NRL.com Wrap | Knights fall agonisingly short in heart-breaking NRL Grand Final

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Curse broken: The Roosters have become the first team to win the premiership after conceding 50 points in a match during the regular season. In Round 27 when Trent Robinson rested a number of star players the Roosters went down 50-20 to the Rabbitohs but they have put that stat to bed now by coming away with the premiership.

Robbo to the four: Trent Robinson joins some of the greats of coaching with a fourth premiership - 2013, 2018, 2019, 2026. In 14 seasons at the Roosters, Robinson has missed the finals only once and continues to raise the standards year in and year out at Bondi. 

All heart: The Knights forwards tackled themselves to a standstill with Mat Croker making 47 tackles, Cody Hopwood 46 and Jermaine McEwen 42. Even Fletcher Sharpe had to come up with 29 tackles as the Knights showed enormous bravery to stay in the contest despite spending much of the game deep in their own territory.

Titanic Tedesco: With 14 tackle breaks and a staggering 385 metres from 35 runs, James Tedesco was at his absolute best as he claimed a third premiership. The skipper caps an incredible season that included a match-winning try in Origin One and he has iced it all by collecting the Clive Churchill Medal as the best player in the grand final. The medal was presented by Eels great Peter Sterling, who was the first winner of the Churchill Medal in 1986.

Full-time: The Roosters have prevailed 19-18 in an epic grand final. The Knights had just 43 per cent of possession and were forced to make 126 more tackes but never gave up.

80 min: Another huge play from James Tedesco as he cleans up a bouncing ball in traffic and the Roosters have hung on.

79 min: Sandon Smith goes to the air and James Tedesco comes up with a magnificent take under pressure.

77 min: The Knights refuse to lie down as GREG MARZHEW gets over in the corner after Kalyn Ponga and Francis Manuleleua are heavily involved in the lead-up and Bradman Best delivers the final pass. Sandon Smith converts from touch. Roosters 19-18

76 min: Kalyn Ponga takes a catch and is tackled in the air. Knights penalty and they move into Roosters territory.

75 min: Dom Young with a grubber as he tiptoes down the sideline but Salesi Foketi is there to clean it up and the Roosters inch closer to victory.

73 min: Daly Cherry-Evans chips again for the high-flying Mark Nawaqanitawase whose ball-carrying arm touches the ground and a Knights player has a hand on him before he slips it away to Rob Toia who dives over. Greg Marzhew is penalised for a mid-air tackle on Nawaqanitawase.

73 min: Lindsay Collins with a trademark surge from close range but the Knights manage to hold him up with Harrison Graham underneath. Collins goes back to the 10m for a play-the-ball.

72 min: The Knights' kick-off fails to go 10 metres and the Roosters have a penalty.

70 min: DALY CHERRY-EVANS with a cooly taken field goal from 18 metres out and the Roosters have some breathing space with a seven-point lead. Roosters 19-12

67 min: The Knights go right but Kalyn Ponga loses the ball and the Roosters are inside the red zone again but Rob Toia comes up with an error.

66 min: Mark Nawaqanitawase with another spectacular leap and a pass back inside but the ball is put down by Reece Robson.

65 min: Fletcher Sharpe with a critical error as the Knights look to build something in attack. Roosters scrum 10m out from their line.

63 min: The Knights play hot potato on the last and Billy Smith knocks down a Kalyn Ponga pass. Knights scrum 20m out.

60 min: MARK NAWAQANITAWASE has a double after a Daly Cherry-Evans grubber hit the upright and bounced into the arms of James Tedesco who floated it over to his powerhouse winger who surged into the corner. Sam Walker pushes the conversion to the left. Roosters 18-12

59 min: James Tedesco grubbers into the in-goal and Kalyn Ponga is forced to take it dead. The Knights go short with the dropout and Daniel Tupou comes up with a superb take.

54 min: The Knights are penalised for high contact on Billy Smith. The Roosters elect to shoot for goal from 22 metres out and 10 metres in from the sideline. Sam Walker bangs it over. Roosters 14-12

52 min: Greg Marzhew spills a kick backwards, Fletcher Sharpe cleans it up and the Knights are pinned deep in their own territory again. They make just 21 metres on the set before Sharpe goes to the boot.

