Roosters and Knights set for grand final decider on Sunday night

The Sydney Roosters will meet the Newcastle Knights in Sunday night's NRL grand final, the culmination of the 2026 season and, according to Guardian Rugby League, the biggest occasion on the Australian sporting calendar since Kylie Minogue's performance at the MCG the previous Saturday.

Newcastle's presence in the decider marks a return to rugby league's biggest stage after 25 years without a grand final appearance, giving the club's supporters their first shot at silverware in a generation.

The Roosters arrive as the contest's establishment force, a Sydney heavyweight with a reputation, as Guardian Rugby League puts it, for being ready to spoil a party whenever a newer or less fashionable rival threatens to break through.

Guardian Rugby League frames the match as a study in contrasts beyond the scoreline: Newcastle cast as the mulleted, working-class representatives of the Hunter Valley against a Sydney club identified with the eastern suburbs.

For the millions of Australians without a direct stake in either club, the piece suggests the decision of who to support on the night comes down to that same divide, with family, friends and the local pub likely to press a preference on any neutral before kick-off.

Sunday night's grand final will settle which of the two narratives prevails for 2026 — a first premiership in 25 years for Newcastle's long-suffering fanbase, or another triumph for a Roosters outfit accustomed to occupying the competition's business end.