The NRL grand final will be played on Sunday at Stadium Australia, pitting the Sydney Roosters against the Newcastle Knights. Both teams are led by their fullbacks – James Tedesco, 33, captains the Roosters, while 29‑year‑old Kalyn Ponga captains the Knights.

James Tedesco made his NRL debut in Round 1 of the 2012 season for the Wests Tigers, but only 30 minutes into the game he suffered a serious knee injury and was taken off the field on a stretcher. After three injury‑filled seasons he finally became a regular starter and has since won multiple Dally M player‑of‑the‑year awards.

"In 2024 and 2025 when I wasn't playing Origin or Test footy, people were doubting me a bit and I got some drive from that," said Tedesco. "Those external things do motivate me, but the internal one is still the biggest," he added, explaining that his own inner drive pushes him to keep improving.

Kalyn Ponga burst onto the scene at 17 when his first NRL appearance was a sudden‑death semi‑final. He joined the Newcastle Knights in 2018 and finished as the Dally M runner‑up in his first full season. Despite early hype, he did not play a finals match until 2020 and won his first final in 2023.

"He'd have wanted it earlier, he was impatient. But it makes it sweeter, to go through those tough times — the adversity, injuries, bad years," said Ponga, highlighting how overcoming early challenges has shaped his passion for the game.

The contrast is striking: Tedesco fought through a career‑threatening injury and years of doubt, while Ponga rode a wave of early fame but had to wait for team success. Their meeting in the grand final shows that very different journeys can lead to the same pinnacle, and that both internal motivation and the ability to ignore external scepticism are key ingredients for elite sport.