NRL grand final recap: Sydney Roosters hold off Newcastle Knights in thriller

The teams are about to enter the field.

Kick-off is almost here!

Rabs is back!

He’s introduced the tribute to Jai Arrow and former Wallabies player Nathan Charles, who have both been diagnosed with MND.

Amy Shark opened You’ll Never Walk Alone a cappella before the piano kicked in with Arrow and Charles being driven around for a lap of honour.

And it’s a slight surprise with Thomas Cant named to start at hooker, for the first time in his career, in place of suspended starter Phoenix Crossland.

Potential debutant Diesel Hagan will be on the bench for Newcastle alongside regular back-up rake Harrison Graham.

Hagan would be the first player to debut in a grand final in 90 years.

Cant’s promotion to the run-on side enables Graham to hold onto the role he has performed most of the season, likely coming off the bench to play about 30-plus minutes.

Cant has played 17 games for the Knights this year but featured in only 30 minutes of finals football when he came off the bench against South Sydney.

He has filled in at dummy-half through parts of matches before, but has also never started there in reserve grade.

Connor Watson (concussion) is the only out for the Roosters after his bid to avoid the mandatory 11-day stand-down period was knocked back.

Benaiah Ioelu joins the bench in his place.

Roosters

Starters: 1 James Tedesco 2 Daniel Tupou 3 Billy Smith 4 Robert Toia 5 Mark Nawaqanitawase 6 Daly Cherry-Evans 7 Sam Walker 8 Naufahu Whyte 9 Reece Robson 10 Lindsay Collins 11 Salesi Foketi 12 Siua Wong 13 Victor Radley

Reserves: 15 Angus Crichton 16 Nat Butcher 17 Spencer Leniu 18 Hugo Savala 19 Cody Ramsey 20 Benaiah Ioelu

Knights

Starters: 1 Kalyn Ponga 2 Dominic Young 3 Dane Gagai 4 Bradman Best 5 Greg Marzhew 6 Fletcher Sharpe 7 Sandon Smith 8 Tyson Frizell 19 Thomas Cant 10 Cody Hopwood 11 Jermaine McEwen 12 Francis Manuleleua 13 Mathew Croker

Reserves: 14 Harrison Graham 15 Lachlan Crouch 16 Pasami Saulo 17 Dylan Lucas 18 Fletcher Hunt 21 Diesel Hagan

A massive reception as Newcastle left the Pullman, and they were quickly out on the ground to get a feel for the occasion.

The Sydney Roosters have kicked off grand final day with their third NRLW premiership, putting Brisbane to the sword with a masterful first half before wrapping up a 30-6 victory on Sunday.

Unbeaten all season as they sought to avenge last year’s defeat to the Broncos, the Roosters sent retiring stars Millie Elliott and Corban Baxter out on a high.

But it was a disappointing finish for Broncos great Ali Brigginshaw, though she did at least put on the team’s only try late in the second half.

Shattered Newcastle hooker Phoenix Crossland has been cleared to celebrate with teammates if the Knights win the NRL grand final, but will be unable to form part of the official presentation.

Crossland has remained a key part of the Knights’ grand final week, after being banned for the hip-drop tackle that hurt Nathan Cleary last Sunday.

The 26-year-old was even named in the No.9 jersey by the Knights, and was backstage at Thursday’s NRL fan-fest at Martin Place cheering on teammates.

He will also be able to join the Knights in the dressing rooms ahead of Sunday’s grand final against the Sydney Roosters, and be in the warm-up room pre-game.

But NRL rules prevent him from sitting on the Knights bench during the match. Instead, the New Zealand international will be forced to remain in the players’ enclosure behind it.

Crossland will then be allowed to enter the field after fulltime to celebrate or commiserate with teammates.

He will also be able to join celebrations with the trophy if Newcastle pull off an upset, but will not be on stage for the official handover.

- AAP

While success has been a constant for tonight’s opponents, a club rooted in some of Australia’s most-affluent suburbs, Newcastle haven’t played in a grand final in a generation.

Since the last of their two premierships in 2001, the club, which leans heavily into its working class identity, has won five wooden spoons and finished stone-cold last in 2025.

Half of the current Knights squad weren’t even born the last time Newcastle won a premiership.

But over the last month in which they have won more finals games than they did across the previous decade, the Knights have toppled South Sydney, the Warriors and Penrith en route to Sunday’s grand final at Accor Stadium.

Under the guidance of former Robinson protege Justin Holbrook, the Knights’ rapid rise from last to a decider in 12 months has engrossed a community that has responded to the effort and heroism displayed on the field.

“We’ve shown that we will do anything for the team and defend with the brother next to us,” said forward Francis Manuleleua, who has been one of the finds of the year.

With blue and red snags selling out in record time, tattoo parlours all booked up and houses painted in Knights colours, Newcastle has been gripped by the enormity of the occasion.

