Roosters and Knights lock in squads for NRL premiership showdown

It all comes down to this.

The Sydney Roosters and Newcastle Knights have named their extended squads for Sunday night’s NRL grand final, confirming the key selection battles that will shape the premiership decider at Accor Stadium.

The title will be decided under the National Rugby League’s elite competition framework, with the match serving as the culmination of the NRL’s finals series administered by the Australian Rugby League Commission and NRL. For international viewers less familiar with the code, the NRL premiership is the top tier of professional rugby league in Australasia and one of the sport’s flagship domestic competitions worldwide.

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Grand final match details

• Fixture: Sydney Roosters vs Newcastle Knights
• Venue: Accor Stadium, Sydney
• Date: Sunday, October 4
• Kick-off: 7.30pm (local time)

For both clubs, selection in this match has implications that go beyond a single night. A premiership win cements legacies for senior players and coaches, strengthens cases for future representative selection and contract value, and shapes the competitive landscape of the NRL for seasons to come.

Judiciary cloud over Phoenix Crossland

Phoenix Crossland has been named at hooker for Newcastle despite already pleading guilty to a hip-drop tackle on Nathan Cleary. He faces the judiciary tonight to learn how many matches he will serve on the sidelines.

That process will be conducted under the NRL’s formal judiciary and match review framework, which has tightened sanctions around hip-drop tackles in an effort to protect ball carriers’ lower limbs and reduce serious injury risk. Crossland’s case will influence not only Newcastle’s rotation for the grand final, but also ongoing debate within the sport about the consistency and deterrent effect of sanctions for dangerous tackles.

Should Crossland be ruled out, Newcastle’s spine and ruck strategy will need to adjust on short notice – a significant disruption at the most scrutinised positional channel in modern rugby league.

Roosters monitoring Watson as Knights weigh hooker options

Newcastle’s selection at No. 9 has a direct bearing on the Roosters’ preparation. With Crossland’s availability unresolved, the Roosters must plan for multiple scenarios around the Knights’ hooking rotation and bench composition.

Harrison Graham shapes as the logical replacement if Crossland cannot play, with Thomas Cant also mentioned as an outside chance to start. The Roosters will need to be ready for either a more traditional 80-minute hooker in Graham or a shared dummy-half approach if Cant is used in the run-on side and Graham off the bench.

On the Knights’ extended bench, promising youngster Diesel Hagan has been named, leaving open the possibility of an NRL debut in a grand final. That would be a rare pathway into first grade, underlining how injuries and suspensions can accelerate opportunity at the elite level.

For Newcastle, the choice between stability and potential impact off the bench will help determine how they manage fatigue, tempo and field position over 80 minutes in one of the most physically demanding matches of the year.

Roosters unchanged but Watson must clear HIA protocols

Elsewhere, the Roosters have maintained continuity. Bench utility Connor Watson failed a head injury assessment (HIA) in the preliminary final last Friday night and did not return to the field. His initial Category 2 assessment was upgraded to Category 1 by an independent doctor, triggering stricter return-to-play protocols.

Watson is scheduled to see an independent neurologist on Thursday as he attempts to be cleared for the grand final. Under the NRL’s concussion framework, that independent assessment is a safeguard designed to separate medical decisions from short-term competitive pressures, reflecting broader shifts in contact sports worldwide around head trauma management.

Roosters coach Trent Robinson has stated the club will give Watson every chance to play, noting that he has been feeling well in the days after the preliminary final. Until the specialist assessment is completed, however, his availability remains contingent on medical approval rather than tactical preference.

Roosters squad: settled spine, experienced pack

Roosters team: 1. James Tedesco 2. Daniel Tupou 3. Billy Smith 4. Robert Toia 5. Mark Nawaqanitawase 6. Daly Cherry-Evans 7. Sam Walker 8. Naufahu Whyte 9. Reece Robson 10. Lindsay Collins 11. Salesi Foketi 12. Siua Wong 13. Victor Radley 14. Connor Watson 15. Angus Crichton 16. Nat Butcher 17. Spencer Leniu 18. Hugo Savala 19. Cody Ramsey 20. Benaiah Ioelu 21. Tommy Talau 22. Egan Butcher

The Roosters are unchanged from the squad that defeated the Dolphins in Brisbane last week. That stability allows Robinson to build around a settled spine featuring James Tedesco at fullback, Daly Cherry-Evans and Sam Walker in the halves, and Reece Robson at hooker.

