Roosters spoil Knights' NRL party as Daly Cherry-Evans shines

The Roosters have spoiled the Knights' NRL party with a thrilling one-point win in the grand final, thanks in large part to the class of Daly Cherry-Evans. The victory marks the Roosters' sixth premiership, and their second in as many years.

A David vs Goliath Battle

The week leading up to the NRL grand final was all about the Knights. The Steel City. The rugby league heartland. The undermanned and outgunned team had somehow made it back to the big show for the first time in 25 years. Newcastle is everything Bondi isn't, of course. Miners sinking tins, rather than the work-from-homers sipping oat flat whites.

In the 25 years since Newcastle's previous journey to the men's decider, the Roosters have made it eight times for five premierships. The Roosters are undeniably one of the NRL's "haves".

The Roosters' Formula for Success

Roosters chairman Nick Politis is the closest thing Australian 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. 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.

"They're my best customers; future customers. And I love them all," Politis told former stablemate Brad 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. I can't remember her name, but she's very good," he said.

The Key to the Roosters' Victory

Daly Cherry-Evans did exactly what he was brought to the club to do. 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.

But Cherry-Evans was quick to deflect credit. "We did it," he stressed to Channel Nine. "I didn't do anything."

The Roosters' victory was a testament to the team's depth and resilience, with players like James Tedesco and Isabelle Kelly showing off the spoils of victory.

The Knights' Journey

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). 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.

Angus 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. All the while the Roosters, this big business, stood by them. On Sunday night, those well-paid battlers returned the faith (and the sizeable investment).

Cherry-Evans' Redemption

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, has never really been a safe bet when it comes to this sort of 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.

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. "I don't know what it means, but it feels amazing," he told Nine. "This is not just about me, it's about my teammates and my family. The journey is all about the ups and downs and it's so amazing to finish here."