NRL Grand Final 2026: Roosters vs Knights Preview, Team Lists and Predictions

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After 27 rounds, four weeks of finals football and one of the most remarkable turnarounds in recent NRL history, it all comes down to this.

The Sydney Roosters and Newcastle Knights will meet at Accor Stadium on Sunday night with the 2026 NRL premiership on the line.

For the Roosters, it is a chance to add a 16th premiership to the club's decorated history and claim their first title since 2019.

For the Knights, it is something altogether different. Newcastle finished with the wooden spoon in 2025.

Twelve months later, they are 80 minutes away from becoming premiers for the third time in club history.

After everything that has happened during their extraordinary finals run, they enter the biggest game of the season believing they can finish the job.

Roosters vs Knights

NRL Grand Final

Sydney Roosters vs Newcastle Knights

Sunday, October 4, 2026

Accor Stadium, Sydney

Kick-off: 7:30pm AEDT

The Roosters enter the Grand Final after dismantling the Dolphins 36-20 in their preliminary final, while the Knights produced one of the most remarkable finals victories in recent memory, defeating Penrith 22-14 despite playing the entire second half with only 12 men.

The Roosters have also had the advantage of an extra two days' preparation after playing their preliminary final on Friday night, compared with Newcastle's Sunday afternoon clash.

The Knights' incredible turnaround

It is difficult to overstate just how remarkable Newcastle's season has been.

The Knights finished 2025 with the wooden spoon. Now, they are one victory away from a premiership.

Newcastle finished the regular season seventh with a 14-10 record before eliminating South Sydney, defeating the Warriors in Auckland and then overcoming Penrith in a preliminary final that will go down in club history.

The Knights have conceded just 34 points across their three finals matches.

Their run has been built on defence, resilience and the ability to find a way when games appear to be slipping away.

Against Penrith, they trailed 14-6 at half-time and had lost their hooker to a send-off. Yet they did not concede another point.

Instead, Newcastle scored three second-half tries and stormed into their first Grand Final since 2001.

Sandon Smith was the hero, scoring twice, including an extraordinary 80-metre intercept try in the final minute while Kalyn Ponga and the Knights' defence repeatedly produced desperate efforts to deny Penrith.

The Knights are now chasing their third premiership, having previously won in 1997 and 2001.

The Roosters are chasing history of their own

Standing in their way is one of the competition's most experienced clubs.

The Roosters have won 15 premierships throughout their history and are appearing in their first Grand Final since 2019.

Trent Robinson has already coached the club to three premierships — 2013, 2018 and 2019 another victory would give him a fourth.

The Roosters entered the finals in fourth position after a 16-8 regular season, and although Penrith defeated them in the qualifying final, they responded emphatically.

They demolished Cronulla 46-10 before producing another dominant performance against the Dolphins.

The 36-20 victory was particularly impressive given the return of Sam Walker, who came back from injury and immediately helped restore the Roosters' attacking structure.

Mark Nawaqanitawase was also outstanding against the Dolphins, running for an incredible 329 metres. The Roosters simply have weapons all over the field.

Recent history favours the Roosters

If the Knights are to complete their fairytale, they will have to overcome a particularly difficult recent record against their Grand Final opponents.

The Roosters have won the past five meetings between the clubs. However, that statistic does not tell the whole story. Four of those five matches have been decided by four points or fewer.

In 2026, the Roosters won 38-24 at Allianz Stadium in Round 7 before edging Newcastle 23-22 at McDonald Jones Stadium in Round 21.

That second meeting is particularly relevant. The Knights were already emerging as a genuine finals threat by that stage, and they pushed the Roosters all the way before falling by a single point.

The Grand Final could therefore come down to exactly the same thing: who handles the final few minutes better?

Phoenix Crossland: the Grand Final he won't play

One of the biggest stories of Grand Final week has nothing to do with the players who will take the field.

Phoenix Crossland almost certainly will not be there despite being named in the Knights side.

The Newcastle hooker was sent off during the preliminary final after a hip-drop tackle on Nathan Cleary left the Penrith halfback with a serious compound fracture and dislocated ankle.

Crossland immediately looked devastated by what had happened and was visibly emotional after being dismissed.

The Knights then somehow survived the remaining 44 minutes with 12 men. Crossland subsequently reached out to Cleary to apologise.

Cleary has since publicly defended the Knights hooker, describing the tackle as a "complete accident" and urging fans to stop directing abuse towards Crossland.

Cleary also said he had "nothing but respect" for Crossland and rejected suggestions that the tackle was deliberate.

Crossland entered a guilty plea ahead of his judiciary hearing, essentially guaranteeing that he would miss the Grand Final. He is facing a potentially lengthy suspension, with the penalty also potentially affecting his availability for New Zealand at the upcoming Rugby League World Cup.

It is a brutal way for Crossland's season to end. He had been an important part of a Newcastle side that went from the bottom of the competition to the biggest game of the year.

So who replaces Crossland?

The Knights named Crossland at No.9 in their initial Grand Final squad, but Harrison Graham appears the most likely option to start at hooker, with Thomas Cant another possibility.

Graham has already shown during the finals that he can handle the pressure. When Crossland was sent off against Penrith, Graham stepped into the game and helped Newcastle maintain their defensive structure.

Now he could be asked to start the biggest match of his career.

