The Sharks will meet the Roosters at Shark Park in week one of the finals, with Canberra heading to Newcastle after Cronulla beat the Raiders 24-6 at a raucous Shark Park.
The Raiders led early through Jordan Rapana's early try, but the Sharks hit back through Jesse Ramien to leave the score 6-4 at half-time.
Jack Williams scored to give the Sharks the lead 12 minutes into the second period, but the game really swung on the send off from Seb Kris with 20 minutes remaining, who tipped Sione Katoa into the ground in a dangerous tackle.
The Sharks made hay when up a man, with Braydon Trindall, Ronaldo Mulitalo and Katoa all crossing to secure a home final against the Roosters next week.
"It's gonna be a massive game," Sharks forward Briton Nikora told ABC Sport.
"We're happy to get the job done today and get a home game."
The Raiders missed the chance to secure a home final of their own, and will now take on the in form Knights in Newcastle.
"They're the form team of the comp," Raiders fullback Jordan Rapana said.
"We've got a big job to do, but I'm looking forward to that atmosphere."
Earlier, the Titans beat the Bulldogs 34-30 in a shoot out on the Gold Coast.
Gold Coast's Kieran Foran and Bulldogs winger Josh Addo-Carr both scored hat-tricks in a wild contest.
"I thought my days of getting a hat-trick were gone," Foran told ABC Sport.
"[I'm] Over the moon … and to finish with a win definitely tastes a lot better."
Foran scored twice in the first half, with AJ Brimson adding another with Addo-Carr's long-range solo effort the only response from the Bulldogs.
Kurtis Morrin closed the gap with the first points after the break before Foran completed his hat-trick and then Kruise Leeming and Alofiana Khan-Pereira made the points safe.
Addo-Carr and Blake Wilson both crossed in the final ten minutes to close the gap and end another disappointing season for the Bulldogs.
Look back on how all the action unfolded as it happened in our live blog.
Here we go, the finals schedule has been released.
Thanks very much for being with me over the last couple of days for this live blogging of the NRL.
We'll be back for the finals next week and there will be plenty of fall out and build up to those matches that you can read on the ABC Sport website.
We'll be back on Friday, catch you then.
The Knights have won nine games in a row and are arguably the form team in the NRL at the moment.
That's where Canberra heads in an elimination final next Sunday.
Jordan Rapana spoke to ABC Sport about the prospect Canberra faces.
"They’re the form team of the comp," he says.
"We’ve got a big job to do, but I’m looking forward to that atmosphere."
The NRL has said finals tickets will be on sale for all matches to the competing clubs’ ticketed members at 10am on Monday (September 4).
Tickets for the competing clubs’ non-ticketed members will be on sale at 1pm.
Tickets for NRL Account Holders will be on sale at 4pm on Monday.
The general public will get a chance to scoop up whatever is left at 10am on Tuesday (September 5).
You can get tickets at www.nrl.com/tickets.
Briton Nikora is speaking to ABC Sport on the radio.
He says the Sharks are more than ready to face the Roosters at home.
"It’s gonna be a massive game," he says.
"We’re happy to get the job done today and get a home game."
You'd have to think the home-ground factor will be massive, although the Roosters will have a lot of confidence after sneaking in at the last minute.
"It's gunna be a packed house," Nicho Hynes tells Fox Sports.
It sure will be.
It was an arm-wrestle at the start, but turned into a thrilling, romp of a victory for the Sharks, who end a nine-match losing streak against the Raiders.
Nicho Hynes capped his return to the side with four try assists as Jesse Ramien, Jack Williams, Braydon Trindall, Ronaldo Mulitalo and Sione Katoa all cross.
Sebastian Kris's send off with 20 minute remaining sealed the Raiders fate, with the Sharks getting their teeth stuck in against the 12 men.
Wow - the Sharks have run away with it in the blink of an eye
- Mike
It seems too obvious to say that send off changed things, but the Sharks have rolled the eyes back and are tossing these Raiders from the capital all over the place at the moment.
LoadingThe Sharks shift the ball right, Nicho Hynes spots that the Raiders are short out wide, he floats a pass wide, Sione Katoa picks it up on the bounce, swivels and beats Jack Wighton to score.
A fourth try assist for Hynes of the day.
Trindall hits the post for the second time.
The score is 24-6.
Ronaldo Mulitalo finishes in the corner!
The Raiders are ragged now, it was a simple pass move out to the left side and Mulitalo ducked under one tackle and scoots over.
Braydon Trindall kicks one from the sideline and it's now 20-6!
Cronulla will host a final next week.
THERE'S BLOOD IN THE WATER!
Nicho Hynes pokes the ball through towards Jordan Rapana under the posts.
Rapana can't gather and Braydon Trindall dives over and scores!
Trindall inexplicably misses the kick, hitting the post from dead in front and it's 14-6!
Jack Wighton leaped high to attempt to gather a high ball, but Sione Katoa got there first, but he was then tipped and driven into the ground by Kriss.
Referee Grant Atkins has no choice but to send Kris off.
The Sharks well and truly in the box seat now.
Jack Williams, the big forward, got hold of the ball 20 metres out off a inside pass from Nicho Hynes and weaved through tackles to score under the posts!
It was a try built off bulldozing runs from Jesse
Ramien
and Siosifa
Talakai back in their own half.
The kick from Trindall is good this time and the Sharks lead 10-6.
Now they are in the box seat for a home final!
Much Addo about nothing?
- Mike
Get the feeling this is going to continue to be a very tense 40 minutes of football.
There was only one linebreak in the first half. It's been a battle.
Josh Addo-Carr spoke to ABC Sport as well after the match at Robina.
He says rumours of him leaving the Bulldogs early are off the mark.
"I’m signed here for the dogs, I’m proud to be a Bulldog," he told Zane Bojack.
"We'll just keep battling away.”
The Bulldogs have reinforcements coming in 2024 that should make Canterbury more competitive.
Penrith duo Stephen Crichton and Jaeman Salmon are on their way south, along with South Sydney fullback Blake Taaffe and former Cronulla centre Bronson Xerri, who is making his return after serving a doping ban.
-with AAP
Kieran Foran, believe it or not based on the photo above, was "over the moon" to get a hat-trick, his first ever in the NRL.
"I thought my days of getting a hat-trick were gon," he told ABC Sport.
"[I'm] Over the moon … and to finish with a win definitely tastes a lot better."
It's his first career triple in 282 appearances in the NRL.
Lets go back to our first game of the day, when the Gold Coast beat the Bulldogs 34-30 at Robina.
Bulldogs centre Jake Averillo left the field in the second half in our earlier match on the Gold Coast with a suspected anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury.
Bulldogs coach Cameron Ciraldo said an initial dressing room assessment was good news.
"It is better than we thought. He got some decent news in [the sheds]," Ciraldo said as reported by AAP.
"The ACL feels pretty good so it could be just a PCL or a capsule thing, so good news there hopefully."
That is good news for both Averillo and the Dolphins, where the centre will play next year.
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