The Knights have made a late switch at hooker with Thomas Cant starting the game and Harrison Graham sliding to the bench.

Graham was initially promoted to the starting side after Phoenix Crossland was suspended, but Cant will now start the game at dummy half.

Graham has come from the bench with great effect in 17 of his 19 games in 2026 and will most likely be thrown on after around 30 minutes.

Youngster Benaiah Ioelu has been added to the Roosters’ six-man interchange bench for Sunday’s grand final after Connor Watson was ruled out on Friday.

Watson suffered a head knock just one minute after coming on to the field in the preliminary final victory over the Dolphins on September 25 and was promptly ruled out of the remainder of the match. 

With players typically placed into an 11-day stand-down period after a concussion, the Roosters sought clearance from an independent neurologist for Watson to line up in the grand final, which comes nine days after the head knock.

The request was denied and 22-year-old Ioelu comes into the 19 in his sixth game of the season and just the 18th of his career.

“Ultimately it came down to protocol and we stand by that,” coach Trent Robinson said.

“Connor spoke to the group quite clearly about ‘this is about the group’ and he passed that on, and then the player who took his spot in the 19, Benaiah spoke about the love for Connor and what it means for his role coming into the team and that’s what teams are about.”

Official late mail, updates and injury news for the 2026 NRL Telstra Premiership Grand Final.

NRL Late Mail: Grand Final
Roosters v Knights, Sunday 7.30pm AEDT at Accor Stadium

Roosters: No further game day changes after Benaiah Ioelu joined the six-man bench on Friday when Connor Watson’s late bid for a clearance to line up in the grand final was denied by an independent neurologist. In his last ever NRL game, Daly Cherry-Evans will become the oldest player in grand final history at 37 years and 183 days, surpassing the record set by Melbourne’s Cameron Smith, who was 37 and 130 days old when he took the field against the Panthers in the 2020 decider. Egan Butcher remains in the squad as the reserve.


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Roosters v Knights: Grand Final

Knights: A late change from Justin Holbrook with Thomas Cant to start the game at hooker and Harrison Graham reverting to the bench. Youngster Diesel Hagan has been added to the bench and could make his NRL debut. Kyle McCarthy has been omitted 90 minutes before kick-off. Star centre Bradman Best sat out training on Wednesday but that was merely a precaution and he is primed to press his claims for a Kangaroos jersey in a mouth-watering battle with Rob Toia.

 

Don’t miss a moment of the 2026 NRL decider on Nine, 9Now and Sky Sports NZ.