SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA - MARCH 25: Kurt Capewell of the Panthers celebrates with team mates after scoring a try during the round three NRL match between the Penrith Panthers and the Melbourne Storm at Panthers Stadium on March 25, 2021, in Sydney, Australia. (Photo by Cameron Spencer/Getty Images)

The NRL grand final will see the South Sydney Rabbitohs clash with the Penrith Panthers on Sunday, October 3 at Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane.

Kick-off is scheduled for 7:30pm (AEDT), 6:30pm (AEST), with daylight savings starting in New South Wales, Victoria, Tasmania and the Australian Capital Territory on Sunday.

Despite a minor COVID outbreak bearing down on the state, and threats that the grand final could have been moved or postponed, it would appear the game will now proceed as planned.

What is the NRL grand final?

The NRL grand final is the match to determine who will be crowned premiers of the competition, with the winning team holding the Provan-Summons trophy.

How did the Rabbitohs and Panthers make the grand final?

The Rabbitohs have had the far easier run to the decider, having beaten the Panthers in Week 1 of the finals. That earnt them a week off, followed by a match with the Sea Eagles in the preliminary finals, where they served them a belting.

On the other foot, the Panthers suffered a shock loss to the Rabbitohs in Week 1 of the finals. That was followed up with a second-chance win over the Parramatta Eels, before a third physical and low-scoring game on the hop against the Melbourne Storm last week.

Who is going to win?

This is as up in the air as it can get heading into the grand final. It could well come down to how the Panthers back up from three tough games on the trot, and how the Rabbitohs recover from their week off.

The Panthers will still be stinging from last year's grand final loss, while the Rabbitohs will be driven by wanting to send Adam Reynolds, Wayne Bennett, Jaydn Su'A and Dane Gagai out from the club as winners.

There is nothing between these two sides - that was evident in Week 1 of the finals.

The Panthers have, however, been installed as favourites.

Other grand final related content

» Full NRL grand final preview
» It's now or never for the Rabbitohs
» Big predictions from the Zero Tackle team
» The battle that will decide the decider
» The five players to decide the grand final
» A Wayne Bennett masterclass is on the way
» Where are they now? The last time the Rabbitohs were premiers
» Grand final halves pairings a tale of two origins
» Former premiership winner to ring bell before decider

How to watch the 2021 NRL grand final on TV

The NRL grand final will be broadcast exclusively on Channel 9. While every other game throughout the season is broadcast on Fox Sports, they don't hold the rights to the grand final or State of Origin.

Channel 9s coverage will commence with live coverage of the Queensland Cup semi-finals from 1pm (AEDT) - 12pm (AEST). Those matches will kick-off at 1:15pm (AEST) and 3:45pm (AEDT).

They will then break for the news at 6pm (AEDT) before returning to the grand final build up from 6:30pm (AEDT). Coverage is expected to run until 10:30pm (AEDT).

If you're in Queensland, subtract one hour from all those times.

Channel 9 can be found at Channel 90 in high definition or 91 in standard definition if watching through Digital TV, or Channel 100 if watching through a Foxtel service.

How to live stream the 2021 NRL grand final online

To live stream the NRL grand final, you can simply use Channel 9s streaming application, 9Now.

This allows you to stream Channel 9s coverage of the entire day for free, so long as you sign up with an account.

9Now is available on desktop and mobile devices.

Teams

South Sydney Rabbitohs
1. Blake Taaffe 2. Alex Johnston 3. Dane Gagai 4. Campbell Graham 5. Jaxson Paulo 6. Cody Walker 7. Adam Reynolds 8. Mark Nicholls 9. Damien Cook 10. Tevita Tatola 11. Keaon Koloamatangi 12. Jaydn Su'A 13. Cameron Murray
Interchange:14. Benji Marshall 15. Jacob Host 16. Thomas Burgess 17. Jai Arrow 18. Taane Milne 19. Patrick Mago 20. Braidon Burns 21. Jed Cartwright

Penrith Panthers
1. Dylan Edwards 2. Stephen Crichton 3. Paul Momirovski 4. Matt Burton 5. Brian To'o 6. Jarome Luai 7. Nathan Cleary 8. Moses Leota 9. Apisai Koroisau 10. James Fisher-Harris 11. Viliame Kikau 12. Kurt Capewell 13. Isaah Yeo
Interchange: 14. Tyrone May 15. Scott Sorensen 16. Spencer Leniu 17. Liam Martin 18. Brent Naden 19. Mitch Kenny 20. J'maine Hopgood 21. Charlie Staines