Summary
The Roosters were superb all season and they end it worthy champions. They defeated Melbourne Storm, South Sydney and Canberra Raiders in the finals with some of the finest defensive displays imaginable. They rode their luck tonight - especially with that phantom call for another set to the Raiders - but they took full advantage in the most thrilling fashion.
The Raiders can hold their heads high. It surely won’t be another 25 years before they’re back on the big stage.
That’s all from me for tonight. Thank you for your company.
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Unsurprisingly, the team of referees, led by Ben Cummins, are roundly booed when they arrive on the dais to accept their medals.
Jack Wighton awarded the Clive Churchill medal
Not often you see a player from the losing side claim man of the match honours but Canberra’s halfback put on an excellent show and scored his team’s only try.
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Sia Soliola has been awarded the Ken Stephen medal. The honour recognises the efforts of an NRL player who has not only achieved on the field, but has committed time off the field to community projects.
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“It’s an honour to be talked about in the same sentence as Artie Beetson,” says Boyd Cordner about skippering consecutive Roosters premierships.
“It feels like a punch in the stomach” says a disconsolate Josh Hodgson.
That’s to take nothing away from the Roosters who defended bravely all night, including a ten-minute spell with just 12 men on the field.
BACK-TO-BACK #NRLGF CHAMPIONS 💪🏻
— ANZ Stadium (@ANZStadium) October 6, 2019
History made at @ANZStadium tonight!
How does it feel @sydneyroosters fans?! pic.twitter.com/5xKnP8ON31
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Raiders fans can feel hard done to by the referees. That overturned call before the Roosters scored was the decisive moment in the match. It will be fascinating to see what the NRL comes out with in their defence.
I don’t know how they did it, but they did. Somehow, despite defending for almost the entirety of the second half the Roosters repelled the Raiders and are the 2019 premiers. Cooper Cronk retires a champion.
Bitter pill for Canberra. They were excellent, gave it everything. Had some tough calls go against them, but kept plugging away. Such a gutsy display by Sticky's men#NRLGrandFinal
— John Davidson (@johnnyddavidson) October 6, 2019
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Roosters 14-8 Raiders
Sydney Roosters go back-to-back!
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79 mins: Roosters 14-8 Raiders: Safe set from the Roosters, full of slow restarts and ending with a kick that goes out of touch off a Raider who did not play at the ball. One final set for Canberra to rescue something.
77 mins: Roosters 14-8 Raiders: Friend has been canny since he came on and he gains metres again by timing a superb pass to the onrushing Tedesco. Canberra are going to have do something miraculous to score from the final couple of plays with no field position.
75 mins: Roosters 14-8 Raiders: That refereeing signal on the Canberra attack immediately before the Roosters scored is the story of the grand final.
This was destined to happen this year with the rubbish these clowns in the middle have been allowed to get away with.
— Nick Tedeschi (@Tedeschi8181) October 6, 2019
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Conversion! (Mitchell, 74) Roosters 14-8 Raiders
Mitchell rams home his side’s unlikely advantage.
AFL umps: we had a crap year.
— edwyatt (@edwyatt) October 6, 2019
NRL refs: hold my Tooheys.#NRLGF
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TRY! (Tedesco, 74) Roosters 12-8 Raiders
That previous Roosters salvo has restored some balance back to this contest after the Raiders onslaught but Canberra have the bit between their teeth again after a bomb bounces back their way off a blue jersey. But, hang on, despite the onfield referee signalling a repeat set there’s a handover at the next tackle. What happened there!? Sydney don’t care, they break down the left through Mitchell’s wonderful offload, Tupou’s pace, and Tedesco’s support play. The man of the year dives over and, improbably, the Roosters are back in front.
In other news, cramp looks to have ended Nicoll-Klokstad’s night.
Cometh the hour, cometh the superstar!
— NRL (@NRL) October 6, 2019
Tedesco finishes off a stunning play from the Roosters. #NRLGF pic.twitter.com/1zLr5yG5X8
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69 mins: Roosters 8-8 Raiders: Mitchell tugs his penalty attempt wide from about 35m out. Let-off for the Raiders.
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67 mins: Roosters 8-8 Raiders: Another spell of attacking play from the Raiders ends with Morris pulling down yet another high ball into his corner - and finally, after long last - there’s a line-break to ease the pressure, Taukeiaho skipping along the turf to the delight of Roosters fans. The kick at the end of the set is knocked-on in the air by the Raiders and as soon as Sydney reclaim possession there’s a penalty for a high tackle and Mitchell has an opportunity to kick his side back in front.
