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The Sydney Morning Herald
· collected 2026-10-04 · by Robert Dillon, Phil Mitchell
The article provides performance ratings for all players involved in the NRL grand final between the Roosters and the Knights, focusing on key individual contributions. For the Roosters, James Tedesco receives a top rating of 9/10 for his leadership and game-changing plays, while other standout performers include Daniel Tupou with impressive kick returns and Daly Cherry-Evans scoring the decisive field goal in his final match. The Knights' Kalyn Ponga is highlighted for an exceptional performance despite their loss, earning an 8/10 rating for his dynamic plays and captaincy.
Written locally by qwen2.5:14b on 2026-10-04,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
Story summary
The article by Dan Walsh from the Sydney Morning Herald delves into an intriguing discussion about where pressure lies ahead of the 2024 NRL grand final between the Newcastle Knights and the Sydney Roosters. The piece highlights Trent Robinson's comments suggesting that much of the pressure is internal, particularly within his team's mindset rather than external pressures from fans or management.
Robinson's statement that "It’s mostly internal" raises an interesting point about how professional sports teams manage their expectations and mental state leading up to major games. This perspective suggests a focus on self-motivation and overcoming personal challenges versus focusing solely on the external factors such as fan support, media attention, or rival team performance.
Walsh's article also references the Roosters' history and culture of striving for premierships as evident from the club motto "we play for premierships." This indicates a deep-seated commitment to success that might contribute significantly to internal pressure within the squad. The longevity of Robinson’s tenure, with support from key figures like chairman Nick Politis and director Mark Bouris, further emphasizes the high standards set by the club and the consequent expectations placed upon the team.
The narrative also contrasts this approach with the Knights' situation, marking their first grand final appearance in 25 years. This context implies a different kind of pressure for Newcastle—perhaps more focused on achieving historical milestones rather than maintaining a consistent standard of excellence over time.
Ultimately, Walsh’s article invites readers to reflect on how internal versus external pressures impact performance and success in high-stakes sports events like the NRL grand final. The focus on mental preparation and self-motivation within teams presents an interesting perspective that goes beyond typical discussions about physical fitness or tactical strategies in professional sports.
Written for “NRL Grand Final” on 2026-10-05,
grounded in this article and the 19 other(s) covering the same event.
We rate the performances of every player who took the field in Sunday’s NRL grand final between the Roosters and Knights.
asserted
who → rate → Roosters
James Tedesco: Great captain’s knock by Tedesco, in which he ran for more than 380m.
asserted
he → run → m.
Billy Smith: Powerhouse try early in the second half and threatened the Knights’ defence several other times.
asserted
Powerhouse → threaten → defence
Daly Cherry-Evans: Dream finish to his storied NRL career, kicking the field goal that proved the difference.
asserted
that → kick → difference
He’s in for a great future.
asserted
He → ’ → future
Grand final glory has been a long time coming for the hard-working forward.
asserted
glory → come → forward
Last season he was almost sacked by the Roosters; now he’s a premiership winner again.
asserted
he → sack → Roosters
Did all that was asked coming off the bench.
asserted
that → do → bench
Newcastle’s skipper scored a spectacular length-of-the-field try, saved one with a desperate in-goal challenge, and did everything he could to inspire his team.
uncertain
he → score → team
Better known as a scoring machine, he saved a four-pointer early on, but his dropped ball in the second half led to a Billy Smith try.
asserted
ball → know → try
5
3. Dane Gagai: Appearing in his last game for Newcastle, the veteran centre tried hard but was generally well contained.
asserted
centre → appear → Newcastle
Greg Marzhew: Had his hands full marking the high-flying Mark Nawaqanitawase, who scored two tries.
asserted
who → have → tries
Fletcher Sharpe: Few signs of his dynamic running game, although he produced some long-range kicking to get his team out of strife before coming up with a costly knock-on.
asserted
he → produce → on
Sandon Smith: Steady without having the same impact that he produced against Penrith in the preliminary final.
asserted
he → have → final
Conceded a high-tackle penalty that allowed the Roosters to grab the lead.
asserted
Roosters → concede → lead
The old warhorse copped a heavy knock in the early exchanges but soldiered on for 22 minutes and returned for a similar second-half stint.
asserted
warhorse → cop → stint
The stopgap hooker let nobody down as Phoenix Crossland’s replacement, racking up 26 tackles in a 28-minute first-up stint.
asserted
hooker → let → stint
The rookie prop averaged almost a tackle a minute in his opening 25-minute stint and carted the ball up five times for good measure.
asserted
prop → average → measure
A sloppy play-the-ball gifted the Roosters possession, but he got through a power of work in defence.
asserted
he → gift → defence
Hard to believe this kid has played only a half a season in the NRL.
asserted
kid → believe → NRL
His opening try was further evidence of his line-breaking ability.
asserted
try → break → ability
At least, that is, until he was replaced five minutes into the second half.
asserted
he → replace → half
Never stopped while he was out there.
asserted
he → stop → ?
Added some spark out of dummy-half when he came on to replace Cant and defended above his weight.
asserted
he → add → weight
Lachlan Crouch: Toiled hard when he came on to replace Frizell against the big-name Roosters pack.
asserted
he → toil → pack
Pasami Saulo: Threw himself into his work when he came on, but was never likely to have the impact of a Jacob Saifiti (suspended) or a Trey Mooney (injured).
asserted
he → throw → Saifiti
The Origin back-rower came on early in the second half, playing in the middle rather than his preferred left edge.
asserted
rower → come → edge
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