Tickets for this weekend’s decider have been hard to come by and the Knights sold out a live site watch-a-long at McDonald Jones Stadium within minutes.

Unlike the Roosters, the Knights haven’t had the luxury of building a roster over time.

When the club outlaid a $13m 10-year deal for Parramatta’s Dylan Brown last year, most people thought they were mad in making a rushed decision.

But Brown’s capture proved to be a masterstroke, allowing fullback Kalyn Ponga to play without burden at a level that is arguably better than his Dally M season of 2023.

Brown’s absence - he sustained an anterior cruciate ligament tear in round 21 - would be enough to derail most club’s seasons.

But the Knights have soldiered on without him, while their first-choice front row pairing of Trey Mooney and Jacob Saifiti - along with suspended hooker Phoenix Crossland - won’t play on Sunday.

With Ponga, five-eighth Fletcher Sharpe and Brown’s replacement at halfback Sandon Smith, the Knights have proven they can inflict pain from anywhere on the field.

No team has won the premiership from outside the top four in the NRL era, but with a city and an incredible finals run behind them, who would be brave enough to doubt the Knights?

“The belief that we’ve had in this squad and the town backing us, I can’t put into words what it’s been like this year,” Smith said. “It’s such a special time and we’ve got one more to go.”

- AAP

There is yet another twist to the ongoing saga surrounding the grand final entertainment.

Hours after Aussie electronic music duo Peking Duk shut down rumours they were performing, it turns out one of them actually is.

Reuben Styles revealed he actually will be involved in the pre-match entertainment before jetting off to Cairns to join Adam Hyde for their show later tonight.

“For those wondering, correct, Peking Duk is not performing at the grand final,” Styles said on Instagram.

“However, cheeky little side note, I am going to play.

“I’m going to be shredding a solo for a very special song and oh my God I’m absolutely s***ing myself.

“But I’ve been rehearsing 12 hours a day for like six days and I think we got this.

“And then straight afterwards I’m going to be jumping on a plane straight to Cairns for the Peking Duk show. Today’s going to be crazy.”

Earlier on Sunday, Peking Duk said they will not be performing.

They first made a joke about themselves, digging up some old criticism after their performance at State of Origin in 2018.

Next, they took a cheeky jab at the NRL over its fallout with Tones and I.

“Theory 2: We don’t play Dance Monkey in our sets,” they quipped, before adding the real reason they won’t be there.

“Theory 3: We never got the call-up. (Probably the main reason tbh).

“Theory 4: We’re busy playing in Cairns tonight!! UP THE KNIGHTS.”

The NRL’s plans were thrown into disarray when Aussie pop star Tones and I pulled out of negotiations for a headline show.

NRL boss Peter V’landys broke the news that talks between the two parties had soured before the singer’s management said they had only been approached on September 5 — less than a month out from the Sydney decider — and negotiations never went far.

V’landys quickly got on the front foot after letting Tones and I slip, declaring he would prefer to donate $1 million to junior rugby league programs than pay for “11 minutes of entertainment”.

But then it was revealed Jai Arrow would complete a lap of honour to the tune of You’ll Never Walk Alone, which scored emotional scenes earlier this year when the inspiring MND sufferer suited up for two final South Sydney appearances.

Arrow will complete a lap of honour while a group of Aussie musicians will perform the iconic song.

Amy Shark will lead the musical component, alongside Grinspoon, The Screaming Jets, Reuben Styles and Teen Jesus and the Jean Teasers.

The Sydney Roosters openly state they play for premierships, having won four of them since the turn of the century and having appeared in a further four grand finals.

“With this club; they demand success and you’ve always got to be at the top of your game when you’re here,” said back-rower Angus Crichton.

Trent Robinson’s side have only failed to miss the top eight once across his 14-season tenure.

The Roosters have maintained a sustained level of success, which has made them an attractive option for the game’s best talent.

With a run of near finals misses, a senior playmaker was top of their off-season shopping list.

Just like they did when they recruited Cooper Cronk from Melbourne to power them towards their 2018 and 2019 premierships, the Roosters prised Daly Cherry-Evans out of Manly.

Cherry-Evans, who has the chance to bookend his NRL career with premierships, is reluctant to buy into that comparison.

“One thing I do know is that Cooper Cronk as a halfback is someone that inspired me throughout my career because of how good he was and how successful he was,” Cherry-Evans said.

“I was inspired by what he did here… Coops has always been in the background throughout my career, whether he knows it or not, inspiring me.”

- AAP

A long season that started all the way back in March in Las Vegas is ready for its finale.

And what a night we have in store for us.

It hasn’t been that long for the Roosters, but there’s plenty on the line for Daly Cherry-Evans in particular after his move from Manly at the end of last season.

And the Knights, well, where do we start?

The wooden spoon last year, a shocking attack... they sign Dylan Brown on an extraordinary contract, he goes down mid-year... and yet here they are.

Kick-off is at 7.30pm.

Let’s go!