With the NRL keen to avoid a clash with the AFL grand final in Melbourne in week three of the playoffs, officials confirmed Canberra would host Cronulla on Saturday night. Â
Canterbury and Penrith will then clash next Sunday afternoon at Accor Stadium in the other week-two semi-final.
The schedule comes with an eye to week three, with the NRL looking to avoid having Melbourne host their preliminary final against the winner of Canberra-Cronulla on the Saturday.
While first bounce in the AFL grand final is at 2:30pm on September 27, logistically it is easier for the NRL to stay away from the date completely in Melbourne, making a Friday night preliminary final likely.
The NRL dictates a minimum six-day turnaround between finals matches, meaning they then had no choice but to schedule Raiders-Sharks for Saturday night.
But it does leave the Raiders at some disadvantage, with their six-day turnaround the shortest of all teams for next weekend's matches compared to Cronulla's seven.
The situation comes after Ricky Stuart pushed the NRL to have Canberra's match against Brisbane on Sunday, wanting a seven-day turnaround from the final round.
In that instance, Stuart's concern was that the Broncos had already been handed an extra three days of rest after playing on the Thursday night in round 27,
Meanwhile, the schedule is a big win for the Bulldogs, with the winner of their match against Penrith to face the Broncos on the Saturday night of week three.
The battered Bulldogs will have a nine-day turnaround into next week, which could prove crucial given they are dealing with an injury crisis after their loss to Melbourne.
Centres Stephen Crichton (ankle) and Enari Tuala (leg) have already been ruled out, while Viliame Kikau (eye socket) and Toby Sexton (sternum) are hoping to avoid joining them.
A Sunday afternoon blockbuster between Canterbury and Penrith does at least act as a promoter's dream, with a record crowd not out of the question.
The largest attendance for any finals match outside of a grand final is the 74,549 who attended the preliminary final between Canterbury and Parramatta in 2009.
That figure could be in sight for officials, after the Bulldogs drew in crowds of 65,305 and 59,878 to two separate regular-season public-holiday fixtures this year.
The Bulldogs hosted their first finals match in nine years last season, drawing more than 50,000 to Accor Stadium against Manly on a Sunday afternoon.
NRL FINALS WEEK TWO SCHEDULE
Canberra v Cronulla, Saturday 7:45pm at GIO Stadium
Canterbury v Penrith, Sunday 4:05pm at Accor Stadium
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