Kamikamica in doubt as Storm lose ahead of NRL finals

Fiji Bati forward Tui Kamikamica is in doubt for Melbourne Storm ahead of the NRL finals this week.

Kamikamica was taken off the field with an ankle injury as Melbourne Storm lost 30-22 to the Dragons.

He could also be under the microscope for a first-half shoulder charge on Jayden Sullivan.

Storm was without a number of their first-choice players against the Dragons.

Tyson Frizell scored two tries in his final match for the Dragons.

Storm led 16-6 before letting the match slip in the second half.

Both sides scored five tries, but Storm missed four conversions.

Week 1 of the NRL finals kicks off on Friday.

The Panthers meet the Roosters at 9.50pm Friday, the Raiders meet the Sharks at 7.40pm Saturday, Storm face the Eels at 9.50pm Saturday and the Rabbitohs meet the Knights at 5.50pm Sunday.

NRL finals system explained

At the end of the home-and-away season, the top eight ranked NRL teams playoff in the NRL Finals series to determine the NRL Premiers of the year.

These four weeks of rugby league cut the top eight teams down to two in time for the grand final in the fourth and final week.

The top eight teams in the NRL are decided based on the points table.

The eight teams are typically divided into two groups of four, the top four (1-4) and the bottom four (5-8), who play games among themselves in the first week of finals.

In the top four, first, play fourth and second play third in qualifying finals.

The higher-placed teams, first and second, have the right to host these finals in their home state.

One of the advantages given to teams in the top four is that they cannot be eliminated if they lose in the first week.

However, the winners of these finals have a bye in the second week and host a preliminary final in their home state in the third week.

Meanwhile, the losers of these finals must play again in the second week and, if they survive that, may have to travel interstate to play their opponent in the third week.

So winning a qualifying final is a significant advantage.

In the first qualifying final: the first ranked team hosts the fourth-ranked team while in the second Qualifying Final: the second-ranked team hosts the third-ranked team.

In the bottom four, fifth play eighth and sixth play seventh in elimination finals.

The higher-placed teams, fifth and sixth, have the right to host these finals in their home state.