NRL Grand Final 2026: What Time Does Roosters v Knights Kick Off?
The 2026 NRL grand final kicks off at 7:30pm AEDT on Sunday 4 October at Accor Stadium, Sydney Olympic Park. Sydney Roosters play Newcastle Knights, and Adam Gee has the whistle.
Grand final day at a glance
| NRL grand final | Sunday 4 October, 7:30pm AEDT |
| Teams | Sydney Roosters v Newcastle Knights |
| Venue | Accor Stadium, Sydney Olympic Park |
| Referee | Adam Gee |
| Gates open | 1:00pm AEDT |
| NRL State Championship | 1:20pm AEDT |
| NRLW grand final | 4:00pm AEDT · Roosters v Broncos |
It is a full day, not a single match
Gates open at 1:00pm, more than six hours before the main game. The NRL State Championship — the New South Wales Cup premiers against their Queensland Cup counterparts — starts the programme at 1:20pm. The NRLW grand final kicks off at 4:00pm, and it is a rematch: Sydney Roosters against Brisbane Broncos, the same two clubs that met in last year’s decider. If you are going for the whole card rather than just the 7:30pm kick-off, budget for an afternoon and an evening.
What time is that where you are?
AEDT is daylight saving time, which New South Wales, Victoria, the ACT and Tasmania are all on by 4 October. Queensland is not — so a 7:30pm Sydney kick-off is 6:30pm in Brisbane, 7:00pm in Adelaide, 6:00pm in Darwin and 4:30pm in Perth. In New Zealand it is 9:30pm. In the United Kingdom it is 8:30am on Sunday morning.
Getting there and what is on the line
Accor Stadium sits inside Sydney Olympic Park, which is on the suburban rail network and takes event traffic every week — the practical advice on grand final day is the same as it is for a State of Origin: train rather than drive, and treat the 1:00pm gates as the real start time if you want to be in your seat before the State Championship.
The winner takes the Provan-Summons Trophy, and the best player on the ground takes the Clive Churchill Medal. Newcastle have one name on that medal from a grand final: Andrew Johns, in 2001.
Why this one is different
Newcastle have not played a grand final since 2001, the longest current wait of any club in the competition — the last time they were here, they led 24-0 at half-time. The Roosters are back for the first time since 2019. Neither side finished the regular season on top: Penrith did, and the Knights knocked them out with twelve men.
Newcastle go in without hooker Phoenix Crossland, suspended for four games at the judiciary on Tuesday. Full bracket and every result from the 2026 finals: NRL Finals 2026.
