The Sydney Roosters have claimed the 2026 NRL season premiership in one of the most dramatic grand finals in recent memory, holding off a spirited Newcastle Knights charge to win 19-18 at Stadium Australia on Sunday evening in front of a crowd of 80,814.
It was a match that had everything — a 95-metre intercept try, a disallowed Roosters score, a heart-stopping late Knights comeback and two clutch kick receptions from captain James Tedesco that ultimately sealed the deal for Sydney in the dying minutes.
Tedesco the Difference in an NRL Grand Final Classic
Tedesco was awarded the Clive Churchill Medal as the match's best player, rounding out an extraordinary personal collection of the game's greatest individual honours. The fullback — already a two-time Dally M medallist and Wally Lewis Medal winner — had never previously claimed the Clive Churchill despite his previous premiership wins in 2018 and 2019.
On Sunday night, he was simply irresistible. Tedesco churned through 385 run metres — the most recorded by any player in an NRL finals match — racked up 14 tackle breaks and was virtually flawless under the high ball. It was his two crucial kick receptions late in the game, with Newcastle threatening to snatch the title, that proved the decisive moments.
"So proud of this team, what a game," Tedesco said immediately after the final whistle. "Honestly, it felt like we had them on the ropes, but they just kept coming back. There's so many great attacking players and that game could've gone either way."
Speaking on stage during the presentation, the Roosters skipper acknowledged the supporters who had backed the club throughout the year. It was his first grand final win as captain, making the Clive Churchill Medal all the more meaningful. Parramatta great Peter Sterling presented Tedesco with the medal — exactly 40 years after becoming its inaugural recipient.
How the 2026 NRL Grand Final Unfolded
Despite the Roosters' eventual victory, it was Newcastle who dominated the early stages of the contest. The Knights struck first in the 15th minute when Francis Manuleleua ran a sharp angle off a Fletcher Sharpe short ball to cross for the opening try. Sandon Smith's conversion gave Newcastle a 6-0 lead.
The Roosters then had what appeared to be an equalising try wiped out, with the bunker ruling that Mark Nawaqanitawase had knocked on while attempting to ground a Sam Walker kick in the corner. It was a decision that stung Sydney.
The Knights capitalised on their good fortune in the 29th minute through one of the plays of the season. Kalyn Ponga ran 95 metres to score after pouncing on a ball Nawaqanitawase had tapped back in an aerial contest near the Knights' own line. Ponga outsprinted the Roosters' cover defence to give Newcastle a 12-0 lead, and the crowd — largely backing the Knights — erupted.
The Roosters refused to panic. Nawaqanitawase pulled one back with a characteristic opportunist try just before half-time, with Walker's conversion cutting the deficit to 12-6 at the break.
Sydney continued to build pressure in the second half, and the Knights' defence finally cracked in the 47th minute when Billy Smith forced his way over the line despite desperate Knights defence. Walker levelled the scores with the conversion, then nudged the Roosters ahead for the first time via a penalty goal in the 54th minute.
Nawaqanitawase completed a superb personal display by crossing for his second try midway through the second half to push Sydney's lead out to 18-12, with the premiership seemingly there for the taking.
But Newcastle refused to lie down. Greg Marzhew scored in the 76th minute down the Knights' left edge, and Smith's conversion from wide out — which sailed through — sent Knights fans into a frenzy and levelled the scores at 18-all. For a moment, it seemed as though Newcastle might complete one of the great grand final comebacks and claim their first men's premiership in 25 years.
It was not to be. The Roosters held their nerve, with Tedesco's two telling kick receptions in the frantic final minutes ensuring Sydney crossed the line.
With Sam Walker's influence growing throughout the finals series, Sydney's halves pairing ultimately proved the difference over a gallant Knights outfit who had produced remarkable performances throughout the finals, including their preliminary final victory that had drawn widespread emotion from Newcastle supporters and NRL fans alike — as Andrew Johns demonstrated after the Knights' preliminary final win.
Cherry-Evans Retires a Two-Time Premiership Winner
One of the night's most poignant storylines was the retirement of Daly Cherry-Evans, the 37-year-old veteran who signed with the Roosters for his final NRL season. The former Manly captain, who won a premiership in 2011, signed off on his career in the best possible fashion — as a premiership winner for the second time.
The win also extended the remarkable coaching legacy of Trent Robinson, who claimed his fourth NRL premiership as Roosters head coach, cementing his place among the finest coaches the game has seen.
Roosters Complete a Historic Double
Sunday's men's grand final victory completed an extraordinary day for the Roosters, who earlier claimed their third NRLW premiership with a dominant 30-6 victory over the Brisbane Broncos in the women's decider.
For the Roosters, the men's title is their first since 2019, capping a season in which they overcame early setbacks — including a qualifying final loss to the Panthers — to peak at exactly the right moment. It is a triumph built on resilience, experience and the brilliance of a captain who, on the biggest stage of all, was simply peerless.
