as the NRL season comes to a close all eyes are on the spoon bowl a rare and dramatic fixture where the two lowest ranked teams battle it out to avoid finishing last and receiving the dreaded wooden spoon this year's spoon Bowl features the West's tigers and paramat Eels who are both desperate to avoid the embarrassment of ending the season at the bottom of the ladder the game is set to take place at Campbell toown Stadium on Friday September 6th 2024 at 600 p.m. a and has already sold out becoming the fastest selling fixture for the Tigers in years a spoon bowl is a unique match that occurs when the bottom two teams in the NRL face off in the final round of the season the stakes are high the loser of this match finishes last and receives The Wooden Spoon a symbolic yet unwanted award given to the League's worst performing team for the teams involved the spoon bowl is more than just a game it's a battle for pride and a chance to avoid the ultimate Mark of failure spoon balls are rare because they require a specific set of circumstances both teams must be at the bottom of the standings and the outcome of their match must directly determine who finishes last this situation does not happen often because usually by the final round the team destined to finish last is already decided or is not playing the second last team Additionally the NRL schedule is set in advance so it is purely coincidental if the bottom two teams end up facing each other in the last last round with the wooden spoon on the line this year's spoon ball between the West's tigers and paramat Eels is particularly significant both teams have struggled throughout the season and find themselves tied on 18 points however the tigers are currently at the bottom due to a poorer points differential the stakes are clear whoever loses this game will finish last and receive The Wooden Spoon the West tigers are especially motivated to win as they are trying to avoid their third consecutive wooden spoon having finished last in both 2022 and 2023 if they end up at the bottom again this season they would match the Newcastle Knights record of three straight Wooden Spoons from 2015 to 2017 for paramat avoiding The Wooden Spoon is just as crucial they hold the record for the most Wooden Spoons in the NRL with 14 and are Keen to avoid adding another to their tally the excitement and fan engagement surrounding this year's spoon Bowl have sparked discussions about making it a regular feature on the NRL calendar with the game selling out 5 days before kickoff it's clear that there is significant interest some suggest that as the NRL looks for new ways to enhance The Season's structure an annual spoon Bowl could draw attention and maintain fan interest even for teams out of finals contention however there are challenges to this idea players might not be enthusiastic about participating in a game that highlights their struggle as the League's worst critics also argue that it may be unfair to focus on the teams at the bottom although supporters point out that the spoon Bowl has the same kind of high stakes in drama as a grand final historically genuine last round spoon bowls are rare in the last 40 years there have only been two such matches where the loser was guaranteed to finish last the most recent spoon Bowl was in 2015 when penrith defeated Newcastle to avoid the wooden spoon for those involved these games are more intense than regular season matches as they carry the weight of avoiding a significant blemish on the team's record as Panthers forward Isaiah yo said of the 2015 match it definitely mattered that night you don't want to be the loser this sentiment captures the pressure and significance of the spoon Bowl turning it into a highly charged and emotionally significant event for the teams and their supporters the 2024 spoon Bowl between the West's tigers and parata Eels is more than just a match between the nrl's bottom teams it's a high stakes battle to avoid finishing last and the embarrassment of The Wooden Spoon scheduled for Friday September 6th 2024 at 600 p.m. a at Campbelltown Stadium this soldout game has captured the attention of fans in the league alike whether the spoon Bowl becomes a regular fixture or remains an occasional event it brings brings a unique form of excitement and tension to the NRL ensuring that even the battle at the bottom has its moments of glory and despair this is bwm sports like share and subscribe