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The Sydney Roosters hunt a 16th premiership against a Newcastle Knights side riding three straight finals upsets. Kalyn Ponga and Mark Nawaqanitawase are the key threats at Accor Stadium.
The Sydney Roosters and Newcastle Knights meet in the 2026 NRL grand final on Sunday at Accor Stadium, with the Roosters chasing a 16th premiership and the Knights trying to complete a historic wooden-spoon-to-title turnaround.
About 70,000 Novacastrians are expected among the crowd. The Roosters are heavy favourites after finishing fourth with a 16-8 record. But no side has ever won the NRL title after being thrashed 20-50 in the final round, as the Roosters were by South Sydney. They also lost their opening final to Penrith 12-19 before smashing Cronulla 46-10 to reach the preliminary final, where they beat the Dolphins.
Knights Historic Journey to Grand Final
The Knights have taken the long road. They finished seventh with a 14-10 ledger and scraped into the finals. No team has won the title from seventh. Newcastle ambushed South Sydney 20-10 at Allianz Stadium, upset the Warriors 12-10 at Eden Park, then beat Penrith 22-14 last week while defending with 12 men for 44 minutes.
Their 2025 season was a shocker: six wins and the wooden spoon. No side in 92 years has traded the spoon for the trophy the next year. Under Justin Holbrook, Newcastle have flipped the script, averaging 25 points scored and 23 conceded with captain Kalyn Ponga in career-best form. The Roosters have had the Knights measure, winning their last six meetings and 20 of the past 23.
In April, the Roosters won 38-24 after trailing 12-24 at halftime, keeping Newcastle scoreless in the second half as Mark Nawaqanitawase scored twice. The July rematch featured four tries apiece before Daly Cherry-Evans kicked a 77th-minute field goal for a 23-22 win. This is Cherry-Evans final NRL game before joining Hull.
Cherry Evans Final Game Pursuit
The 37-year-old won a premiership as a Manly rookie in 2011 and is chasing another 15 seasons later, hoping to emulate Cooper Cronk, who led the Roosters to titles in 2018 and 2019. Nawaqanitawase has become the most electric winger in the game, scoring 45 tries in two seasons. He intercepted a pass against the Dolphins in the preliminary final to give the Roosters the lead.
Cronk said the Knights must learn from Penrith 2024 grand final plan against Melbourne, when the Panthers let the Storm catch bombs before swarming them. Cronk warned Newcastle winger Greg Marzhew cannot be isolated one-on-one with Nawaqanitawase in the air. If Marzhew has five attempts, Cronk said, Nawaqanitawase will come down with it at least two or three times.
Cronk also said Newcastle middle forwards must apply epic kick pressure on Sam Walker and Cherry-Evans, as they did against Penrith, and Bradman Best must drop back to help. Ponga is Newcastle biggest threat. He has played 18 games this season with 14 try assists, modest by his standards, but the Knights attack no longer depends on one man. Ponga has averaged 17 runs a game in the finals, following the ball and taking tough runs rather than producing razzle-dazzle.
Ponga Key Roosters Defensive Strategy
Cronk said Ponga is the biggest threat from Newcastle attack and the game is a chess match between the Roosters defence and him. Wherever Ponga is, the ball will be, so the Roosters must set their defensive line on his side first. Cronk said Roosters centres Billy Smith and Robert Toia face huge defensive games, especially when Ponga links with powerhouse centre Bradman Best on the left, the side Toia defends.
Toia has missed 60 tackles in 23 games this season, while Smith has missed 25 in six fewer games. Cronk said if the centres slide, they allow Ponga to take on Walker or Cherry-Evans, which is a mismatch. If they come outside in and misjudge the tackle, it could be sin-bin territory. If Ponga is shut down, Cronk said, it will be because the Roosters centres defended extremely well.
James Tedesco, the 33-year-old Roosters fullback, averages 19 charges per game. Both Ponga and Tedesco thrive on chaos and will be hunted early by Victor Radley and Lindsay Collins for the Roosters, and Tyson Frizell and Cody Hopwood for the Knights. Dally M winner Sam Walker and Sandon Smith shape the Roosters spine. Cronk, a former Roosters premiership winner, said Nawaqanitawase belongs in the same bracket as great halves because you cannot give him time and space.
Nawaqanitawase Surprising Skills and Impact
Unless you watch him week to week, Cronk said, everything he does is surprising because he holds the ball like a magic wand and casts spells on defenders. The Roosters need to avoid the mistake Penrith made in 2024, when Melbourne outside backs including Will Warbrick took high balls over smaller Penrith wingers. Penrith learned and swarmed the Storm catchers on landing in the grand final rematch.
Cronk suggested Marzhew may let Nawaqanitawase catch the ball, then wait for his foot to touch the ground and stop the ball coming down. The Roosters have the better team on paper and the class and composure of a side built around big-name players with grand final experience. It is their 13th finals campaign in Trent Robinson 14 years in charge, and they had an extra day rest.
Newcastle arrive on emotion and belief after three boilovers in enemy territory, but that run may have drained them. This is Nawaqanitawase last NRL game before rejoining rugby union, and the Roosters are counting on his golden run continuing. Yet Newcastle burn brightest when running on fumes. It looks like Sydney party, but the Knights are primed to crash it.
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GuardianAus:NRL 2026 grand final: where the Sydney Roosters v Newcastle Knights decider will be won and lost | Angus FontaineThis story was compiled and edited by the HeadTopics newsroom and HT AI from the reports above.
NRL Grand Final 2026 Sydney Roosters Newcastle Knights Kalyn Ponga Mark Nawaqanitawase
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