In the forward pack, Lindsay Collins and Victor Radley anchor the middle, supported by an edge rotation that includes Siua Wong and Salesi Foketi. Off the bench, Angus Crichton, Nat Butcher and Spencer Leniu give the Roosters a mix of line-running, work rate and impact through the middle.

Watson’s utility value is central to how the Roosters balance their bench. If he is cleared, he offers coverage across multiple positions and can alter attacking shape late in halves. If he is ruled out after the neurologist’s assessment, Benaiah Ioelu is expected to come onto the interchange bench, with Tommy Talau and Egan Butcher also listed in the extended squad.

For a club with established international players and emerging talent, this grand final is an opportunity to convert roster depth and experience into another premiership, reinforcing the Roosters’ status as a perennial contender in the NRL era.

Knights squad: continuity, judiciary tension and debut potential

Knights team: 1. Kalyn Ponga 2. Dominic Young 3. Dane Gagai 4. Bradman Best 5. Greg Marzhew 6. Fletcher Sharpe 7. Sandon Smith 8. Tyson Frizell 9. Phoenix Crossland 10. Cody Hopwood 11. Jermaine McEwen 12. Francis Manuleleua 13. Mathew Croker 14. Harrison Graham 15. Lachlan Crouch 16. Pasami Saulo 17. Dylan Lucas 18. Fletcher Hunt 19. Thomas Cant 20. Kyle McCarthy 21. Diesel Hagan 22. Elijah Leaumoana

Knights coach Justin Holbrook has retained the same 19-man squad that upset the Panthers on Sunday, signalling confidence in the group that carried Newcastle into the decider.

Kalyn Ponga again leads the side from fullback, supported by a backline of Dominic Young, Dane Gagai, Bradman Best and Greg Marzhew. In the halves, Fletcher Sharpe and Sandon Smith continue their partnership, while Tyson Frizell and Francis Manuleleua bookend a forward pack built around middle forward Mathew Croker.

Phoenix Crossland remains named at No. 9 pending the outcome of his judiciary hearing. He was sent off for the hip-drop tackle on Cleary, and has been named again in recognition of his role across the season. That highlights a common tension in elite sport between loyalty to a key contributor and the hard limits imposed by disciplinary systems.

Harrison Graham, currently listed in jersey 14, appears the most straightforward replacement at hooker should Crossland be unavailable. Graham’s longest stint on field this year has been 65 minutes when he started in Round 26, demonstrating he can handle extended minutes if required. His comments this week emphasised Crossland’s standing within the group and underscored the personal dimension of judiciary outcomes for playing squads.

On the extended bench, Thomas Cant (jersey 19) has been mentioned as a candidate to move into the run-on side, with Graham remaining as a utility and likely sharing minutes at dummy-half. Holbrook’s remaining options include Diesel Hagan, named in the reserves alongside Kyle McCarthy and Elijah Salesa-Leaumoana, presenting a pathway to a possible first-grade debut on the NRL’s biggest stage if the coaching staff reshapes the bench late in the week.

High-stakes decisions at hooker and on the bench

The most sensitive selection calls for both clubs sit in similar areas of the field.

• Newcastle awaits the judiciary verdict on Crossland before finalising its hooking and bench configuration.
• Sydney must navigate concussion protocols before confirming Watson’s availability and the make-up of its interchange.

In a premiership decider, those decisions influence how each side can respond to in-game injuries, manage fatigue across the middle third, and adjust tactically to momentum swings. They also reflect how modern NRL squads operate within tight regulatory frameworks around both foul play and player welfare.

For players on the fringe of these 22-man lists, this week’s training sessions and final medical and judiciary rulings could determine whether they experience a grand final from the field, the bench, or the stands. For the clubs, the outcome at Accor Stadium will reverberate through recruitment strategies, contract negotiations and selection debates long after full-time on Sunday night.