Roosters break Knights hearts in grand final epic, tell me about this news today

The Sydney Roosters claimed the 2026 NRL premiership after edging out the Newcastle Knights 19–18 in an epic, down-to-the-wire Grand Final at Sydney’s Accor Stadium.

The victory ended a fairytale Cinderella run for Newcastle, who had surged from finishing with the wooden spoon the prior season to qualifying from seventh spot and making a dramatic charge all the way to the decider.

Match Breakdown

• First Half Newcastle Dominance: The Knights stunned the Roosters early, jumping out to a 12–0 lead courtesy of an opening try by Francis Manuleleua followed by an electric length-of-the-field try from captain Kalyn Ponga.

• The Roosters’ Fightback: Right before halftime, winger Mark Nawaqanitawase crossed over to put the Roosters on the board at 12–6. Sydney then seized momentum in the second half, with Billy Smith crashing over to level the score, followed by a Sam Walker penalty goal and a second try in the corner by Nawaqanitawase to push the Roosters ahead 18–12.

• The Deciding Field Goal: Veteran halfback Daly Cherry-Evans slotted a crucial field goal in the 70th minute to extend Sydney’s lead to a seven-point margin at 19–12.

• Nail-Biting Finish: Newcastle refused to surrender, setting up a heart-stopping finish when Greg Marzhew scored a converted try in the 77th minute to cut the deficit to a single point. Despite Newcastle desperately chasing points from deep in their own half during the final sets, the Roosters held firm in defense until the final siren.

Roosters captain James Tedesco was awarded the Clive Churchill Medal as player of the match, lifting the Provan-Summons Trophy as the Sydney Roosters secured their 16th premiership title.