Despite heartbreaking result, Knights remain the people’s choice

October 4, 2026 — 10:05pm

You have reached your maximum number of saved items.

Remove items from your saved list to add more.

We knew what would happen in this grand final – and it didn’t.

All the smarties, and all the rest of us besides, knew that however much popular sentiment was behind the Knights in this NRL grand final, last year’s wooden-spooner workers beating the uppity glory boys of the eastern suburbs would be wonderful – but elite sport just doesn’t work like that.

The Knights, we knew, had left their best on the field by beating Penrith last week, and would have nothing left to give. The Roosters, obviously, had too much firepower, too much big-match experience, too much sheer talent, to lose against – what’s that smell? – the sweaty proletariat from the north. No-one would be surprised by a 20-point victory, if not 30 points.

And yet all through the first half it was obvious we had a real contest on our hands. Despite the Roosters dominating possession and territory, the Knights had something the Roosters did not.

Firstly, the ability to successfully strike. While the Roosters always........

© The Sydney Morning Herald