48 min: A show of strength from BILLY SMITH as he fights free of a Jermaine McEwen tackle and manages to get the ball down. Good hands on the inside from Sam Walker and Salesi Foketi to give Smith the chance. Walker converts and we're all square in the decider. 12-12

47 min: Spencer Leniu muscles up and forces an error from Dom Young and the Roosters reload again.

46 min: Salesi Foketi is cut down by Sandon Smith with a magnificent low tackle and the Knights have hung on again.

45 min: Mark Nawaqanitawase manages to get a kick into the in-goal after he was hemmed in on the sideline. Knights dropout.

42 min: Sam Walker chooses to run the ball on the last and is shut down 20m out.

41 min: Nat Butcher with kick pressure on Kalyn Ponga and the crowd wants a penalty but Adam Gee gives it the all-clear.

Teddy stands tall: The Roosters skipper was enormous as well in the opening 40 with 178 metres from 16 runs and a couple of tackle breaks for good measure. For the first time in premiership history the two grand final teams are captained by fullbacks and Tedesco and Ponga are leading from the front.

King Kalyn: The Knights skipper was everywhere in attack and defence, coming up with a huge play to deny Mark Nawaqanitawase a try before going the length of the field to score himself after pouncing on a Roosters tap back. Ponga had nine runs for 166 metres in an inspirational first half.

Half-time: The Roosters had 57 per cent of the ball and completed 21 of 23 sets but the Knights kept turning up in defence and only conceded one try. The Knights were forced to make 35 more tackles and were led in the defensive stand by Mat Croker with 34 tackles and Thomas Cant with 26.

40 min: Some enterprising attack from the Roosters and Spencer Leniu gets a good offload away to James Tedesco but the final pass goes astray and we head to the sheds.

36 min: The Roosters go the air again for Rob Toia to tap it back and MARK NAWAQANITAWASE puts it on the toe into the in-goal and follows through to score. A great piece of soccer skill from Marky Mark to give him his sixth try of the finals series. Sam Walker bangs over the conversion. Knights 12-6

35 min: The Roosters come up empty again as Reece Robson throws a pass that hits Angus Crichton who wasn't expecting the ball. Knights pick up the scraps.

34 min: James Tedesco grubbers into the in-goal and Greg Marzhew gets back to knock it dead. Knights dropout.

33 min: Jermaine McEwen makes a meal of the play-the-ball in the set after points and the Knights are under the pump. 

30 min: Accor Stadium erupts as KALYN PONGA swoops on a Mark Nawaqnitawase tap back from a high kick and races 96 metres to score his team's second try. Sandon Smith converts. Knights 12-0

29 min: Harrison Graham enters the fray and gives Thomas Cant a spell. A great stint by Cant with 22 tackles. Spencer Leniu is also into the game.

26 min: Sam Walker with a deft chip to the corner for Mark Nawaqanitawase to soar above Greg Marzhew and try to get the ball to ground but Kalyn Ponga gets across to deny him with a desperation play. The ball is lost by Marky Mark and the Knights have hung on again.

25 min: Victor Radley is taken high by Kalyn Ponga who is placed on report. Jermaine McEwen and Naufahu Whyte come in to talk about it and push and shove. Roosters penalty for the high shot.

24 min: Another Roosters kick, another knock on in the contest under the posts. The Knights now have to work away from their own line again. Greg Marzhew is forced over the sideline as he runs out of room in suffocating Roosters defence.

20 min: Sam Walker with a kick for Daniel Tupou but the winger knocks it on as he tries to tap it back. Knights come out of their own end.

19 min: Mat Croker with an error as Naufahu Whyte comes up with a big shot. Roosters scrum 30m out.

16 min: FRANCIS MANULELEUA with the opening try as the Knights go to the left edge and Fletcher Sharpe delivers a peach of a pass to put the rampaging back-rower into a hole. A great line run by Manuleleua and the Roosters are opened up. Sandon Smith converts. Knights 6-0

14 min: Rob Toia catches a bomb and the ball comes out the back where Kalyn Ponga cleans it up and the Knights work it away through Tyson Frizell before Mat Croker puts the ball down in heavy contact from Lindsay Collins and Naufahu Whyte. The contact is ruled high and the Knights have the game's first penalty.

