Newcastle’s fairytale ended in total heartbreak on Sunday night as the Roosters edged past a gallant Knights outfit to win the 2026 Grand Final.
The Roosters showed their class, taking the match and the premiership with a 19-18 win. Yet for most Australians and footy fans tuning in, it felt like a gut punch.
The Knights made 99 more tackles than the Roosters and missed 47 too, but that was more a product of sheer exhaustion.
And the emotion of the week — from the ride to the big dance, to the tragedy of fans being struck by an out-of-control teenage driver — finally caught up with Kalyn Ponga and Newcastle after full time.
As did the reality that the Newcastle faithful don’t know when they’ll next get a chance to win a premiership.
No one gave them a chance, and they made fans of not just the Knights but other teams dare to dream of a fairytale. They fell painfully short at the final hurdle, but not through a lack of trying.
Read all the reaction to the 2026 NRL Grand Final in news.com.au’s blog.