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Roosters edge Knights 19-18 in NRL grand final thriller

Carys BevanPublished 13m ago3 min readBased on 6 sources
Roosters edge Knights 19-18 in NRL grand final thriller
Photo by Quino Al on Unsplash

Sydney Roosters held on to beat Newcastle Knights 19-18 in the NRL grand final at Accor Stadium in Sydney on Sunday, 4 October. The one-point win came in front of 80,814 fans and denied Newcastle one of the great turnarounds in rugby league history. The Guardian

Newcastle arrived as last season’s wooden spooners turned grand finalists. They started like believers. Francis Manuleleua scored their opening try, worth four points for grounding the ball over the line, and then Kalyn Ponga ran 95 metres to score and stretch the lead to 12-0.

The Roosters steadied. Centre Billy Smith, listed at No. 3 in the official team sheets, scored to level the match with 30 minutes left. NRL Sam Walker then kicked a penalty goal, two points awarded for an infringement in range, to put Sydney ahead 14-12.

Winger Mark Nawaqanitawase made the difference on the edge. He scored twice for the Roosters to swing a tight, physical contest Sydney’s way. Newcastle refused to go. They hit back late to set up a grandstand finish at 19-18.

Captain James Tedesco led the Roosters from fullback, the last line in defence and first spark in attack. He was awarded the Clive Churchill Medal as player of the match in the final. The Guardian

Sydney were coached by Trent Robinson and named no late changes for the decider. Watson was ruled out, with Cant starting at hooker, the middle forward who distributes the ball after each tackle. Sydney Roosters Adam Gee refereed the match at Accor Stadium. The Guardian

There was a farewell edge to the win. Angus Crichton and two-try hero Nawaqanitawase were bound for rugby union after the final, crossing from league’s six-tackle game to union’s contest for the ball at ruck and lineout.

It completed a big day for the club. Sydney Roosters also won the NRLW premiership, beating Brisbane Broncos 30-6. news.com.au

What makes this stand out is the swing. Newcastle’s speed gave them a final to win. Sydney’s composure gave them a final they refused to lose. One point was enough.

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