The superstars, unsung heroes and tactics to win the NRL grand final

October 1, 2026 — 5:00am

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Big games are won in big moments, and the biggest game of 2026 will be no different.

The Roosters and Knights have plenty of points in them, and score them in distinctly different ways. But they have also been the two best defensive sides of the finals series, despite their roads to the decider being very different.

Newcastle have been underdogs the whole way – knocking off South Sydney, travelling to New Zealand, rumbling heavyweights Penrith with only 12 players – and now they ride momentum and emotion that is unlike any other in rugby league.

On Sunday, I think those Knights fans could take over as much as 80 per cent of Accor Stadium, and really would that surprise anyone at all?

The Roosters have had a dream run in comparison after going to war with Penrith in week one of the finals, knocking over the Sharks and Dolphins, and earning themselves a nine-day build-up to the grand final.

Knights can win on the edges. But is Phoenix irreplaceable?

Newcastle started the season with a smaller pack and less depth than most clubs in the middle, so they worked out how to make their edge attack a real focal point, especially coming out of their own end.

Three of their four tries against Penrith came from their own half, and now they’ve scored 35 this season from their own side of halfway.

Big, bad Francis Manuleleua finished off one of the Knights’ first attacking plays last week and will be opposite Daly Cherry-Evans – whose history of being isolated in defence has been well-documented. On the opposite edge,........

© Brisbane Times