11 min: Sam Walker with plenty of time to hoist a kick in Daniel Tupou's direction but it's way too deep and easily defused by Dom Young. Seven-tackle set Newcastle.

9 min: A towering bomb from Daly Cherry-Evans and it's Rob Toia against Kalyn Ponga in the contest. The ball goes backwards off Ponga and Toia also makes a touch which is ruled to be a knock-on. Knights scrum.

7 min: The Roosters go to the left on the last and Dom Young comes up with a superb low tackle cut Billy Smith down just short of the line.

5 min: Daly Cherry-Evans kicks early in the count looking for a 40-20 but hits the Spidercam cable and Kalyn Ponga makes the catch and makes good metres.

3 min: Daly Cherry-Evans goes to the air in Mark Nawaqanitawase's direction but there's a knock on from the Roosters and the Knights come out of trouble.

7.39pm IT'S ON! Referee Adam Gee blows the whistle and Fletcher Sharpe sends the kick-off down to the Chooks and it's Naufahu Whyte with the first run of the decider.

7.35pm The Welcome to Country is delivered by Aunty Julie Jones before the national anthem from Emily Nkomo brings the crowd to fever pitch.

7.33pm James Tedesco takes the Roosters onto Accor Stadium as he is and his men look for the club's first premiership since 2019.

7.32pm Kalyn Ponga leads the Knights out to a rousing reception from the pro-Knights crowd at Accor Stadium. It's a roar usually reserved for the NSW Blues Origin side.

7.20pm Dave Gleeson from the Screaming Jets takes to the stage with Amy Shark to belt out the classic 'What's Going On' before Phil Jamieson from Grinspoon kick starts the Tina Turner rugby league anthem 'The Best'. The packed crowd gets right into the classic hit as Amy Shark and Dave Gleeson get stuck in as well.

7.15pm The game again stands with Jai Arrow and other sufferers of MND. The fans at the game get to their feet and make the sign of an arrow. Amy Shark leads the singing of 'You'll Never Walk Alone' as Jai Arrow heads around Accor Stadium on a lap of honour in a special vehicle. He is accompanied by former Wallaby Nathan Charles who has been diagnosed with MND. 

6.45pm Class of Champions - a tribute to retiring NRL and NRLW players of 2026 - Adam Reynolds, Josh Papalii, Tazmin Rapana, Jordan Rapana, Corey Jensen, Jorge Taufua, Britanny Breayley-Nati, Nelson Asofa-Solomona, Lachlan Croker, Reimis Smith, Ryan Matterson, Daniel Saifiti, Steph Hancock, Elliott Whitehead, Tariq Sims, Mark Nicholls, Konrad Hurrell, Moses Mbye, Kyle Feldt, Tui Kamikamica, Tallisha Harden.

 

Late Mail

Roosters: No further game day changes after Benaiah Ioelu joined the six-man bench on Friday when Connor Watson's late bid for a clearance to line up in the grand final was denied by an independent neurologist. In his last ever NRL game, Daly Cherry-Evans will become the oldest player in grand final history at 37 years and 183 days, surpassing the record set by Melbourne's Cameron Smith, who was 37 and 130 days old when he took the field against the Panthers in the 2020 decider. Egan Butcher remains in the squad as the reserve.

Knights: A late change from Justin Holbrook with Thomas Cant to start the game at hooker and Harrison Graham reverting to the bench. Youngster Diesel Hagan has been added to the bench and could make his NRL debut. Kyle McCarthy has been omitted 90 minutes before kick-off. Star centre Bradman Best sat out training on Wednesday but that was merely a precaution and he is primed to press his claims for a Kangaroos jersey in a mouth-watering battle with Rob Toia.

Numbers Game

• The Roosters have won their last six games against the Knights.
• The Knights are aiming to become the first team since Western Suburbs in 1934 to go from last to first.
• Roosters winger Mark Nawaqanitawase has scored five tries in his last three games.
• The Knights have only one player with grand final experience (Dane Gagai).
• Roosters prop Lindsay Collins will make his 150th NRL appearance.
• Knights winger Dominic Young has scored five tries in three games at Accor Stadium this season.