Two down, six NRL teams to go, as the sharp end of the 2023 NRL season is here. Surely that deserves another one of our dives into data with our 2023 NRL Finals Week 2 Stats in Depth. Our look into the first week of the NRL finals goes into each team’s record in the finals since 1998, H2H with this week’s opponent, key player match ups for stats, and some general 2023 NRL season stats. All that and more awaits. If you have the time. You’ll need it. READ MORE: NRL FINALS WEEK 2 TIPS
2023 SEASON FORM v REMAINING FINALS SIDES
The below are some visuals and facts for the remaining finalists against the other sides that are alive in the 2023 NRL Finals series. A useful metric given that these teams will need to beat each other to win the title. Penrith’s only loss against this year’s finalists is still Brisbane in Round One.Worries for the Warriors who are the opposite to Penrith with their only win against the remaining finalists was their first clash. Only Brisbane and Melbourne are the other teams with a win % of better than 50%. 
LADDER POSITION FOR TOP EIGHT SIDES IN 2023 
FINALS WINNING RECORD FROM 1998
Here is the Finals wining record for all teams since 1998. And the top team may surprise you. 
MATCH BY MATCH STATS
MELBOURNE STORM v SYDNEY ROOSTERS
Busted arse Roosters’ reward for a hard earned win over Cronulla is a trip to Melbourne for a sudden death finals match with key injuries. The Roosters have a few good players out like Joey Manu, making life a lot harder. But Melbourne aren’t going that great, as per last weekend’s result. In fact you could argue they haven’t been great this season, and are hardly on a roll. Unlike the Roosters. And talking of injuries, we wish Paps a speedy recovery. Sometimes rugby league just sucks. Overall, who knows with this match to kick off Finals Week 2.
FINALS RECORD (including Finals H2H)
KEY PLAYER H2H STATS
Sadly no Ryan Papenhuyzen after his horror injury last weekend, but the ever reliable Nick Meaney has done the job for most of the season and faces one of the best in James Tedesco. Another key match up is Cameron Munster v Luke Keary in the halves where Munster will be looking to make up for a lacklustre trip to Brisbane. The player v player look ends with the current and former Storms hookers.
NEW ZEALAND WARRIORS v NEWCASTLE KNIGHTS
Two feelgood stories for NRL 2023 collide in Auckland as Newcastle and Warriors duke it out for the honour of playing the Broncos. The fact these two teams are alive in the NRL premiership race is great considering what the Warriors have had to endure over the past few years, and how far down the ladder Newcastle were. Sadly it’s the end of the road for one of these teams on Saturday.
FINALS RECORD (including Finals H2H)
KEY PLAYER H2H STATS
You have to start at the back with Kalyn Ponga, whose late season form has sparked the Knights winning rn, but the Warriors fullback holds his own too. Two quality, masters of the spectacular try go head to head next with Dallin Watene-Zelezniak vs Dom Young, both of whom have scored over 20 tries this season. For balance, there’s a comparison between two of the toilers Tohu Harris and Tyson Frizell.
FINALS WEEK 1 TEAM STATS
Here are the best team stats fro last weekend’s Week 1 of the finals.
2023 TOP PLAYER STATS
Here are the best player stats from the first week of the NRL Finals last weekend. 
