NRL Minor Premiership On Line Today In Auckland Saturday

AUCKLAND, New Zealand — The New Zealand Warriors host the Manly Sea Eagles Saturday in the final round of the 2026 NRL regular season, with the Telstra Premiership’s minor premiership on the line as both clubs close out their home-and-away campaigns before the finals series begins.

Kickoff is set for 3 p.m. AEST, which translates to 5 p.m. local time in New Zealand, at Go Media Stadium, also known as Mount Smart Stadium, in Auckland. A capacity crowd is expected as the Warriors look to secure their first minor premiership by finishing atop the regular-season standings.

For fans in Australia, the match will be broadcast live on Fox League, channel 502, with streaming available through Kayo Sports beginning at 2:30 p.m. AEST, ahead of the scheduled kickoff. Kayo offers subscribers the ability to stream every match of every round live or on demand across a range of devices, giving Australian viewers flexible access to the game regardless of whether they are watching on a television, computer or mobile device.

New Zealand-based fans can watch the match live on Sky Sport Now, with the broadcast also scheduled to begin at 5 p.m. local time to coincide with kickoff. The NRL’s own streaming platform, WatchNRL, will additionally carry the match as part of its Round 27 coverage, offering an alternative streaming option for fans both within and outside Australia and New Zealand, excluding the Pacific Islands, where regional broadcast restrictions apply.

Saturday’s fixture carries significant stakes for the Warriors, who enter the match looking to claim the club’s first-ever minor premiership by finishing the regular season atop the NRL ladder. New Zealand has been in strong form heading into the final round, having sat top of the competition following a 14-point win over the Newcastle Knights in the previous round. A win over Manly would cement the Warriors’ position as minor premiers heading into the finals series, a notable achievement for a franchise that has historically battled inconsistency throughout its NRL history.

The match also holds broader significance for the finals race more generally, with several playoff positions and seedings still to be finalized as the eight qualifying clubs jockey for position ahead of the finals series. While Manly has already secured a place in this year’s finals, the Sea Eagles’ final positioning within the top eight could still be affected by Saturday’s result against the in-form Warriors.

Saturday’s fixture is one of three matches taking place as part of the NRL’s final regular-season Saturday, according to ABC Sport’s live coverage of the day’s action. Following the Warriors-Sea Eagles clash in Auckland, attention shifts to Townsville, where the finals-bound North Queensland Cowboys host the Canberra Raiders, before Cronulla hosts Melbourne at Shark Park later in the evening.

Warriors head coach Andrew Webster has overseen a significant turnaround for the club this season, with New Zealand’s push toward the minor premiership representing one of the more notable storylines of this year’s NRL campaign. Webster is also reportedly on track to become the Warriors’ longest-serving head coach, adding an additional layer of significance to the club’s strong finish to the regular season under his leadership.

Beyond the Warriors-Sea Eagles matchup specifically, Saturday’s broader NRL schedule features several additional Round 27 fixtures across the day and into Sunday. Other matches this round include the Cowboys hosting the Raiders, the Sharks facing the Storm, the Dragons taking on the Eels, and the Panthers meeting the Wests Tigers, rounding out the final weekend of regular-season action before the finals series begins.

For fans looking to follow the match through alternative means beyond a full video broadcast, ABC Sport is providing live blog and radio coverage of Saturday’s fixture as part of its broader coverage of the day’s NRL action, offering text-based updates and commentary for those unable to access the primary broadcast or streaming options.

The Warriors’ push for the minor premiership comes after a season in which the club has shown considerably improved form and consistency compared with recent years, positioning New Zealand as one of the league’s most closely watched teams heading into this year’s finals series. A strong showing against Manly on Saturday would provide further momentum for the Warriors as they prepare to open their finals campaign in the coming weeks, likely with home-ground advantage secured given their position atop the ladder heading into the final round.

For Manly, Saturday’s match against a Warriors side chasing the minor premiership presents an opportunity to build momentum of their own heading into the finals, even with their playoff position for this year already effectively locked in. The Sea Eagles will be looking to close out the regular season on a positive note as they turn their attention toward the postseason.

With three closely watched matches unfolding across the final Saturday of the NRL’s regular season, including the marquee Warriors-Sea Eagles clash with the minor premiership at stake, fans across Australia, New Zealand and beyond have a range of broadcast and streaming options available to follow all the action as the league transitions from its regular-season schedule into the finals series in the weeks ahead.

Kickoff for the Warriors-Sea Eagles match remains set for 3 p.m. AEST, or 5 p.m. local time in Auckland, with Fox League and Kayo Sports serving as the primary broadcast options for fans in Australia, Sky Sport Now covering the match for viewers in New Zealand, and WatchNRL offering an additional streaming option for those following the league’s broader international footprint as the regular season concludes and playoff positioning is finalized ahead of the postseason.