Roosters Grand Final Preview
Sydney Roosters Fans and Players Prepare for NRL Grand Final
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Key Points
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Leong has followed the Roosters since the 1970s and been a ticketed member for more than three decades. The Quagmire banner was originally made by another supporter, Julie, and Leong took it over when she moved to Melbourne.
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Hayes’s Roosters allegiance extends to the club’s vehicle sponsor: he bought a BYD Shark, joking that it was the only shark he would support despite living in the Shire. He said he lets his daughter support Cronulla and “just back off and behave myself.”
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Tupou scored a spectacular try in the 2013 grand final, only his second season of first grade. His 199th career try came in the preliminary-final win over the Dolphins, underlining that he remains a scoring threat.
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Whyte said the pace of his first game in Australia quickly showed him how much he had to learn, and he recalled thinking, “This club’s not for me.” He had played centre or in the back row in New Zealand before being assigned the No. 8 jersey.
Sydney Roosters fans are counting down to the NRL grand final with homemade superstitions and deep club loyalty. Longtime supporter Wayne Leong carries a Quagmire banner to every game—a lucky charm he inherited from fellow fan Julie years ago—while Thomas Hayes planted actual turf from the Roosters' former home ground in his backyard. On the field, veteran winger Daniel Tupou is primed to add another premiership ring, having played in all three of Coach Trent Robinson's championship teams and becoming the club's leading try-scorer.
The Roosters face the Newcastle Knights in a clash that carries deep personal meaning for several players. Prop Naufahu Whyte has transformed from a terrified newcomer questioning whether he belonged into an elite forward, while other squad members are chasing dreams planted by family sacrifice and determination.
A 30-Year Journey With the Quagmire Banner
Wayne Leong started following the Roosters in the 1970s and became a ticketed member over three decades ago. He inherited the Quagmire banner—named after a famous cartoon catchphrase—from another devoted fan named Julie when she relocated to Melbourne. The banner now travels with Leong to every match, a piece of shared supporter history that keeps both fans connected to the club.
When the Shire Drives a Shark for the Roosters
Thomas Hayes lives in the Shire, home to fierce Cronulla-Coogee Sharks supporters, but he stays fiercely loyal to red and white. He even bought a BYD Shark vehicle—purely to support the car sponsor of his beloved Roosters. Hayes jokes it was "the only shark I would support," and he allows his daughter to back Cronulla while he "just back off and behave myself." His commitment extends beyond fandom: he dug up grass from the club's former home ground and replanted it in his own backyard.
Tupou's Rise From Rookie to Leading Try-Scorer
Daniel Tupou has been a constant through three premiership wins under coach Trent Robinson, an extraordinary run of success spanning multiple seasons. In the 2013 grand final—only his second year in first grade—Tupou scored a spectacular try that announced his arrival on rugby league's biggest stage. His 199th career try came just recently in the preliminary-final victory over the Dolphins, proving he remains a genuine scoring weapon at the moment the Roosters need it most.
Whyte's Journey From Doubter to Elite Forward
Naufahu Whyte arrived from New Zealand with minimal prop experience and genuine fears he did not belong. During his first game in Australia, the pace of competition shocked him. "This club's not for me," he remembered thinking as defenders hit harder and faster than anything he'd faced in the back row or centre position where he previously played. Today, he stands as an elite forward ready for grand final football, his self-doubt transformed into quiet confidence through years of development and hard work.
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