The Roosters and Sharks meet in a do-or-die semi-final with a place in the preliminary finals on the line. Sydney enters the clash buoyed by a spirited performance against Penrith, while Cronulla arrives with confidence after eliminating North Queensland last week. Having beaten the Sharks twice during the regular season, the Roosters will be looking to continue their dominance, but Cronulla’s star-studded halves pairing of Nicho Hynes and Braydon Trindall could prove the difference in one of the biggest games of the season.
Read Full Previews
- Roosters vs Sharks → roosters-vs-sharks-semi-final-preview-2026
- Warriors vs Knights → warriors-vs-knights-semi-final-preview-2026
Matchday Details
Saturday, 19 September 2026 – 7:50pm AEST – Allianz Stadium
📺 Nine Network / Nine Now / Kayo / Foxtel
Referee: Adam Gee | Senior Review Official: Wyatt Raymond
Sydney Roosters: 1. James Tedesco (c), 2. Daniel Tupou, 3. Billy Smith, 4. Robert Toia, 5. Mark Nawaqanitawase, 6. Hugo Savala, 7. Daly Cherry-Evans, 8. Naufahu Whyte, 9. Reece Robson, 10. Lindsay Collins, 11. Salesi Foketi, 12. Siua Wong, 13. Victor Radley, 14. Connor Watson, 15. Spencer Leniu, 16. Nat Butcher, 17. Angus Crichton, 18. Cody Ramsey, 19. Tommy Talau, 20. Taylor Losalu, 21. Benaiah Ioelu, 22. Toby Rodwell
Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks: 1. William Kennedy, 2. Sione Katoa, 3. Riley Jones, 4. KL Iro, 5. Ronaldo Mulitalo, 6. Braydon Trindall, 7. Nicho Hynes, 8. Addin Fonua-Blake, 9. Blayke Brailey (c), 10. Jesse Colquhoun, 11. Briton Nikora, 12. Teig Wilton, 13. Cameron McInnes, 14. Siosifa Talakai, 15. Billy Burns, 16. Oregon Kaufusi, 17. Thomas Hazelton, 18. Jayden Berrell, 19. Toby Rudolf, 20. Niwhai Puru, 21. Samuel Stonestreet, 22. Mawene Hiroti
Match Preview
Neither side will want their season to come to an end on Saturday night, so expect plenty of fireworks when these two sides collide. The Roosters have held the upper hand in this match-up throughout 2026, comfortably defeating the Sharks on both occasions earlier in the season. With a place in the preliminary final on the line, the Sharks will be determined to turn the tables when it matters most.
The Roosters are coming off a physical battle against the Panthers in a classic contest, ultimately coming off second best in a 19–12 defeat. Despite the loss, Trent Robinson will no doubt be proud of his team’s performance, particularly their resilience and effort throughout the contest. The Roosters will be hoping to produce a similar performance on Saturday night as they look to bring down Cronulla and keep their finals campaign alive.
On the other hand, the Sharks are coming off the back of a solid 26–16 victory over the Cowboys at Allianz Stadium and will be looking to carry that momentum into Saturday night. Cronulla will need a courageous display from some of their key players if they are to overcome the Roosters and keep their finals campaign alive.
For the Roosters, Angus Crichton has been named in the 17, with Egan Butcher ruled out following a head knock. Salesi Foketi remains in the side despite the head knock he suffered last week.
Meanwhile, Craig Fitzgibbon’s Sharks have made just one change to their line-up, with Jayden Berrell coming into the squad for Niwhai Puru, who drops back to the reserves.
Braydon Trindall and Nicho Hynes will have plenty to answer for on Saturday night when they take on the red-hot Roosters, with the battle of the halves likely to play a huge role in deciding which side comes out on top.
Hynes and Trindall have been a force of nature throughout the 2026 season, with their combination continuing to grow with every game they play together. Trindall’s tactical presence and ability to manage the game allows Hynes the freedom to play his own style of football, and particularly use his dangerous running game. Towards the back end of the season, that combination helped turn the Sharks into one of the most dangerous attacking sides in the competition.
If Hynes and Trindall can click into gear and play their respective roles on Saturday night, the Sharks might just be able to swim their way into a preliminary final against the Dolphins.
While Daly Cherry-Evans and Hugo Savala may not have the same formidable partnership in the halves as Hynes and Trindall, they remain equally threatening. DCE is undoubtedly the leader of the pair, with his veteran experience and ability to control the structure of the Roosters’ attack playing a crucial role. His game management and ability to dictate the flow of play take pressure off Savala, allowing the young five-eighth to play to his strengths.
Savala’s physical and direct style of football complements DCE perfectly, while his defensive efforts at five-eighth have been nothing short of impressive. His strength and ability to stand up against some of the competition’s biggest forwards could prove crucial against the Sharks.
If the Roosters are going to get the job done in this encounter, there will be plenty of pressure on Savala, but perhaps even more on DCE. The question is, does the veteran feel the pressure? Well, we all know the answer to that…
Since 1967, the Roosters and Sharks have faced off 107 times, with the Roosters holding the clear advantage in the head-to-head record. The Roosters have claimed victory in 67 of those encounters, while the Sharks will be hoping to close the gap when these two sides meet once again on Saturday night.
Prediction
RLZ Tip: Roosters by 20.
Semi-Final tips → /nrl-semi-final-predictions-2026/
Bold call: The Roosters to score 40 points.
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Related
- Full Semi-Final coverage → /nrl/2026-season/semi-final/
- NRL Semi-Finals Team Lists → /nrl-team-lists-semi-finals-2026/
- NRL Injury List → /nrl/injuries/
- NRL Week 1 Finals Review → /nrl-week-1-finals-review-result-2026/