65 mins: Roosters 8-8 Raiders: The Raiders keep chipping away through the middle but whenever they look to expand or try something funky they either lack execution or the Roosters are just too good defensively. However, Easts are always on the back foot and exhausted when they regain the ball giving them no options to stop the onslaught. If this was boxing, the Raiders are controlling the centre of the ring but they can’t find the knockout blow.
62 mins: Roosters 8-8 Raiders: The Roosters do the basics in possession again - they’ve barely offered anything in attack this half - and the Raiders have to build from deep once again. They make it as far as halfway before Nicoll-Klokstad is grounded with cramp. He gets up and returns to the fray seconds later though, counterattacking after collecting a charge-down, setting the Raiders for another assault. On the last tackle of that set Sezer goes aerially to the corner but Morris is safe with his feet off the ground and is happy to concede a drop-out.
It has been all Canberra since half-time but they have yet to make it count.
60 mins: Roosters 8-8 Raiders: The Raiders have struggled to create much from these kind of situations all night and they look blunt again until Leilua has a two-on-one on the right wing but instead of just catching and passing he accepts contact and slips the offload fractionally forward letting the Roosters off the hook.
59 mins: Roosters 8-8 Raiders: Ohhhh, just when the Roosters were starting to take the sting out of the contest Lui drops the ball in contact, seconds before Cronk returns, and the Raiders have set-piece ball just beyond halfway.
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57 mins: Roosters 8-8 Raiders: The Raiders have struggled to assert themselves since Cronk’s sin-binning. Morris’s spectacular leaping take denies them a repeat set and an opportunity to establish field position. Instead, the Roosters drive safely downfield and force Canberra to attack from deep, a task near impossible against this brilliant defensive wall.
54 mins: Roosters 8-8 Raiders: Superb defence from the Roosters pins the Raiders inside their own half for a full set. They respond in possession by stuffing the ball up the jersey of five different forwards before Friend cleverly kicks to touch to slow the game down.
Confirmation, belatedly, that Aubusson is out of the game following that awkward fall early in the game.
52 mins: Roosters 8-8 Raiders: The Raiders are buzzing now, keeping the ball alive in possession and chasing like dervishes when they kick. The Roosters just have to weather this storm and they do so for the time being, with the help of Jake Friend who’s now on the field.
Penalty! (Croker, 50) Roosters 8-8 Raiders
Croker makes no mistake from point-blank range. The Raiders already had the momentum, now, can they make it count in the next ten minutes against 14 men?
50 mins: Roosters 8-6 Raiders: Canberra look immediately dangerous from their next set, Nicoll-Klokstad breaking a tackle down the right and wriggling towards the line before he’s stopped. From the next play Papali hits the pass on the burst but the ball goes to ground. What happened there? Was it a professional foul? Cronk tackled the man before he received possession and the TMO has confirmed a professional foul. Ten minutes in the bin too for Cronk! Oof, that was close to a penalty try as well. Drama at ANZ Stadium!
That is not a sin bin any which way you look at it.
— Nick Tedeschi (@Tedeschi8181) October 6, 2019
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49 mins: Roosters 8-6 Raiders: After that frenetic start to the half both sides are now happy to keep things safe and central before inviting a halfback to roost the ball into the Sydney sky. That to-me, to-you, dance ends with the Roosters conceding a needless penalty at the ruck allowing the Raiders another attacking burst.
An incredible turnout tonight at @ANZStadium 👏
— NRL (@NRL) October 6, 2019
Thank you to all the 82,922 fans for attending! #NRLGF pic.twitter.com/YNBmoNexWE
47 mins: Roosters 8-6 Raiders: The Raiders are pushing and pushing and have come out after half-time with much more attacking verve. But, oh, one offload too many hands possession back to the Roosters and the momentum is halted. Sydney drive all the way down to the Canberra 10m line meaning that despite the best lung busting efforts of Papali the Raiders have to settle for field position.
44 mins: Roosters 8-6 Raiders: That set begins well with Papali finding an offload, and gets even better after four tackles when Leilua breaks the line. The final passage is dangerous with play switching to the left but the finishing touch eludes Canberra with Tedesco on hand to touch down in-goal.
