Moment that brought Teddy to tears as Roosters skipper claims Clive Churchill with epic display
James Tedesco led the Roosters to a 19-18 victory over the Knights in the 2026 NRL Grand Final, earning the Clive Churchill Medal. The match also marked the final game for teammate Daly Cherry-Evans.
Why it matters
The NRL Grand Final is a major sporting event in Australia, and this result marks a significant career milestone for the team captain.
NRL NRL-PREMIERSHIP Moment that brought Teddy to tears as Roosters skipper claims Clive Churchill with epic display Tedesco 'speechless' after Grand Final | 00:28 Daniel Nuttall from Fox Sports October 5th, 2026 12:28 am Roosters fullback James Tedesco won the 2026 Clive Churchill Medal after leading his side to a thrilling 19-18 win over the Knights.
The evergreen Tedesco was everywhere for the Chooks, running for 305 metres and recording nine tackle busts.
The fullback was extremely emotional when speaking to Channel 9 soon after the final buzzer.
“I didn’t think I’d be so emotional. I’m so proud of this team. What a game. I’m speechless. Speechless,” Tedesco said.
“Honestly, I felt like we had them on the ropes, but they just kept coming back. There were so many great attacking players and all that game, it could have went either way.”
Get smarter about the news
Sign up free for a feed built around what you actually care about, Dive Deeper research on any story, and the full text of every article.
Create free accountAlready have an account? Sign in