Daly Cherry-Evans, bound for Hull FC next season, proved his worth with a crucial drop goal as the Sydney Roosters held off a spirited Newcastle Knights challenge to claim the 2026 NRL Grand Final by a single point in a dramatic contest at Sydney's Accor Stadium.
The Roosters mounted an impressive comeback from 12 points down to secure their 16th premiership and deny Newcastle a fairytale conclusion to their remarkable Cinderella run. The victory marked Sydney's first title since 2019 and capped a remarkable turnaround for a side that finished fourth in the regular season, while Newcastle's journey from seventh place made their Grand Final appearance all the more extraordinary.
Captain James Tedesco led the charge for the Roosters, while centre Mark Nawaqanitawase delivered a show-stopping performance in what would be his final game before returning to rugby union. The 23-year-old faces the prospect of representing Australia at both the league and union World Cups over the next 12 months, adding extra poignancy to his Grand Final display.
According to Nine's broadcast figures, the match drew a national Total TV audience of 4.286 million and reached 6.053 million Australians, with 9Now averaging 1.447 million viewers for the encounter. The match attendance reached 80,814, creating an electric atmosphere at the sold-out venue.
Newcastle stormed into an early 12-0 lead through a combination of attacking prowess and defensive intensity. Francis Manuleleua opened the scoring before fullback Kalyn Ponga produced a classic Grand Final moment, running the length of the field to touch down and send the Knights' supporters into raptures.
The Roosters began their fightback when Nawaqanitawase, displaying superb footwork, sliced through the Newcastle defence to score. Billy Smith then showed strength and composure to power over and level the contest at 12-12.
Sam Walker's conversion of a penalty following a defensive infringement edged Sydney ahead, before Nawaqanitawase struck again, flying into the corner to put his side 18-12 in front. Cherry-Evans, the oldest Grand Finalist in history at 37 years old and playing 15 years after his first premiership medal, then demonstrated the experience that has defined his career by nudging over a simple field goal to extend the lead beyond a converted try.
The Knights refused to surrender. Greg Marzhew broke a couple of tackles to roll over for a try, and Sandon Smith converted brilliantly from the touchline to narrow the gap. However, the Roosters, one of the two clubs remaining from the first season of what became the NRL in 1908, held firm to secure their fourth title under long-term coach Trent Robinson.
Newcastle's defensive efforts were considerable throughout the contest. The Knights held 43 per cent of possession and made 126 more tackles than the Roosters, underlining their commitment despite ultimately falling short.
Cherry-Evans reflected on his remarkable achievement in lifting the trophy at such an advanced stage of his career.
I didn't do anything. I'm so grateful. Thank you so much for the support. It's been an amazing journey. I'm so lucky. I had so much belief in this club, the players, the coach. This is what it's all about. And we did it. And I'm so, so proud to be here, and I just can't wait to go see my family.
Nawaqanitawase, nicknamed 'Marky Mark' by teammates, spoke emotionally after lifting the Provan-Summons Trophy in what was the final game of his two-year stint at the Roosters.
Credit to the Knights, they fought for 80 minutes there. This is going to last me a lifetime, it's sad to go but I love everyone here, I love all the boys, and let's celebrate this win, far out.
The Knights' journey to the Grand Final was all the more remarkable given their circumstances. Newcastle had finished last in the 2025 season before climbing to seventh in the regular-season standings this year, making their appearance in rugby league's showpiece event a genuine Cinderella story. The club's supporters demonstrated their passion by selling all 22,500 tickets for a grand-final watch party in Newcastle within just four minutes, highlighting the depth of emotion surrounding the team's unexpected run.
The Grand Final took place just a day after the Newcastle community had endured a traumatic incident. CEO Peter Parr had expressed deep concern following an incident on Saturday in which a vehicle drove into a crowd of people supporting the NRL team as they prepared for their Grand Final. Police reported that 10 people were injured in the incident in Wallsend, New South Wales, including several children, while the 18-year-old man driving the vehicle was arrested. Two of the injured—a five-year-old girl and a 67-year-old man—were in critical condition, with the other eight in stable condition at a hospital, according to New South Wales Police. Despite this tragedy, the Knights showed remarkable resilience in reaching the Grand Final and competing at the highest level.
