Sydney. The gap is three hours for Queensland games while New Zealand is on daylight time, and for Sydney games between 27 September and 4 October 2026.
When are NRL finals kick-off times confirmed?
The NRL confirms each finals week’s times after the previous weekend’s games, because the pairings depend on those results.