Sydney Roosters — named squad

1. James Tedesco (c)

2. Daniel Tupou

3. Billy Smith

4. Robert Toia

5. Mark Nawaqanitawase

6. Daly Cherry-Evans

7. Sam Walker

8. Naufahu Whyte

9. Reece Robson

10. Lindsay Collins

11. Salesi Foketi

12. Siua Wong

13. Victor Radley

14. Connor Watson

15. Angus Crichton

16. Nat Butcher

17. Spencer Leniu

18. Hugo Savala

19. Cody Ramsay

Connor Watson remains the major question mark after failing his HIA against the Dolphins. He is due to undergo an independent assessment before the Grand Final. Victor Radley, meanwhile, is free to play after accepting a $3,000 fine for his dangerous-contact charge.

Newcastle Knights — named squad

1. Kalyn Ponga (c)

2. Dominic Young

3. Dane Gagai

4. Bradman Best

5. Greg Marzhew

6. Fletcher Sharpe

7. Sandon Smith

8. Tyson Frizell

9. Phoenix Crossland

10. Cody Hopwood

11. Jermaine McEwen

12. Francis Manuleleua

13. Mathew Croker

14. Harrison Graham

15. Lachlan Crouch

16. Pasami Saulo

17. Dylan Lucas

18. Fletcher Hunt

19. Thomas Cant

Crossland will almost certainly be replaced in the starting side, with Graham the leading candidate to move into the No.9 jersey.

The key battle: Cherry-Evans vs Smith

There is a brilliant storyline in the halves.

Daly Cherry-Evans is playing the final game of his NRL career. Sandon Smith is playing against the club that allowed him to leave.

Smith was at the Roosters before moving to Newcastle in search of a greater opportunity. When Dylan Brown suffered his ACL injury, Smith was thrust into the No.7 role and he has taken the opportunity with both hands.

His two tries against Penrith sent Newcastle into the Grand Final. Now he faces the veteran Cherry-Evans, who is chasing another premiership before retirement.

Smith has already said he will have to "shut him down" if Newcastle are to win. It is one of the most fascinating individual battles of the Grand Final.

Ponga can decide the game

The other player capable of completely changing this Grand Final is Kalyn Ponga.

The Knights captain has increasingly become the centrepiece of Newcastle's attack.

His ability to take the ball at first receiver, create an extra number and attack broken defensive lines gives the Knights something very different from a traditional fullback.

With Fletcher Sharpe and Sandon Smith also operating as playmakers, Newcastle can attack from several points on the field.

If Ponga gets space around the Roosters' middle defenders, the Knights will have opportunities.

The middle could decide everything

The Grand Final will likely be won and lost through the middle.

The Roosters have enormous size and power through players such as Lindsay Collins, Naufahu Whyte, Angus Crichton, Spencer Leniu and Victor Radley.

Newcastle will need Tyson Frizell, Cody Hopwood, Mat Croker and the rest of their middle rotation to withstand that pressure.

If the Roosters consistently win the middle third, Cherry-Evans and Walker will have the time and space to pick Newcastle apart.

If Newcastle can slow the ruck and turn the game into a grind, their chances of keeping the Roosters' attacking weapons quiet increase significantly.

That is exactly the type of game the Knights have thrived in throughout the finals.

The Grand Final entertainment mystery

There is also a strange subplot surrounding Grand Final entertainment this year.

The NRL had initially been set to feature Tones and I, but those plans collapsed after what was described as "artistic differences".

Peter V'landys subsequently said the money earmarked for the major act would instead be directed towards grassroots rugby league.

Then, just when it appeared the Grand Final would go without a major entertainment act, V'landys revealed that there would be a mystery performance after all.

The NRL chairman has promised an 11-minute mystery entertainment segment, with the act being kept secret until Grand Final night.

V'landys joked that it could be "the most high-rated 11 minutes you'll ever see" because nobody knows what is coming.

So while fans will have to wait until the night to find out who or what is involved, there will be a surprise waiting before the football gets underway.

Grand Final day

The NRL Grand Final will kick off at 7:30pm AEDT on Sunday, October 4 at Accor Stadium.

It will be preceded by the NRLW Grand Final between the Sydney Roosters and Brisbane Broncos at 4:00pm.

The Roosters therefore have the opportunity to win both the men's and women's premierships on the same day something only Brisbane has previously achieved.

For Newcastle supporters, the Grand Final represents something even bigger.

The club has gone from the bottom of the competition to the brink of a premiership in just 12 months.

For the Roosters, it is an opportunity to add another chapter to one of rugby league's most successful histories.

For Daly Cherry-Evans, it could be the final game of an extraordinary career.

For Sandon Smith, it is a chance to beat his former club on the biggest stage.

For Kalyn Ponga and the Knights, it is a chance to end the longest premiership drought in the club's history since their 2001 triumph, and for everyone watching, there is the possibility of another Grand Final that goes down to the final seconds.

My Tip : Knights 19–18 Roosters

This is an extremely difficult game to predict.

The Roosters have the experience, the attacking firepower and the extra preparation time. They also have a five-game winning streak against Newcastle.

But the Knights have shown something throughout these finals that is difficult to quantify.

They simply refuse to go away. They beat South Sydney. They survived Auckland against the Warriors. They played 44 minutes with 12 men against Penrith and still won.

Their defence has conceded just 34 points across three finals matches, and they have repeatedly found a way to win close games.

That is why I am backing Newcastle to complete the fairytale in dramatic fashion. Partly with heart over mind, as I think almost every neutral observer will be a temporary Knights fan on Sunday.

I expect a brutal, low-scoring contest in which neither side gets much breathing room.

The Roosters will have opportunities, and I expect Cherry-Evans and Walker to keep them in the contest until the final minutes.

But with Ponga, Sharpe and Smith creating opportunities, and Newcastle's defence continuing to make crucial stops, I think the Knights can scrape home.