It was a tight race last night with the NRL finals nipping at the heels of The Block’s ratings dominance. With a total TV national reach of 2,804,000 and a national average of 1,597,000, The Block pulled ahead to win the night among the non-news programs. But the program’s usual safe margin was encroached upon by the NRL as the second preliminary final got underway. The game hit a national average viewership of 1,174,000 and a total TV national reach of 2,295,000 – an impressive stat for a game that was broadcast across Foxtel and Kayo as well as the free-to-air network. With two more major match-ups scheduled for this weekend between Melbourne Storm & Cronulla Sharks and the Brisbane Broncos & Panthers, Nine can likely expect another massive weekend of sport dominance ahead.