Fri, 11 Sept, 7:50 pm, Final score, Rabbitohs 10, Knights 20
Sat, 12 Sept, 4:05 pm, Final score, Warriors 16, Dolphins 26
16 26 →Sat, 12 Sept, 7:50 pm, Final score, Sharks 26, Cowboys 16
26 16 →Sun, 13 Sept, 4:05 pm, Final score, Panthers 19, Roosters 12
19 12 →Sat, 19 Sept, 7:50 pm, Final score, Roosters 46, Sharks 10
46 10 →Sun, 20 Sept, 4:05 pm, Final score, Warriors 10, Knights 12
10 12 →Fri, 25 Sept, 7:50 pm, Final score, Dolphins 20, Roosters 36
20 36 →Sun, 27 Sept, 4:00 pm, Final score, Panthers 14, Knights 22
14 22 →Sun, 4 Oct, 7:30 pm, Final score, Roosters 19, Knights 18
19 18 →
The week leading up to the NRL grand final was all about the Knights.
asserted
week → lead → Knights
The undermanned and outgunned team had somehow made it back to the big show for the first time in 25 years.
asserted
team → make → years
Report: Roosters beat Knights by one point in classic NRL grand final
-
asserted
Roosters → beat → final
Analysis: Newcastle's magic NRL premiership tilt ends in defeat, pride and honour
-
asserted
tilt → end → defeat
Quick hits: Ponga lights up the grand final as DCE seals the premiership
- Clive Churchill Medal: Tedesco wins best on ground
- Jai Arrow
asserted
Tedesco → light → ground
Tribute: Amy Shark leads grand final tribute
asserted
Shark → lead → tribute
In the 25 years since Newcastle's previous journey to the men's decider, the Roosters have made it eight times for five premierships.
asserted
Roosters → make → premierships
football has to an American-style club owner; the sort of bloke who would get on stage to accept the championship trophy before any of his players touch it
asserted
any → have → it
He didn't quite go that far after the Roosters' thrilling one-point win over the Knights, but broadcaster Channel Nine did make sure to find him in the midst of the celebrations, talking to a few kids over the fence.
asserted
Nine → go → fence
And I love them all," Politis told former stablemate Brad Fittler.
asserted
Politis → love → Fittler
As he celebrated his team winning the men's and women's premierships, he pledged the all-conquering, undefeated NRLW champions would get better next year.
"We've got that rugby sevens girl coming.
asserted
girl → celebrate → premierships
I can't remember her name, but she's very good," he said.
asserted
he → remember → name
It doesn't scream close-knit family unit, but it's the sort of cold, hard business operation that is so often the formula for success at this level.
asserted
that → scream → level
The famed salary sombrero has allowed them to be in the hunt or end up as the final destination for just about every big-name off-contract player in recent years.
asserted
them → allow → years
Years ago they ripped James Tedesco from the Tigers (and arguably the Raiders).
asserted
they → rip → Tigers
The Rabbitohs were powerless to hang on to Angus Crichton when Uncle Nick came calling.
asserted
Nick → hang → Crichton
They pinched Mark Nawaqanitawase from the Wallabies.
asserted
They → pinch → Wallabies
And, perhaps most pivotally, they gave Daly Cherry-Evans one last NRL payday and a shot at premiership glory.
asserted
they → give → glory
Sam Walker was their future, Hugo Savala was a ready-made option, and Sandon Smith had proved an able utility or deputy half.
But the Roosters wanted more.
asserted
Roosters → make → more
They wanted an assurance of class and quality,
asserted
They → want → class
So, like Cooper Cronk before him, Cherry-Evans made the journey to Moore Park and did what he was paid handsomely to do.
asserted
he → make → what
When the moment came, he took it upon himself to step up and ice the moment with what turned out to be the decisive field goal.
asserted
what → come → moment
He did it.
asserted
He → do → it
"We did it," he stressed to Channel Nine.
"
asserted
he → do → Channel
I didn't do anything."
asserted
I → do → anything
For all the battler energy of the Knights and Newcastle, in Kalyn Ponga and Dylan Brown they boast the two most expensive players of either grand final team (and reportedly two of the league's top seven).
uncertain
they → boast → seven
And for all the glitz and glamour that comes with being a Rooster, centres Rob Toia and Billy Smith have been through five torn ACLs and two broken jaws between them to play in this grand final.
asserted
Toia → come → final
Crichton has battled through mental demons you wouldn't wish on your worst enemy and literally cut off his left middle finger to keep playing footy.
asserted
you → battle → footy
All the while the Roosters, this big business, stood by them.
asserted
Roosters → stand → them
On Sunday night, those well-paid battlers returned the faith (and the sizeable investment).
asserted
battlers → pay → faith
And if we're talking about communities showing resilience to bounce back from tough times, they don't come much tougher than what Bondi experienced last summer.
Even DCE, the blond-haired boy from Manly.
asserted
Bondi → talk → Manly
One of the NRL's great villains, mostly for being a little too media trained and polished, has never really been a safe bet when it comes to this sort of thing.
asserted
it → train → thing
The oldest NRL grand finalist and now the oldest premiership winner at 37, burst onto the scene with a premiership in his 2011 rookie year with Manly, but the ensuing decade-and-a-half were slim pickings for the State of Origin hero, with just four top-eight finishes in his last 11 Sea Eagles seasons.
asserted
decade → burst → seasons
But it only took one in Bondi for him to rediscover that winning form and deliver on the promise he made, either explicitly or implicitly, when he signed that contract.
asserted
he → take → contract
"I don't know what it means, but it feels amazing," he told Nine.
asserted
he → know → Nine
The journey is all about the ups and downs and it's so amazing to finish here."
asserted
it → finish → ups
In many ways, Cherry-Evans winning with the Roosters may be even less popular than if he'd won another with Manly.
uncertain
he → win → Manly
It's not much fun seeing the rich get richer, and rugby league's Richie Rich Roosters don't really need the love as long as they have the titles to keep them warm at night.
asserted
they → see → night
But they do deserve our respect.
asserted
they → deserve → respect
The Aporia
