Quick hits: Ponga lights up the grand final as DCE seals the premiership - ABC News & Headlines – Australian Broadcasting Corporation

Daly Cherry-Evans ended his NRL career with a grand final win.  (Getty Images: Cameron Spencer)

The Sydney Roosters prevailed in a classic grand final, holding off a spirited Newcastle Knights outfit who threatened to complete one of the great premiership wins.

In a match where the Roosters statistically dominated, but the Knights managed to lead in the second half, these were the key moments from the 2026 NRL grand final.

There are no shortage of camera angles in professional sport these days. 

One of rugby league's favourite angles used by the Nine Network in its broadcasts is Spidercam, an overhead view of the action.

The camera is hoisted by high wires well above the action, but not high enough for a bomb from Sydney Roosters five-eighth Daly Cherry-Evans. 

The Roosters' playmaker, in his final NRL match, hoisted an early kick that hit the cable holding Spidercam.

Newcastle Knights fullback Kalyn Ponga was cool under pressure as the trajectory of the footy quickly changed and plummeted to the turf. 

Ponga adjusted well and caught the footy. A knock-on would have been a major controversy. 

Ponga was always going to be a central figure at Stadium Australia, and he was involved in an incident of some controversy midway through the first half.

Ponga may well have been fortunate to avoid a spell in the sin bin. (Getty Images: Darrian Traynor)

The Knights captain may well have been lucky to not have been sent to the sin bin when his shoulder collected the head of Victor Radley in the tackle.

The Roosters were clearly unhappy with the tackle, with Naufahu Whyte scuffling with Jermaine McEwan.

But referee Adam Gee and the bunker opted against sending Ponga to the bin.

James Tedesco (left) believed opposing captain Kalyn Ponga (right) should have been sent to the sin bin in the first half. (Getty Images: Cameron Spencer)

"If we're consistent with the rules, that's a shoulder to the head," Roosters captain James Tedesco was heard on the Nine broadcast telling Gee.

Francis Manuleleua dislocated his elbow in Newcastle's final home and away match on August 30. 

Just 35 days later, the 22-year-old from Auckland scored the first try of the NRL grand final.

The Roosters seemed to have the better of the early momentum, but it was the Knights who scored first, with Manuleleua running through a huge gap to score under the posts.

The Roosters' defenders appeared to be focused on Ponga who was running wide, but a beautiful pass from Fletcher Sharpe hit Manuleleua in full stride for the opening score.

"It looked way too easy – didn't look like there was anything wrong … absolutely brilliant football, outstanding pass, but it all looked too easy for the Knights," two-time premiership winner Luke Lewis said on the ABC Sport call.

The Roosters would have felt hard done by. The Knights were able to get into an attacking position off the back of a penalty against prop Lindsay Collins for a head-high tackle. 

Replays appeared to show Collins made contact with the chest and shoulder of Newcastle's Mat Croker, but ref Adam Gee ruled in favour of the Knights.

If the Knights were going to win the grand final, Ponga needed to have a big impact. 

He made a diving effort midway through the first half to knock the ball out of the grasp of Mark Nawaqanitawase, denying a certain Roosters try. 

A few minutes later, Ponga produced a moment of individual brilliance.

He stood at marker near the right touchline, then sprinted across the field as the Roosters put up a kick to the opposite corner. 

It was another Roosters' kick for Nawaqanitawase who tapped the ball back for a teammate.

But Ponga, who had just sprinted across the field, swooped on the bouncing ball and ran 95 metres in the opposite direction as Knights fans went wild at Stadium Australia. 

Ponga was chased all the way by Cherry-Evans, but the Newcastle number one had enough speed, and just enough energy, to score and help the Knights take a 12-0 lead.

Few have made such an impact on the NRL in two seasons as Sydney Roosters winger Mark Nawaqanitawase.

The walking highlight reel has produced many memorable moments since joining the competition, with Sunday's NRL grand final the final chapter of his NRL career (for now) before he returns to rugby union. 

Nawaqanitawase got the Roosters on the scoreboard in the grand final, showing off his soccer skills for the Tricolours' opening try. 

As the ball bounced to him on the final play, Nawaqanitawase decided to kick the ball towards the in-goal.

It was not the smoothest display of soccer skills, coming off his right shin, then trapped under his right boot, before then being kicked forward with his left foot.

Nawaqanitawase was able to keep his feet, and sprinted to the goal-line to score a grand final try and get the Roosters back into the contest.

No off-season switch was more high-profile than Daly Cherry-Evans leaving Manly for the Sydney Roosters.

But the former Queensland State of Origin captain had his decision vindicated by guiding the Roosters to the grand final. 

And it was Cherry-Evans who put the Roosters in a match-winning position with 10 minutes to play.

Holding a six-point lead after second-half tries to Billy Smith and Nawaqanitawase, Cherry-Evans showed off his years of experience to slot a smartly taken field goal, giving the Roosters a vital seven-point lead. 

How vital that one point would turn out to be.

The Newcastle Knights never gave up. They fought until the final second as they tried to become the first team since the 1930s to go from wooden-spoon to premiers. 

Down by seven points with less than four minutes to play, the Knights showed a never-say-die attitude that will define their 2026 campaign.

Left winger Greg Marzhew broke two tackles to score in the corner, giving the Knights a glimmer of hope.

Sandon Smith, who was a Rooster before moving to the Knights, landed the most fantastic conversion from the sideline to reduce the deficit to just one point.

The Knights had two more uses with the ball, but could not get close enough to the Roosters' goal-line to snatch the premiership.