A super Grand Final wraps up a memorable NRL season

By Chase Christensen 

For the first time since 2022, the NRL Grand Final featured two teams from New South Wales, with the Sydney Roosters taking on the Newcastle Knights in a thrilling decider to wrap up another memorable season of rugby league. Despite no Queensland team being represented in the Grand Final, Queenslanders still got behind a team, with the Newcastle Knights becoming the Rugby League world's team for the first week of October. With history on the line, Newcastle entered the match as the ultimate underdogs. A victory would have seen the Knights become the first team from outside the qualifying top four to win the NRL Premiership, adding another incredible chapter to what had already been a remarkable season for the club. 

The Sydney Roosters entered the Grand Final as favorites and were expected by many to claim their third Premiership of the decade. The powerhouse club had the experience, quality players and big-game confidence required to handle the pressure of a Grand Final, while Newcastle had the entire Hunter region behind them. Thousands of Knights supporters made the trip to Sydney hoping their team could pull off one of the biggest upsets in recent NRL history with dreams of taking the Provan-Summons Trophy back to Newcastle for the first time since Andrew and Matthew Johns helped deliver the club its last Premiership in 2001. It was a huge challenge, however the Knights had already defied expectations throughout the season and were ready to give it everything. 

Newcastle came out of the gates firing immediately showing that they were not going to be intimidated.  Sending their supporters into celebration as they raced out to an unbelievable 12-0 lead after 30 minutes, leaving the Roosters under enormous pressure. For a short period, the city of Newcastle could smell a Premiership coming their way, with the Knights looking in complete control of the contest. Their energy and determination had the Roosters struggling to find an answer, and it appeared that one of the greatest underdog stories in NRL history could be unfolding in front of a packed stadium. 

However, the game was far from over. The Roosters are a powerhouse club for a reason, and they were never going to simply disappear after conceding two early tries. The Chooks slowly worked their way back into the contest, eventually finding points needed to turn the match around. Two tries and a two-point penalty goal saw the Roosters take a 14-12 lead, completely changing the momentum of the Grand Final. They then followed it up with another maximum score, putting themselves in a strong position to close out the match. What had looked like a Newcastle celebration had suddenly become a Roosters fight for another Premiership. 

The great heart of the Knights continued to beat, just as it had throughout their incredible season. Newcastle refused to give up and found a late try that gave them a slim chance of completing the comeback. With the Grand Final hanging in the balance, the Knights threw everything they had at the Roosters in the final stages. The pressure was enormous, but the Roosters remained composed and professionally managed the final attacking sets from Newcastle. Despite the Knights pushing right until the final siren, Sydney held on for a famous one-point victory and were crowned the 2026 NRL Premiers. For Newcastle, it was a heartbreaking ending to a season where they had already achieved far more than many expected. 

One thing every fan can take away from the match was the quality of the officiating. In a Grand Final decided by just one point, the pressure on the officials was enormous, but the on-field team handled the occasion tremendously well. Middle referee Adam Gee, who also officiated the 2023 Grand Final, was brilliant throughout the match. He allowed both teams to play a true game of rugby league stepping in when necessary. In a match where one decision could have changed the outcome, the officials deserve plenty of credit for allowing the players to determine the result. 

NRL fans now face the familiar wait for another five months before a brand-new season begins. The 2027 season will once again give every team a mathematical chance of finding glory. Sydney Roosters will celebrate a Premiership that came after overcoming a huge early challenge from Newcastle, while the Knights will be left wondering what could have been. Regardless of the result, the 2026 NRL season delivered plenty of memorable moments with the Grand Final providing a fitting conclusion to another entertaining year of rugby league.