One Game, a Premiership and a Kangaroos Jersey: The Grand Final Stars Fighting For Australia

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For most players, the NRL Grand Final is the biggest game of their season. For seven players running out at Accor Stadium on Sunday, it could also be their final audition for the green and gold.

Kevin Walters is set to name Australia's 2026 Rugby League World Cup squad on Monday, just one day after the Roosters and Knights fight for the NRL premiership.

That means James Tedesco, Sam Walker, Reece Robson, Lindsay Collins and Rob Toia of the Roosters, along with several Knights players pushing their claims, have one final opportunity to make an impression before the Kangaroos squad is selected.

The timing could hardly be more dramatic.

James Tedesco's biggest audition

Perhaps the most intriguing selection battle is at fullback.

Tedesco looked to have slipped out of Australia's plans after last representing the Kangaroos in the 2023 Pacific Championships.

Now, suddenly, the door is wide open. Dylan Edwards suffered a PCL injury in Penrith's preliminary-final defeat, while incumbent Reece Walsh is still recovering from the syndesmosis injury that ended his NRL season.

That leaves Tedesco firmly in the conversation. NRL.com has identified the Roosters captain as one of the players with plenty to play for on Sunday, while reports this week have suggested the fullback position remains one of Australia's biggest selection questions.

A strong Grand Final, particularly if Tedesco plays a decisive role would give Walters one more piece of evidence before making the call.

Tedesco isn't simply playing for a premiership. He's playing for another chance to wear the green and gold.

Sam Walker has been handed a huge opportunity

Walker may have the most obvious opportunity of anyone. Nathan Cleary is unavailable for the World Cup after suffering a serious ankle injury in the preliminary finals, opening up a spot in Australia's halves.

Walker was already in the conversation after an excellent season, but his return from syndesmosis surgery has made his Grand Final appearance remarkable in itself.

He has also already made his Queensland debut this year. Now he could potentially go from fighting to establish himself as an Origin player to being selected for Australia's World Cup squad within months.

Walters has confirmed Walker is in the frame, with the Roosters halfback competing with Mitchell Moses and Tom Dearden for a spot alongside Cameron Munster.

The Grand Final therefore presents Walker with a massive stage. One of the biggest questions is simply whether he can produce his best football after returning from injury.

Reece Robson vs Harry Grant

The Roosters also have another player facing a genuine selection battle.

Reece Robson has been one of their most consistent performers since arriving from North Queensland and has held the NSW No.9 jersey for four years.

But Australia already has an established hooker in Harry Grant. That makes Sunday an opportunity for Robson to show Walters exactly what he can offer.

Lindsay Collins is already established but that doesn't mean Sunday doesn't matter

Collins is in a different position.

The Roosters prop already has 12 Test appearances, played at the 2022 World Cup and featured in last year's Ashes series.

He is much closer to being an established international than an outsider trying to break in. But selection isn't guaranteed simply because of past achievements.

The Grand Final gives Collins another opportunity to demonstrate why he should remain part of Australia's forward pack.

With the World Cup only weeks away, there is no better stage on which to do it.

Rob Toia's international decision

Then there is perhaps the most complicated selection situation of them all. Rob Toia is eligible for Australia but represented Tonga in last year's Pacific Championships.

The Roosters centre has emerged as one of the game's best young outside backs and has reportedly attracted serious interest from the Kangaroos.

Walters has publicly discussed Toia's potential Australian selection, while the Rugby League World Cup's official website lists him among the Roosters players competing for a Kangaroos spot.

Toia's Grand Final is therefore about more than proving he belongs at international level. It could also influence which country he represents at the World Cup.

Then there are the Knights

Newcastle's Grand Finalists aren't without international ambitions either.

Bradman Best is pushing for a Kangaroos jersey after another strong season, while the Knights' extraordinary rise from the wooden spoon in 2025 to the 2026 decider has put several of their players under the spotlight.

The Grand Final gives them one final chance to perform in front of Walters before the squad is locked in.

That matters because Australia's selectors aren't simply choosing players based on reputations from earlier in the year.

NRL.com reported last week that Walters had three games remaining to assess contenders and that finals performances would be an important factor in selection. For these players, Sunday is therefore effectively an audition.

Dylan Lucas and Fletcher Sharpe are two interesting players in the frame as well. If Lucas can continue to prove his fitness he is a hard player to leave out for the World Cup. Sharpe could be a potential utility bolter for the Kangaroos as well.

One game, two huge prizes

The strange thing about this Grand Final is that the players involved don't have to choose between the two objectives.

They can win the premiership and strengthen their international claims.

Tedesco could potentially finish the season as a Grand Final-winning captain and regain the Kangaroos No.1 jersey.

Walker could win his first premiership and earn his first Australian selection.

Toia could potentially finish the year as a premiership-winning centre while deciding whether his international future lies with Australia or Tonga.

Robson and Collins can strengthen their claims in a fiercely competitive Australian squad.

The Knights' stars have an opportunity to turn one of the greatest team turnarounds in recent NRL history into individual international recognition.

Walters will name his 23-man World Cup squad on Monday. So while everyone will be watching the Grand Final for the premiership, there is another selection battle quietly taking place underneath it.

For several players, the final whistle won't necessarily signal the end of the season.

It could be the moment that decides whether they wear green and gold.