43 mins: Roosters 8-6 Raiders: The Raiders have the first hit-up of the half, and not for the first time tonight they kick before they need to. The Roosters attack from their own 30m line and drive to about the same distance from the Raiders’ line allowing Cronk to stab a kick forward that is defused with ease. Almost immediately Canberra benefit from an infringement at the play-the-ball.
41 mins: Roosters 8-6 Raiders: The second half is underway!
Both sides did superbly defensively in that first half. The Roosters looked impregnable while the Raiders managed to keep Tedesco and Mitchell quiet.
Not a lot to shout about in the half-time stats. Both teams have high completion rates, low error counts, and, crucially, just one line-break apiece.
Individually, Waerea-Hargreaves is the first and only man to pass 100m with ball in hand. He’s also the only man with more than eight carries.
Big miss there from Mitchell. Canberra right in this. Looked like they were struggling at 8-0, but wow these Raiders don't give in. Great contest, love the intensity#NRLGrandFinal
— John Davidson (@johnnyddavidson) October 6, 2019
Half-time: Roosters 8-6 Raiders
Mitchell drags his left-footed penalty from the right touchline wide and there’s just two points separating the sides at the interval.
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40 mins: Roosters 8-6 Raiders: The Roosters take no risks with their final set of the half until Cronk kicks high to the right corner. Canberra claim the bomb but there’s a whistle - a well-spotted penalty against Croker for obstructing Morris. Mitchell will kick after the siren...
38 mins: Roosters 8-6 Raiders: Ill discipline from the Roosters gifts Canberra good field position. For the first time tonight Nicoll-Klokstad has a look but the Roosters hold him up despite a fierce burst. The ball gets shuffled left and Croker is then inches away from snaffling a teasing kick. This is turning into a fair old end-to-end ding-dong.
36 mins: Roosters 8-6 Raiders: It’s been all Sydney since the Raiders scored, and another set in Raiders territory almost led to tries to Tupou and Mitchell down the left before desperate defence - led by Croker - keeps them at bay and forces the turnover. That felt like an important passage of play for Canberra. They withstood a fierce burst from a stung Sydney and they remain standing.
33 mins: Roosters 8-6 Raiders: The Raiders handover possession cheaply about 10m out from their own line early in the set following the restart. Can the Roosters capitalise? No - they don’t fall far short but Keary’s grubber is tipped out of harm’s way with Cordner circling.
Conversion! (Croker, 32) Roosters 8-6 Raiders
Croker adds a couple more points and it is game on at ANZ Stadium.
TRY! (Wighton, 30) Roosters 8-4 Raiders
And from that set the Raiders score their opening try of the grand final. After a long spell of Raiders pressure the Roosters finally started to look fatigued and Wighton took a couple of steps off his left to profit from that uncertainty. It was coming.
A bit of magic from Jack Wighton 🎩#NRLGF pic.twitter.com/PATOekaKkh
— NRL (@NRL) October 6, 2019
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30 mins: Roosters 8-0 Raiders: Mitchell kicks this time after a lacklustre set from the Roosters. The Raiders might just be getting the upper hand in close now. Can they find some inspiration with ball in hand? Hodgson tries, then Sezer, but there are no gaps in the Roosters defence. Wighton has to kick but this time the Roosters spill the bomb into the corner and the Raiders get another set...
29 mins: Roosters 8-0 Raiders: Another solid set from the Roosters sees JWH become the first man to carry for over 100m for the night. The Raiders respond positively but again decent field position ends without much adventure and the bomb to the corner is accepted by the Roosters without fanfare.
27 mins: Roosters 8-0 Raiders: A rare Raiders offload deep in their own half creates some broken play. From the resulting tackle - the third of the set - Hodgson kicks deep into the left corner and Morris lets it roll out for the scrum.
25 mins: Roosters 8-0 Raiders: Canberra get deep into Roosters territory before they get another set following a Sydney hand interfering with the play-the-ball. They can’t capitalise though because this awesome tricolour wall is smothering everything in every direction and eventually it forces an error. It is hard to see how the Raiders are going to get through tonight.
23 mins: Roosters 8-0 Raiders: First proper handling error of the night from the Roosters and it’s that man Radley, fresh from a whack on the face, he drops the ball in a straightforward passage of play. He immediately exits the game for a HIA and we all scratch our heads at the treatment of concussion and head injuries in professional sport.
Penalty! (Mitchell, 21) Roosters 8-0 Raiders
The Roosters extend their lead with a penalty from 35m out directly in front after Tapine’s swinging arm caught Radley’s nose in a poorly executed tackle.
