After 25 gruelling rounds and three weeks of intense finals, get ready for the 2019 Telstra NRL Grand Final on Sunday, EXCLUSIVELY LIVE and in HD on Nine and 9Gem across Australia, and streamed LIVE on 9Now.
The mouthwatering showdown between the Sydney Roosters and Canberra Raiders, meeting in a decider for the first time, is one of the most highly anticipated Grand Finals in rugby league history.
Nine’s coverage begins at 11.00am AEDT, live from Sydney’s ANZ Stadium with a star-studded Sunday Footy Show analysis of every game on the day as fans begin to flock into Olympic Park.
Origin-like pride will be on the line from 1.00pm AEDT in the State Championship Grand Final. NSW Canterbury Cup champions, the Newtown Jets, meet the Queensland Intrust Cup champions, Burleigh Bears, as the brightest young stars of the future take centre stage.
This game will be followed by the second annual NRLW Grand Final at 3.30pm AEDT, as last year’s women’s champions, the Brisbane Broncos, defend their crown against the St George Illawarra Dragons in another interstate battle. With the NRLW competition growing each year and the level of skill and talent more impressive than ever, this Grand Final will be another must-watch clash if recent NRLW matches are anything to go by.
From 6.30pm AEDT, the anticipation rises as the countdown to the Telstra NRL Grand Final begins and global superstars One Republic rock ANZ Stadium ahead of the big game.
The Sydney Roosters will run out against the Canberra Raiders in a Grand Final where history will be made whoever wins. For the Raiders, a win would be their first premiership in 25 years, since 1994. Should the Roosters prevail, they’ll become the first club to win back-to-back premierships in the same period – a testament to just how difficult and evenly balanced the modern NRL competition is.
The Roosters welcome back from suspension their forward leader, Jared Waerea-Hargreaves, whose brutal battle with Josh Papalii, the Colossus of Canberra, will light up ANZ as two of the best props in the world go head-to-head.
While the Raiders are fielding an unchanged side after toppling the Rabbitohs a week ago, the Roosters will keep everyone guessing as to who will play hooker until match day. Co-captain Jake Friend is racing to be passed fit and return to the side after being sidelined with injury, while his young stand-in, Sam Verrills, has done more than enough to hold his spot.
Either Friend or Verrills will be lining up against the crafty Englishman Josh Hodgson, who has become one of the very best players in the NRL and a deadly exponent of stealing the ball.
Last year’s Clive Churchill Medallist, Rooster Luke Keary, will face off against NSW Origin star Jack Wighton in another intriguing match-up: two five-eighths with vastly contrasting styles.
Then there’s the 2019 Dally M Medallist, James Tedesco, up against the buy of the season, Raiders fullback Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad, whose form is superlative.
The Tri-Colours are hot favourites to hoist the Provan-Summons Trophy, but as they’ve shown all season, the Green Machine can never be underestimated – especially with the crowd surging behind them, revved up by the powerful Viking clap.
