NRL Finals Week 3 Results, Highlights & Expert Analysis

The 2026 NRL Grand Final is the Sydney Roosters against the Newcastle Knights, after the Roosters beat the Dolphins 36-20 and Newcastle beat Penrith 22-14 with 12 men for the whole second half.

NRL 2026: Finals Week 3 in Focus

The 2026 NRL Grand Final is the Sydney Roosters against the Newcastle Knights, after the Roosters beat the Dolphins 36-20 and Newcastle beat Penrith 22-14 with 12 men for the whole second half. Both home sides lost, and neither minor premier Penrith nor the third-placed Dolphins will be in the decider.

Catch up on the preliminary finals preview, the Finals Week 2 results, or follow the full draw on our NRL finals bracket.

Roosters 36 def Dolphins 20

How it unfolded

Friday 25 September, Suncorp Stadium, in front of a sold-out 52,286. The Roosters led 16-0 inside 27 minutes, the first try a 90-metre Mark Nawaqanitawase intercept, and the Dolphins never got back within reach. Nawaqanitawase scored twice, with Victor Radley, Daniel Tupou, Robert Toia and Sam Walker also crossing, and Walker ran the game 27 days after a syndesmosis injury. Jamayne Isaako scored twice for the Dolphins. Radley was charged with a Grade 1 dangerous contact for a hip drop and is free to play the Grand Final after accepting a $3,000 fine, while Connor Watson is set to miss it after a category-one HIA unless the club’s exemption request succeeds.

The full record in this fixture is on our Dolphins v Roosters head-to-head page.

Knights 22 def Panthers 14

How it unfolded

Sunday 27 September, Accor Stadium. Penrith led 14-6 at half-time, but lost Nathan Cleary to a broken leg late in the half in a tackle by Phoenix Crossland and Francis Manuleleua. Crossland was sent off for the hip drop, the first send-off for that offence in NRL history, and Newcastle played the entire second half with 12 men.

They still scored three tries after the break. Sandon Smith, the halfback the Roosters let go last year, scored one in a bizarre passage of play, and a late breakaway try settled it. Penrith also lost Blaize Talagi to a torn Achilles, and Ivan Cleary said afterwards that Dylan Edwards tore his PCL in the first half and Isaah Yeo played through a torn pectoral. It ends Penrith’s bid for a sixth Grand Final in seven years, after four straight premierships from 2021 to 2024.

The full record in this fixture is on our Knights v Panthers head-to-head page.

How our tips went

Both of our picks lost. We backed the Dolphins on Friday and Penrith on Sunday, and both home sides went out. The reads that held were the margin ones. We said Dolphins v Roosters rarely produces a close game and the Roosters won by 16, and we said a Newcastle win, if it came, would more likely be clear than narrow, and they won by eight. The under call on the Penrith game in our multi tips also landed, 36 points against a fixture average of 41.4.

The Grand Final

Detail	Value
Match	2026 NRL Grand Final
Teams	Sydney Roosters v Newcastle Knights
When	Sunday 4 October 2026, 7:30pm AEDT
Venue	Accor Stadium, Sydney
Head-to-head since 2023	Roosters 5, Knights 0

It is the Roosters’ first Grand Final since their back-to-back titles in 2018 and 2019, and Newcastle’s first since they won the 2001 premiership. The Roosters have won all five meetings since 2023, but four of them were decided by four points or fewer, so the record flatters them more than the margins do. The Roosters get nine days to prepare after playing on Friday; Newcastle get seven, and will be waiting on Crossland’s send-off, which puts his Grand Final place in doubt. Daylight saving begins in New South Wales that morning, so the 7:30pm kick-off is AEDT.

Every Grand Final market and the full winners record are on our NRL Grand Final hub, and the head-to-head is on our Knights v Roosters page.

Looking for the best bookmakers to bet on the NRL Grand Final?

Compare NRL markets, same game multis and promotions at our top-rated Australian bookmakers. Full reviews are in our best NRL betting sites guide.

NRL Finals Week 3 FAQs

Who is in the 2026 NRL Grand Final?

The Sydney Roosters and the Newcastle Knights, at Accor Stadium on Sunday 4 October at 7:30pm AEDT.

What were the 2026 NRL preliminary final scores?

The Roosters beat the Dolphins 36-20 at Suncorp Stadium, and Newcastle beat Penrith 22-14 at Accor Stadium.

Why did Newcastle play with 12 men?

Phoenix Crossland was sent off late in the first half for a hip-drop tackle that broke Nathan Cleary’s leg, so the Knights played the whole second half a man down.

More NRL Content

• NRL Grand Final hub: date, venue, winners and markets
• NRL finals bracket
• NRL premiership odds
• NRL round-by-round: every round of 2026
• NRL tips hub