19 mins: Roosters 6-0 Raiders: Another safe Roosters set ends with Cronk kicking from halfway. The highlight of the passage was a solid tackle on Cordner that shook captain Chook. The Raiders pack aren’t hitting the line as hard as their Roosters counterparts, meaning the halfback kicking game is much more conservative, allowing Tedesco, Tupou and Morris plenty of time to pouch and counterattack.
17 mins: Roosters 6-0 Raiders: Tedesco makes his first decent metres of the night to set up field position for Cronk to launch an almighty Garryowen that almost comes back Sydney’s side. Canberra survive and we’re back into forward exchanges down the centre of the pitch.
15 mins: Roosters 6-0 Raiders: The Raiders have the luxury of a full set within striking distance but the Roosters defence is intimidatingly good. There is no chink in the armour with holes being plugged in the middle and runners covered left and right. A limp attack ends with a grubber deflected out of play off a green hand.
14 mins: Roosters 6-0 Raiders: The Roosters gain little ground on their set allowing the Raiders, backed by a vociferous crowd, to launch another attack. Their set ends with Wighton again going to his boot but he’s stopped illegally in his chase and Canberra get a penalty in a dangerous area.
Bad news for the Roosters with Aubusson limping off in the hands of trainers with what looks to be a left knee injury.
12 mins: Roosters 6-0 Raiders: First decent attacking territory for the Raiders following that penalty. Papalii and Hodgson drive them forward then Wighton kicks unexpectedly on tackle four, the ball claimed in the air near the left corner but possession can’t be recycled back with enough space to cross.
10 mins: Roosters 6-0 Raiders The Raiders can’t catch a break. The Roosters are on the attack straight away from the restart, helped by an infringement at the play-the-ball handing them repeat sets. It’s nearly seven minutes between possession for the Raiders and when they do get their hands on the ball it’s on their own try line. They do finally get a respite when a third defender flops on the prone carrier and concedes a very sloppy penalty.
Conversion! (Mitchell, 8) Roosters 6-0 Raiders
The most prolific scorer in the competition doesn’t miss from there.
TRY! (Verills, 7) Roosters 4-0 Raiders
The Roosters have just been coming and coming since the start of their second set and finally the green wall is pierced by Sam Verrills. Sydney’s halves probed one way then the other eventually settling on the right flank before Verrills spotted a gap and dived just to the side of the uprights.
Just go yourself!
— NRL (@NRL) October 6, 2019
What an effort from Sam Verrills 👏 #NRLGF pic.twitter.com/hckpMdVkHw
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5 mins: Roosters 0-0 Raiders: From that set-piece the Roosters snipe on both edges before Cordner scrambles his way towards the line but he’s held up on his back. From the next play Keary tests the Raiders with a nice bomb that ends with a line drop-out. The Roosters making the early running.
4 mins: Roosters 0-0 Raiders: The first incident of the night arrives towards the end of the Roosters’ second set. Keary is late on his kick and it’s charged down by the head of Soliola. The ball ricochets at speed downfield but strikes the Roosters’ trainer! It all ends with a Sydney scrum.
🙈🙈#NRLGF pic.twitter.com/hA7V8MPc5o
— NRL (@NRL) October 6, 2019
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2 mins: Roosters 0-0 Raiders: Solid opening set from the Roosters. Waerea-Hargreaves took the first carry, of course, then the fifth, bulldozing his way down the middle of the field. The Raiders regained possession 30m out from their own line and kept ball in hand safely to establish a foothold before kicking high to Tedesco. Safe and sound from both sides early doors.
Peeeeeeppppp!
The Raiders have struck the opening kick and we’re underway in the 2019 NRL grand final!
Head says Roosters. Heart says Raiders#NRLGrandFinal
— John Davidson (@johnnyddavidson) October 6, 2019
Nothing says NRL grand final quite like Natalie Bassingthwaighte singing the national anthem, so that’s what we’ve got.
Thankfully the rugby league has intervened. The Provan-Summons trophy has been carried carefully onto the ANZ Stadium turf, and the two sides are out. There’s a massive wallop of a viking clap at one end, fireworks and tricolour banners at the other.
SCENES.
— NRL (@NRL) October 6, 2019
Powerful Viking Clap! #NRLGF pic.twitter.com/QYeIlOZqJC
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“What do you see when you look deep into a person’s soul?” asks Billy Slater, on the telly. That can only mean the lengthy pregame montage has begun.
