Cherry-Evans Kicked the Field Goal, and Newcastle’s 25-Year Wait Went On by One Point
Newcastle led 12-6 at half-time of their first grand final since 2001. With four minutes left they were seven points down. They finished one point short.
Sydney Roosters 19, Newcastle Knights 18, at Accor Stadium in front of 80,814. Daly Cherry-Evans kicked the field goal that decided it, and at 37 became the oldest man to win a premiership in 104 years of the game.
How a seven-point lead became one
Francis Manuleleua scored in the 16th minute and Kalyn Ponga in the 30th, and Newcastle led 12-0 before the Roosters had scored at all. Mark Nawaqanitawase pulled one back at 36 minutes; Billy Smith levelled it at 48; Sam Walker kicked a penalty goal at 55 to put the Roosters in front for the first time all night; and Nawaqanitawase scored again at 60.
How the points went
| Min | Scorer | Score |
| 16′ | Francis Manuleleua try (Smith goal) | Newcastle 6-0 |
| 30′ | Kalyn Ponga try (Smith goal) | Newcastle 12-0 |
| 36′ | Mark Nawaqanitawase try (Walker goal) | Newcastle 12-6 (half-time) |
| 48′ | Billy Smith try (Walker goal) | 12-12 |
| 55′ | Sam Walker penalty goal | Roosters 14-12 |
| 60′ | Mark Nawaqanitawase try | Roosters 18-12 |
| 70′ | Daly Cherry-Evans field goal | Roosters 19-12 |
| 76′ | Greg Marzhew try (Smith goal) | Roosters 19-18 |
Accor Stadium · crowd 80,814 · referee Adam Gee · Clive Churchill Medal: James Tedesco
Cherry-Evans dropped the goal in the 70th minute to make it 19-12 — the 32nd one-pointer of his career, and the last. Then Greg Marzhew went over down the left edge in the 76th, Sandon Smith converted from the touchline, and it was 19-18 with four minutes to find one more play.
They did not find it. James Tedesco took two kicks cleanly in the last minutes and the Roosters had their first premiership since 2019. Tedesco took the Clive Churchill Medal.
What they said
“We did it. I didn’t do anything. We did it. I’m so grateful,” Cherry-Evans said. Tedesco: “I’m so proud of this team. What a game. I’m speechless.”
And Ponga, who had scored and still lost: “It hurts so much. The amount of pressure they put on us, they were just too good.”
The Roosters did the double
Earlier in the afternoon the Roosters women beat Brisbane 30-6, leading 26-0 at the break, to complete an unbeaten season. Brydie Parker scored a hat-trick and halfback Tarryn Aiken took the Karyn Murphy Medal. One club, both trophies, one afternoon.
Newcastle go home with nothing, again
This was the club’s first grand final since they won one in 2001 — the night they led 24-0 at half-time against Parramatta. Twenty-five years later they led at the break again and could not hold it.
They got here the hard way: three knockout wins, two of them away, and a preliminary final played with twelve men after Phoenix Crossland was sent off. Crossland watched this one suspended. A point is a very small distance to come up short by, and it will be a long summer in the Hunter.
Two things this result should not be allowed to bury. Newcastle took the wooden spoon in 2025 — no side has gone from last to premiers since the 1930s, and they came one point short. And it was Cherry-Evans’ last game: 379 appearances, two premierships fifteen years apart, the oldest premiership winner in 104 years.
More: were the big refereeing calls right? · the Roosters also won the NRLW grand final, unbeaten.
Every result from the 2026 finals: NRL Finals 2026.