No prizes for guessing the favourite for the Clive Churchill Medal. James Tedesco has swept all the individual awards so far this season and as the dominant force in rugby league the Roosters fullback is the man to stop.
“We’re the only people who don’t believe we are mate,” says Ricky Stuart to Darren Lockyer when asked about his side being underdogs. Stuart, remember, has won premierships with both clubs in his time in the game.
Trent Robinson? “I feel good. Ready to get it on.”
Raiders XVII
The Raiders have the luxury of an unchanged 17 despite a couple of scares earlier in the week to Josh Hodgson (flu) and Joey Leilua (concussion).
1. Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad, 2. Nick Cotric, 3. Jarrod Croker (C), 4. Joey Leilua, 5. Jordan Rapana, 6. Jack Wighton, 7. Aidan Sezer, 8. Josh Papalii, 9. Josh Hodgson (C), 10. Sia Soliola, 11. John Bateman, 12. Elliott Whitehead, 13. Joe Tapine, 14. Bailey Simonsson, 15. Emre Guler, 16. Corey Horsburgh, 17. Dunamis Lui
Roosters XVII
Two changes for the Roosters from the squad that downed the Storm, one expected, one a significant late surprise.
The big call is the last-minute inclusion of Jake Friend on the interchange bench. The hooker and co-captain has only featured five times this season and has recently been battling a calf strain following a long absence with a fractured arm. Zane Tetevano is the unlucky man to miss out.
Jared Waerea-Hargreaves is the other inclusion following his preliminary final suspension. He starts ahead of Siosiua Taukeiaho with Lindsay Collins missing out altogether.
1. James Tedesco, 2. Daniel Tupou, 3. Latrell Mitchell, 4. Joseph Manu, 5. Brett Morris, 6. Luke Keary, 7. Cooper Cronk, 8. Jared Waerea-Hargreaves, 9. Sam Verrills, 10. Isaac Liu, 11. Boyd Cordner (c), 12. Mitchell Aubusson, 13. Victor Radley, 14. Angus Crichton, 15. Zane Tetevano, 16. Nat Butcher, 17. Siosiua Taukeiaho
Canberra have won the toss and they will kick-off tonight.
It’s a warm dry night in Sydney with temperatures in the low 20s. The northerly that’s currently skipping across ANZ Stadium will die down during the game.
The contrast between the two clubs and their supporter bases this grand final is stark. The Roosters are success personified.
The Raiders meanwhile are busy building a brand new bright green bandwagon.
“I know we’re American,” says Ryan Tedder, “but we love our footy.” It does feel more like a summer blue light festival at the moment, rather than a first grade granny, but the kids look to be enjoying themselves. *Shrug emoji*.
Well this is horrific. Bring back the broken television or Billy Idol's hovercraft!
— Nick Tedeschi (@Tedeschi8181) October 6, 2019
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The pregame is underway at ANZ Stadium. Sam Thaiday has just introduced One Republic, who are doing their dance pop thang on halfway surrounded by a gaggle of delighted teenage girls.
🎤 @OneRepublic killing it for #NRLGF 🔥 pic.twitter.com/oBOsj3XivV
— ANZ Stadium (@ANZStadium) October 6, 2019
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Preamble
Hello everybody and welcome to live set-by-set coverage of the 2019 NRL grand final between the Sydney Roosters and Canberra Raiders from ANZ Stadium. The action is scheduled to get underway sometime after 7.30pm.
We should be in for a closely fought contest tonight between two of the standout sides of 2019. They have both beaten the minor premiers Melbourne Storm this finals campaign, the Raiders doing so at AAMI Park three weeks ago to turbocharge their pursuit of the Provan-Summons Trophy. It’s 25 years since they were last on this grandest of stages so the Green Machine are arriving with nothing to lose, and plenty of sentimental support.
By contrast the Roosters are old hands at this NRL grand final lark. This is their eighth since the turn of the millennium and as defending champions they’re bidding to go back-to-back for the first time in a generation.
It’s second vs fourth from the regular season ladder with the Roosters holding the upper hand. They also won both the head-to-head match-ups this year but by margins of just six and four points. It’s clear who the favourites should be, but grand finals have a habit of upsetting the form book.
If you want to drop me a line before the action gets underway you can do so by email or via Twitter.
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